In suburbia, a dizzying fall from middle-class grace

by Petula Dvorak

PREP Simone Brown helping a student at Intermediate School 292 in Brooklyn prepare for the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test, the subject of a recent lawsuit. One study indicated that children of professionals were, on average, exposed to approximately 1,500 more words hourly than children growing up in poverty. This resulted in a gap of more than 32 million words by the time the children reached the age of 4. Photo: Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times

“It’s how I can buy her a dress like this,” explains Yemmy Fashoto, pointing to the turquoise confection her 9-year-old daughter had slipped on over her clothes, and tearing up a little when she talks about her new shopping habits.

  • World Hunger Education
    Service
    P.O. Box 29015
    Washington, D.C. 20017

  • About WHES & Hunger Notes
    For the past 40 years, since its founding in 1976, the mission of World Hunger Education Service is to undertake programs, including Hunger Notes, that
    • Educate the general public and target groups about the extent and causes of hunger and malnutrition in the United States and the world
    • Advance comprehension which integrates ethical, religious, social, economic, political, and scientific perspectives on the world food problem
    • Facilitate communication and networking among those who are working for solutions
    • Promote individual and collective commitments to sustainable hunger solutions.