According to Hooks, in American society, there are three different classes that people belong to: the rich, the working, and the poor. The majority of American citizens are from the working class and this is where the Hooks family came from. Unlike hooks, many people leave their families and would be ashamed of where they came from and who they are.
Hooks’s essay aims to argue that a working-class student should not be ashamed of where he came from and remember that he is part of his family. Most children know where they are from and who they are, but some have little idea of where they are from. When they go to college, they learn who they are and why the struggles they have been taking place. They would learn "To be ashamed of where we came from, that they might never come home, or come back only to rule over them" (Keeping Close To Home).
Many parents were afraid to let their children go to college and learn more about their country of origin and how the people they attend class with come from a richer place. Hooks saw that she came from a different background from everyone. She didn't want who she was preventing her from studying. The hooks try to tell working class students that if they believe in what they have learned and are learning in school or university, it separates you from your past. Most of the time that would happen. The brackets tell them if they “stand firm in the belief that nothing can really separate us from our past when we nurture and enrich the connection” . The past is your origin and you have had the opportunity to have a better life. You cannot be ashamed of a place where you come from and where the family is still. As you walk through life, someone will always support you. You cannot trust everyone except your family. family is one of the keys to a successful life and especially to your career. "Maintaining ties to family and community beyond classroom boundaries requires more than a cursory reminder of where you are from, where you come from".
Keeping a good connection with family can help you function. But Hooks tried to explain to the students that their current situation was due to their family. “Open and honest communication is the most important way to maintain relationships with parents and the community as the classroom experience and background change”. Hooks’s essay wishes to argue that a working-class student should not be ashamed of where he came from and remember that he is part of his family. She explains why you shouldn't be ashamed of who you are because you find out where you are coming from. She explains the importance of class not only on money, but also on the values that showed and determined behavior. Keeping the connection with family can allow you to connect with jobs or they could help you in the future.
