Poverty Reasons

Every year, I read the book Holes with my 6th graders.  Poverty and homelessness comes up pretty frequently.  We were having a discussion about this, and I asked them, "What would be a reason that someone would be in this kind of situation?" Herman raised his hand, "Lack of education." "Good answer. You can't get a good job if you don't have the skills.  Anything else." Herman 2 "Because they're African-American.".......He then continued to say, "No offense Hattie, no offense Herman, no offense Henrietta." He was making sure that the African-American students were not offended, but in doing so, he also included an Indian American student.  Oi.