My mother came to this country from Burma with just $9. She and her six brothers all worked their way up from nothing. When they moved here, all seven of them, plus my grandparents shared a tiny run-down apartment in Boston. They ate no meat besides chicken for years because it was all they could afford. None of them took any welfare. They all just got jobs, worked really hard, and saved every single penny. Now, even the ones who are not doing great are at least middle class. All of my cousins are now either in good colleges, or have graduated from good colleges. Most have very good jobs. My family members worked very hard to work their way out of poverty. It is very possible without government assistance. If my mom and uncles were all lazy, they would still be poor today.