Years ago Mike Royko wrote a column titled "My old man was a sap" he told how his father was a second generation immigrant that took a job as a kid selling newspapers, counting eggs, etc. He did what ever he could as he grew older to contribute to the family income. No job was beneath him every one was an opportunity. Royko compared it to the welfare recipients that would not even show up of free job training and then spent 6 months fighting being kicked off the welfare roles.
I work in a nursing home and we have a lot of women in their 80s and 90s. Many of them talk of working in the cotton fields when they were young (and they’re white!). Most have only elementary school educations but they worked hard and raised families and contributed to this country. A dying breed indeed.