J.D.’s grandparents were middle-class "hillbillies," now rare.

J.D. Vance was born into a working-class family with deep roots in poverty. He grew up in a struggling Ohio steel town that had lost its jobs and hope. This is why he relates to many working-class white Americans of Scottish and Irish descent, who often lack college degrees and view poverty as a family legacy.

To understand this background better, we should look at his grandparents' lives. They were also hillbillies, reflecting the typical experience of this group.

Affectionately called Mamaw and Papaw, they were born around 1930 in Jackson, Kentucky. They were hill people, a term used for residents of the Appalachian Mountains, sometimes used negatively.

Seeking better job opportunities, they moved to Middletown, Ohio, where Papaw got a job at Armco, a major steel company. During the 1950s, Armco actively recruited people from Kentucky, bringing many like J.D.’s grandparents to Ohio's towns and cities.

Current Struggles of Hillbillies

This factory position used to let a couple retire in moderate comfort. However, the current situation for residents in places like Jackson, Kentucky is much worse. Many towns have been severely impacted by economic hardship.

Because of this, hillbillies are often seen as synonymous with "poor." In Jackson, roughly one-third of the community lives in poverty, including half of the children. The local public schools are so rundown that the state had to step in, but parents still have to enroll their kids in high schools that seldom prepare students for college.

The general health of people in Jackson is also poor. A 2009 ABC news report on the Appalachian region revealed that many young children suffer from severe dental issues due to excessive consumption of sugary sodas.

While Jackson is a clear example of poverty in Appalachia, this issue is widespread across the region. Many towns have been drained by the loss of jobs to outsourcing. In the sections that follow, you will learn how this shift in industry has affected the lives of the hillbillies living in Appalachia.

J.D.’s mother grew up in a troubled, poor home.

J.D.’s uncle describes the home he shared with J.D.’s mother, Bev, as a happy middle-class place. However, this cheerful picture seems far from the truth. The reality was that the household was always on the brink of falling apart. Here’s what happened:

Bev was born in 1961, and by the mid-1960s, her father’s drinking had become a serious problem. One Christmas Eve, Papaw came home drunk and demanded a hot meal. When his request wasn’t met, he threw the family’s Christmas tree out the back door.

On another of Papaw’s particularly violent drunken nights, Mamaw warned him that if he came home drunk again, she would kill him. A week later, when Papaw was asleep from drinking, Mamaw took gasoline from the garage, poured it on him, and set him on fire. Remarkably, he survived with just minor burns, but the marriage was extremely troubled, and J.D.’s mother had a tough time.

Decline of Middletown

Vance was born in 1984 and grew up in a poor part of Middletown, Ohio. When two bikes were stolen from his community in the same week, he realized that the area had deteriorated since his mother’s youth.

At the same time, Armco, the steel company that had once supported his grandparents, was shutting down. American manufacturing jobs were moving to Asia, and Armco was doing the same, leading to increasing poverty in the city.

The working-class white residents of Middletown had no other options, and the falling value of their homes kept them stuck in worsening neighborhoods. Today, Middletown faces serious economic problems. Few local businesses are thriving, and many have closed. A street that once made the city proud is now mainly a gathering place for drug users.

J.D.’s tough childhood shaped his early years.

While J.D. was learning to walk, his parents were going through a divorce. After they separated, his father became more distant, and at the age of six, J.D. was adopted by Bob, his mother’s new husband.

During this time, J.D.'s mother earned her nursing license. Although she hadn’t attended college, she was very dedicated to learning. She filled their home with books, and the family was generally happy.

Sadly, this stability didn't last. By the time he was nine, arguments and violence became regular in their home. That year, his mother and Bob decided to move to Preble County, a few miles northwest of Middletown. After the move, their conflicts grew worse and often kept J.D. awake at night.

Trouble at Home and Its Impact

At the same time, J.D.'s school performance began to drop. The difficulties at home were affecting his grades and his health.

But things got even worse. His mother had been secretly seeing a local firefighter for years. When Bob finally confronted her about the affair, she tried to commit suicide by crashing her new minivan but failed.

After this terrifying incident, J.D. and his mother moved back to Middletown, which was now full of drugs and alcohol. His mother struggled with alcoholism too. To make up for her drinking, she took him to the mall to buy football cards. During the trip, after he made a minor complaint, she drove dangerously, nearly causing a crash.

She managed to stop the car without an accident, but instead of a crash, she gave him a severe beating. She was so out of control that the police had to arrest her.

Fortunately, his biological father soon returned to his life with a new outlook. He had become a committed Christian, and J.D. would soon come to appreciate both his father and the church.

J.D. frequently moved as his mother was institutionalized.

J.D. was raised with a series of different male figures because his mom frequently changed boyfriends. But one steady influence in his life was his grandfather, Papaw.

Papaw helped J.D. with math and, even though he hadn't done it himself, taught him to respect women.

When Papaw passed away when J.D. was thirteen, it was a huge blow to both J.D. and his mother. Struggling with her father's death, his mother was admitted to a mental health facility.

At this time, she was involved with Matt, a firefighter. She struggled to cope with her father’s death and began to lash out at those who cared about her, including Matt and J.D.’s older sister, Lindsay. She started using prescription drugs and eventually lost her job at the hospital after roller-skating through the emergency room.

J.D.'s Constant Moving and Family Turmoil

Not long after her first attempt, she tried to end her life again by cutting her wrists. After this second unsuccessful attempt, she was admitted to a psychiatric facility and started drug rehab.

J.D. moved in with his grandmother, Mamaw, and continued to change homes frequently during his teenage years. When his mother left the psychiatric hospital, he moved back with his biological father. His mother wanted him to live with her and Matt in Dayton, Ohio, but J.D. refused because he didn’t want to leave his friends at school.

Soon, he returned to Mamaw’s house. Although life with his dad had been calm, Mamaw wanted him back, and he wanted to be with her.

However, this peace was short-lived. His mother remarried a man named Ken and moved J.D. into his house. This marked J.D.’s fourth home in just two years.

Naturally, he was exhausted. The constant shifting between people and places had taken a significant toll on him.

Living with his grandmother led J.D. to stability in the military.

In Miamisburg, at his mother’s new husband Ken's house, J.D. felt like a stranger in an unfamiliar place. He had never felt so isolated.

Naturally, his academic performance dropped, and he almost left high school. But fortunately, his mom's relationship with Ken ended, and he moved back in with his grandmother, Mamaw. Spending the next three years with her turned out to be a life-changing experience.

Mamaw set three strict expectations: excel in school, get a job, and assist her at home. J.D. adhered to these guidelines, and it had a positive impact. For example, when he started advanced math, Mamaw bought him a graphing calculator for $180. This investment demonstrated her values and motivated him to focus on his education.

Despite her tough rules, J.D. started to enjoy life more and have fun. His academic performance improved, and things began to get better.

Finding Direction and Learning Leadership

Mamaw’s house didn’t just offer a temporary escape from life; it gave him hope for a better future. Because of this support, he excelled on the SAT and, more importantly, felt content.

Many young people, he was unsure about his future. With college or the Marines as his main choices, and feeling unsure about college, he chose the military instead.

In the military, he spent his first four adult years learning how to live responsibly. He discovered the value of physical fitness, personal hygiene, and managing money. He took classes on balancing a checkbook, saving for the future, and starting to invest.

Most crucially, he learned that leadership isn’t just about giving orders; it’s about gaining respect and listening to others.

Military success made J.D. feel different.

While J.D. was serving in the Marines, his grandmother passed away. She had been a long-time smoker, and at 71, her lungs failed her. It was clear that Mamaw had been the most important person in his life, and her support made a big difference.

Thanks to her backing, J.D. began his studies at Ohio State University in 2007. He was excited to start this new phase and make a home for himself in Columbus.

The Marines had given him a strong sense of confidence; he was acing his classes and handling life on his own. This positive feeling stood in stark contrast to the negativity he felt when thinking about his old neighbors back in Middletown.

Success at Yale

He finally thought that with enough effort, he could get a high-paying job. So, in 2009, just two years after starting, he graduated from Ohio State with a double major, summa cum laude, and aimed for law school.

Determined to succeed, he started at Yale in 2010 to study law. This new phase was intense but exciting.

Yale made him rethink his limits. He had never met an Ivy League graduate before and was the only one in his immediate family to attend college and the only one in his extended family to go to professional school.

Despite his achievements, like getting good grades and landing a job with the chief counsel of a U.S. senator, he always felt out of place at Yale. He was among the poorest students there and felt very different from his peers.

Vance shows a timeless lesson in escaping poverty.

While at Yale, J.D. fell for a classmate named Usha, and they began dating. This helped him feel more at ease in the Ivy League setting. This shift was crucial because, at Yale, connections matter greatly.

His time at Yale taught him about social capital – the value of networks and relationships that people use to advance economically. At Yale, networking is as common as breathing. Graduates don’t need to submit resumes; they rely on personal connections. They can simply email a friend or have a relative make a call to secure a job or an interview.

J.D. realized that to land an interview with a prominent federal judge, he needed his professor’s support. With his new understanding of social capital, he succeeded, overcame the odds, and ensured he would never face financial hardship again.

Lessons from Overcoming Adversity

J.D.’s achievement is remarkable, especially considering studies show that “adverse childhood experiences,” like those he faced, often lead to poor school performance and long-term issues such as anxiety, depression, obesity, and even heart disease. Yet, J.D. rose above his difficult past, graduated from Yale, secured a good job, and happily married Usha.