Our generation is one of rebellion. We see the world not as it has always been, but as what we will change it into. The world of tomorrow is a place where identity is celebrated, where our differences are celebrated. However, in the world of today, I have no choice but to squash my identity into society’s box for who I should be. Those of us who grew up wealthy know what it’s like to be pushed to the sidelines.

Poor people seem to be unaware of the invisible injustices that we fight every day. And yes, I do use the word poor. If you get to label all of us as just “the rich” at your “inequality protests” then I think that we are allowed to call you “poor.” In fact, the very inequality that you protest is most dramatically applied to the upper class.

You may not see it, but I notice the difference in how I’m treated every day. I get sarcastic eye rolls from nearby kids when I talk to my friends about the new lake house we just bought. I get nervous inviting certain people to group hangouts at my house because they might be intimidated by my house. Sure, some things are ignored with enough time. I no longer care about the looks people give me when I pull next to their 2004 Toyota Corolla with my car which my family just bought. But some things are impossible to ignore. I will always be aware of the little things. A poor person has never had to worry about the loud clang that only a Hydroflask can make. For me, this is every minute of my life. I hope to fit in, but in the end, I am alone: just me and the dozens of guys I have met at sports camps throughout the years.

The discrimination surrounding wealthy people isn’t exclusive to our city. For months the internet mocked wealthy people for being able to afford Airpods. Twitter users claimed that using Apples super convenient headphones made you pompous. This classic example of wealth shaming left me doing an all-too familiar activity: hiding the sign of my wealth by taking my Airpods out when I get to school.

Why does society force me to be ashamed of my culture? Despite all of the efforts for so-called “equal rights”, nothing has been done for the smallest (and most overlooked) minority of all: the top 1%.