A High School Reunion Leads to a Moment to Reflect on Change in America and Where We Are Now

American Eclectic posts articles twice a month, on the 1st and 15th. This is the fourth year of publication; previously published articles can be found on my site.

July 1, 2025

I attended my high school reunion. This was not the 50th reunion that I attended, but the 60th—the survivors' reunion. It felt odd to see a memorial list of classmates who died; no one asked how anyone on that list died, and seeing familiar names felt strange enough. I saw the graduation picture of the girl who asked me to the Sadie Hawkins Dance. This dance got its name from the Li’l Abner comic strip. In this comic by Al Capp, there was a day each year when women could ask men to marry them. In the case of my high school, the Sadie Hawkins Dance meant girls could ask boys to the dance. The list seemed to exceed the hundred classmates who attended this reunion, but seeing the name of a girl who had asked me to a dance more than 60 years ago felt strange.

Inevitably, people remembered and reflected, particularly the day after the reception and dinner, when we toured the high school. The football coach who was there to meet us and tell us about the changes that had occurred was surprised when in the gym I mentioned that there were ropes we had to climb every time we had gym class, and the aim was to touch the ceiling, which, I guess, looked to be some 30 feet up there. We seemed to all linger in the room labeled the yoga room, which never existed when we wandered these halls. Several of us tried to remember if the word “yoga” was something we were even familiar with in the early 1960s. In the updated cafeteria, I looked at the spot where I sat as I heard the principal’s voice over the school’s public address system that John F. Kennedy had been shot.

An event such as this can jolt memories. Memories are imprecise, but standing and walking around a place you spent a lot of time six decades earlier, then walking the streets around where you lived and remembering, connects the past and present. I had not been back here since the 50^th reunion; it was my first time in my high school since graduation. We averaged 68 years old; most were still working at the 50th reunion. This time around, the average age is 78, and some classmates used walkers, canes, and a wheelchair. Yet, there was something invigorating simultaneously—I am looking forward to our 70^th reunion.

Several of us lingered longer than usual when we visited the high school, looking at pictures of recent graduating classes—the noticeable percentage of Asian faces was apparent. As one of my classmates said as we looked at these class pictures, we were a “lily white” school, not said obnoxiously or condescendingly, just an observation. Long Island has undergone a demographic shift. The Asian American Pacific Islander population has experienced a 150 percent increase in the past decade. However, one study noted that many of this ethnic group felt discriminated against. As the study stated:

In every focus group, all they kept on bringing up was discrimination. Stories of discrimination, how they felt like they were the other, how they felt that they were isolated, uncomfortable, over and over, which I knew was going to happen – but I didn't realize to what extent.

I remembered when a black family moved into my neighborhood. This was probably the early 1960s. My mother felt that she needed to welcome them to the neighborhood. “Neighborhood” is often a vague term; everyone considers the size of their neighborhood differently. In my parents' case, it applied to no more than houses within two blocks or so of ours. She made bread, wrapping it in wax paper and aluminum foil (which she frequently did) and brought it to the house. When she returned, I remember her telling me that the woman sat at the kitchen table and cried. The woman told my mother that this was the first sign that someone recognized they existed—neighbors had just ignored them. No overt signs of racism, just a silent treatment. My mother did not see what she did as an act to take pride in; it was just another new neighbor, and she seemed unsure how to feel. I don't remember much about them; it was just that moment, and nothing more.

Remembering this moment made me conscious of how adults could treat each other. I was looking at this from the perspective of maybe just taking that leap to being a teenager—well, it felt like a leap to me. George C Scott starred in a television drama (East Side/West Side) that aired for one season in 1963-1964. At the time, I was on the verge of becoming a teenager. Scott played a social worker in New York. What stood out was that Cicely Tyson played his secretary. The incident my mother recounted somehow made me see this series in a different light. Tyson was the first black actor to star in a television series as a primary character. Cicely spoke clear English. That may sound odd, but black on television meant Amos ‘N’ Andy or Rochester on The Jack Benny Show. Black speak meant a certain gutter talk, and in the case of Rochester, a raspy voice. Tyson’s existence on a television show was enough for some Southern television stations to threaten not to broadcast the show. Betty White had a television show, The Betty White Show, in 1954. It was on for only one season but featured a black tap dancer. White recalled years later, “And all through the South, there was this whole ruckus. They were going to take our show off the air if we didn’t get rid of [the dancer], because he was Black.”

I remember the first time we drove from New York to Florida; I was probably not yet in my teens. I think it was in South Carolina that we were stopped by a local sheriff, a deputy sheriff, or possibly a state trooper. He put his head in the driver’s window to say, “You New Yorkers like your Negras.” The license plate made it evident to anyone where we were from. In the early 1960s, the Interstate Highway System, which had begun construction in 1956, was still undergoing expansion and construction. The slowest development of the system appeared to be in the South, so it was not unusual to detour off the interstate onto local roads.

Donald Trump has taken the term DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) and is doing his best to make it a nasty term. I thought about how he and those in his administration are going to great lengths to scrub it from anything they can get their hands on. DEI is broader than just a race issue; it also includes sex, ethnicity, age, and religion, with race as part of this broad umbrella idea, but race seems front and center. There has been a change in race relations; I can see it from my conscious awareness, which came from my mother telling me about a woman crying. I am concerned that efforts to undermine DEI will negatively impact efforts to diversify workforces, whether in government or the private sector, so that they do not reflect the diversity of Americans. Trump tried to paint DEI in his usual simple way of looking at everything:

We have ended the tyranny of so-called diversity, equity and inclusion policies all across the entire federal government and, indeed, the private sector and our military. And our country will be woke no longer.

Anytime a position needs to be filled, will it be assumed that minority, ethnic, or sex will lead to DEI influencing hiring, so the safe bet is to hire the white guy. If, in a few years, it becomes evident that there has been a change in the composition of the workforce and they begin to resemble my high school graduating class, rather than the current high school, how will that be addressed?

Trump's policies are about where we will be in a few years. How will that happen once we arrive, take a look around, and realize that some things need to be rectified? It seems clear that Trump’s criticism of DEI is about race; he just covered it differently.

On the one hand, I can take comfort in the fact that we are not where we were in my early years of growing up; on the other hand, I am uncomfortable with a president’s policies that masquerade as a noble cause.

My high school was central to an epic Supreme Court case that ended prayer in public schools, Engel v. Vitale, in 1962. 1962 was my freshman year. Five families sued the school board president, challenging the practice of opening each school day with a prayer. I have images and memories of this period, although without the context to understand them today. I remember starting school in 1963 and the homeroom teacher saying we would have a moment of silence. I recall his speech about that moment of silence, but it did not mean anything to me. Somehow, I knew where one of the plaintiffs in this case lived because I had heard several people say, “That house.” I took a girl to the Junior prom in 1964, two years after the case, and, apparently, it still upset people near “that house.” I picked up my date, and before we could leave, her mother said that her husband wanted to talk with me. I remember sitting on the couch, and the girl sitting on the steps going upstairs. He sternly looked at me and asked if I believed in the Bible. He said something about “those people,” I think they lived about a block away. I must have said yes in some way that was acceptable to him, and off we went to the prom. That stuck with me, but it took years and the study of Constitutional Law to put it in a context where it made sense.

Court cases are more than abstract principles; they affect lives in different ways. I wrote in an earlier essay (Hey Girlie You Got Pregnant, Live with it. The Unfortunate Ideology of Pro-Life) about my late wife, an OB/GYN, telling me of a patient she saw who had her fallopian tubes tied, meaning she could not get pregnant. My wife was puzzled; usually, this procedure is done if there is a case of severe endometriosis, but her records showed no such situation. The woman explained that in the state she lived in before Roe v. Wade legalized abortion, she wanted an abortion. In her case, the decision to give her an abortion was made by a panel of doctors, but they would only do it if she also had her fallopian tubes tied, which meant she could never have children. With Roe v. Wade overturned, I often wonder about the hardships that women wanting abortions go through now. The notion of simply looking at this as a victory for one side who think of themselves as pro-life, but spend no time thinking of the consequences of overturning this court case, seems so shortsighted and irresponsible.

When we visited our high school, several former classmates discussed the Engel v. Vitale case. As with me, they had vignettes of memories that seemed so disconnected. One classmate lived near one of the five individuals involved in the case and said he knew there was tension among people on his block. It only made sense when he understood the case years later.

My parents were so proud when they bought their house in 1955. I think they paid somewhere between $8,000 and $12,000. We lived in upstate New York, and as the house, a Cape Cod-style, was being built, we drove down to see the construction at different stages. The house had two slanted roofs, and after we moved in, my father took an electric saw and cut the back roof. He and several friends raised the roof and spent the day hammering it so it would stay up. This was how two bedrooms were made upstairs. A few years later, he made a front entryway, so we no longer entered the house through the front door. No further additions to the house’s size have been made. I walked the street to inspect the house, took pictures, and explored the neighborhood.

If the house cost $8,000 in 1955, with inflation, that would be just over $96,000 today. If it cost $12,000, with inflation, that would be just over $144,000 today. I can see from the pictures that there was extensive internal renovation inside the house, but the square footage remains approximately 1,500, which has not changed. The only square footage added to the house was the entryway, which my father probably added in the late 1950s. The house sold several years ago for $850,000, and I saw a recent suggested market listing at just over $1 million. There was only one bathroom when we lived there; I suppose building a second bathroom helped increase the price.

Puzzlement, frustration, and anger over developments such as the astronomical price increase of one house with no rational explanation have undoubtedly contributed to political anger.

Political studies reveal some interesting relationships between homeownership, the price of a home, and political behavior. One study states, “[H]omeowners have special influence in American politics in part because their ownership motivates them to pay attention and to participate.” Zoning issues have a significant influence on motivating homeowners to participate in local politics. A study from South Korea concluded with a statement that might apply to aspects of American politics. The study stated:

The findings indicate a clear trend: as the average price of apartments – a key indicator of housing wealth – rises in a district, there is an increased tendency for residents to support candidates from the conservative party. [The] impact of housing wealth on political outcomes, bridging the gap between individual behaviours and national trends, and underscoring the pivotal role of housing wealth in shaping regional political dynamics.

If this South Korean study is applied to where we lived, Nassau County, Long Island, New York, it should indicate a shift toward the Republican Party and Trump. As with neighboring Suffolk County, Nassau was predominantly Republican from 1900 to 1988. In 1992, Nassau voted Democrat. The best that can be said is that the county follows Pew Research studies, which show the suburbs are a continuous battleground, unlike urban counties that lean decisively Democratic and rural counties that lean decisively Republican.

Another study found that rising house prices helped the incumbent political party. Since this piece focused on the 2024 election between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, it was assumed that Harris might benefit from rising house prices. As the piece stated:

A recent study…found a direct link between rising home prices and increased support for the incumbent party. Much like the effect of a strong stock market, increased home values seem to boost support for the current party in power.

In the 2016 Presidential elections, Nassau County went for Hillary Clinton, who received slightly more than 51 percent of the vote. Biden received more than 54 percent of the vote in 2020, and Trump received more than 51 percent in 2024. One study stated, “Trump’s support grew stronger in wealthy suburban areas and increased by an average of 3 percentage points compared to previous elections.” My old house's $1 million estimated price tag might say something about wealth.

Nassau County ranks eighth among the most affluent counties in the country, based on median household income, the poverty rate, and several other factors. Of the top 20 counties based on wealth, 14 went for Harris in 2024 and 6 for Trump. Of the six counties Trump won in 2024, four voted for him in 2020; Nassau County was one of two counties that switched political party lines to support Trump in 2024.

Whether a transformation is underway is unclear; the next Presidential election will reveal whether Trump’s 2024 performance was an anomaly or a trend. We may start to see suburban counties ranked based on wealth, trending more decisively Republican, but it seems too early to tell, as Trump’s policies and the individuals he has appointed to key positions, such as Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., as Secretary of Health and Human Services, may influence the 2028 election. No doubt any Republican running in 2028 will try to run away from Trump and his policies, if Trump, in particular, and his policies are seen as hurting the Republican Presidential candidate’s chances in the 2028 election. However, if that individual has a record of showing support for him during his second term, it might be challenging to do so. Nassau County will look like a competitive county that could go either way in 2028.

Race and demographic changes, court cases, and their impact on individuals, families, communities, and home prices are factors that influence the evaluation of voting patterns. A high school reunion provided an opportunity to reflect on changes that America is undergoing. I do not buy into the notion that once set in motion, Trump policies cannot be reversed. I expect there will be reversals of some of his policies after his second term ends. By then, it will become evident that government programs are needed, and the adverse effects will be felt. Trump’s policies will take time to take effect as they are implemented nationwide. There seems to be a wait-and-see attitude at this moment. Policy analysts can write about the implications of cutting government programs, but forecasts or projections are not the same as the actual impact. It will take time for the effects of Trump’s policies to be felt by individuals, organizations, and communities. The 2028 election may be a referendum on the impact of his policies. Indeed, Kennedy at the Department of Health and Human Services demonstrates that not everything is black and white, liberal or conservative, or a culture war issue. Health issues demonstrate that some problems cannot be left to individuals who make decisions based on distorted and confused views, which affect the health of many Americans regardless of their political leanings.

Thinking of Kennedy and what he could do to injure the health of Americans made me think back to when I moved on in my years after high school, there was division in America, race issues, and the Vietnam War added to the tensions. However, there still seemed to be an awareness, an understanding that not everything could be grouped into opposing camps, some issues transcended tribal politics. I suppose there is one person who will demonstrate that there are issues that matter to all of us. Kennedy, his blind faith in himself, and his ideologically tainted approach to healthcare can lead to an awakening that a culture war mentality has limitations, and only using that perspective to look at America will not make America great again.

NOTES

Abdul Razak Bello, “Trump’s Vote Share Surge: Key Counties in America’s Red Shift,” Bayt Magazine (November 9, 2024): https://baytmagazine.com/trumps-vote-share-surge-key-counties-in-americas-red-shift/

Gillian Brockell, “‘Live with it’: Betty White defied racist demands in 1954,” Washington Post (December 31, 1954): https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/12/31/betty-white-arthur-duncan-racism/

Andrew Depietro, “Richest and Poorest Counties in the U.S.,” creditkarma (January 31, 2023): https://www.creditkarma.com/insights/i/richest-and-poorest-counties-in-us

Jessica Guynn, “DEI explained: What is DEI and why is it so divisive? What you need to know,” USA Today (March 4, 2025): https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2025/03/04/trump-dei-backlash-explained/81170427007/

Andrew Hall and Jesse Yoder, “Does Homeownership Influence Political Behavior? Evidence from Administrative Data,” APSA Panel 2018: https://andrewbenjaminhall.com/homeowner.pdf

Seungwoo Han, “Housing Wealth and political outcomes: a multi-dimensional analysis at the local level in South Korea,” Japanese Journal of Political Science (October 15, 2024): https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/japanese-journal-of-political-science/article/abs/housing-wealth-and-political-outcomes-a-multidimensional-analysis-at-the-local-level-in-south-korea/345A7E02C127AA787CE5DC95FDD1BA0D

Daniel Kaukman, “How Rising Home Prices Could Influence Voter Decisions in 2024,” Medium (October 27, 2024): https://medium.com/@danielkaufmanrealestate/how-rising-home-prices-could-influence-voter-decisions-in-2024-d88e043ef220

Phenix Kim, “Long Island sees growth among Asian American, amid reports of hate,” City & State (May 27, 2025): https://www.cityandstateny.com/nyn-media/2025/05/long-island-sees-growth-among-asian-americans-amidst-reports-hate/405598/

Dave Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections: https://uselectionatlas.org

Partisanship in rural, suburban and urban communities, Pew Research Center (April 9, 2024): https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/04/09/partisanship-in-rural-suburban-and-urban-communities/

The Evolution of the U.S. Interstate Highway System: A Network That Shaped America, Vivid Maps (July 3, 2018): https://vividmaps.com/evolution-interstate-highway-system/. Here, there is a map that shows the development of the highway over each year, titled “Watching the Network Grow.”

US Inflation Calculator: https://www.usinflationcalculator.com

United States Census Bureau: https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST5Y2020.S1903?q=United+States&t=Income+(Households,+Families,+Individuals)&t&g=010XX00US$0500000&moe=false&codeset=p~true