Only one remark: "tell the guy ... that I'm ignorant" You can have a wealth of first-hand experience but that doesn't mean it translates to opportunities or be

Only one remark: "tell the guy ... that I'm ignorant" You can have a wealth of first-hand experience but that doesn't mean it translates to opportunities or behaviors of groups. So yes, you can be ignorant. As someone else pointed out, class mobility is extremely low and income inequality is extremely high in the US. For your situation, the plural of anecdote isn't data.