RE “Can the white working class lead?’’ by David M. Shribman (Ideas, Jan. 8): Much has been made in this election cycle over the plight of the working class, particularly the white working class. Perhaps the development of this demographic into a more formalized political identity group, as Shribman wrote, is inevitable. However, as Robert D. Putnam said, the traditional industrial occupations of blue-collar workers have been draining out of the United States for decades. In fact, service sector jobs have outstripped the manufacturing sector since the 1960s.

For this reason, before both Republicans and Democrats begin turning somersaults for this new identity group, we would benefit from remembering that the current working class in the United States may actually be quite different demographically. Instead of a white middle-aged male factory worker, we might consider a black or Latina female home health aide to be the true face of the American working class. After all, this class will be majority-minority by 2032, with ever more women of color in the lowest-earning, or so-called working-poor, jobs.

If we are to properly and equitably serve those whose labor is the backbone of the nation, we must include these women’s voices, in addition to those of white men from the Rust Belt, in our class-based political advocacy.

Laura Gates

Cambridge