--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They made it to the middle class, my dad…" description: "\"They made it to the middle class, my dad working as a bartender and my mother as a cashier and a maid. I didn't inherit any money from them. But I inhe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f04/marco-rubio-355_accomplish_they-made-it-to-the-middle-class-my-dad_3092841.png" --- # They made it to the middle class, my dad working as a… ![“They made it to the middle class, my dad working as a bartender and my mother as a cashier and a maid. I didn't inherit any money from them. But I inherited something far better - the real opportunity to accomplish my dreams.” quote by Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f04/marco-rubio-355_accomplish_they-made-it-to-the-middle-class-my-dad_3092841.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f04/marco-rubio-355_accomplish_they-made-it-to-the-middle-class-my-dad_3092841.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f04/marco-rubio-355_accomplish_they-made-it-to-the-middle-class-my-dad_3092841.png) > “They made it to the middle class, my dad working as a bartender and my mother as a cashier and a maid. I didn't inherit any money from them. But I inherited something far better - the real opportunity to accomplish my dreams.” [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker credits hard work and determination over inherited wealth, emphasizing personal effort as the key to achieving dreams. **In simple terms:** Hard work beats inherited wealth for success. Key Takeaway Focus on effort, not inheritance. Themes hard work determination social mobility Mood inspirational realistic Type motivational sociopolitical When to use this quote - career planning - financial independence - education - entrepreneurship Key Concepts American Dream self‑reliance Questions to Reflect On - What role does privilege play in success? - How can society level the playing field? A Different Perspective It may ignore systemic barriers many face. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accomplish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accomplish/) [Bartender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bartender/) [Cashiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cashiers/) [Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Dad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dad/) [Didn Inherit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/didn-inherit-4917753/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Inherit Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inherit-money-3623582/) [Inherited](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inherited/) [Inherited Far](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inherited-far-5326324/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Maids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maids/) [Middle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle/) [Middle class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-class/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Money Inherited](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money-inherited-1027761/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [My dad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-dad/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) ## Related quotes > [My dad was a bartender. My mom was a cashier, a maid and a stock clerk at K-Mart. They never made it big. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/my-dad-was-a-bartender-my-mom-was-a-cashier-a-maid-and-a-stock-clerk/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [My parents were working class folks. My dad was a bartender for most of his life, my mom was a maid and a cashier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/my-parents-were-working-class-folks-my-dad-was-a-bartender-for-most/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [My grandmother has a great aesthetic sense. Unfortunately I didn't inherit it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginevra-elkann/my-grandmother-has-a-great-aesthetic-sense-unfortunately-i-didn-t/) [Ginevra Elkann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginevra-elkann/) > [Old money is fully as moronic as new money but it has inherited an appearance of cultivation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mccarthy/old-money-is-fully-as-moronic-as-new-money-but-it-has-inherited-an/) [Mary McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccarthy/) > [“The money I inherited never belonged to me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anderson-cooper/the-money-i-inherited-never-belonged-to-me/) [Anderson Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anderson-cooper/) > [Everybody loves a thing more if it has cost him trouble: for instance those who have made money love money more than those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/everybody-loves-a-thing-more-if-it-has-cost-him-trouble-for-instance/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [I only know that all is lost, and that nothing can help me unless I inherit money, strike oil or go to work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-cuppy/i-only-know-that-all-is-lost-and-that-nothing-can-help-me-unless-i/) [Will Cuppy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-cuppy/) > [“This is the age of the specialist, and years ago Rollo had settled on his career. Even as a boy, hardly capable of connected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/this-is-the-age-of-the-specialist-and-years-ago-rollo-had-settled-on/) [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) > [Yeah, it's unfair that you can get judged by something you didn't do, but it's also unfair that you can inherit money that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/yeah-it-s-unfair-that-you-can-get-judged-by-something-you-didn-t-do/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [I'm a dad, and I no longer see a way for my kids to even inherit the money that I'm making, let alone go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/i-m-a-dad-and-i-no-longer-see-a-way-for-my-kids-to-even-inherit-the/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [The American dream is about achieving happiness. When you become a fire fighter, a police officer or a teacher or a nurse, you know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/the-american-dream-is-about-achieving-happiness-when-you-become-a/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Both of my parents were born into poor families on the island of Cuba. They came to America because it was the only place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/both-of-my-parents-were-born-into-poor-families-on-the-island-of-cuba/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [My dad was a bartender that worked banquets. So that meant holidays, weekends, nights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/my-dad-was-a-bartender-that-worked-banquets-so-that-meant-holidays/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [My dad was a bartender that worked banquets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/my-dad-was-a-bartender-that-worked-banquets/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [How happy the lot of the mathematician. He is judged solely by his peers, and the standard is so high that no colleague or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/how-happy-the-lot-of-the-mathematician-he-is-judged-solely-by-his/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) ## More by Marco Rubio > [Conservatism is not about leaving people behind. Conservatism is about empowering people to catch up, to give them the tools at their disposable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/conservatism-is-not-about-leaving-people-behind-conservatism-is-about/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [However, however, if the goal is to abandon America's free enterprise economy, if the goal is to convert America into a submissive member of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/however-however-if-the-goal-is-to-abandon-america-s-free-enterprise/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [The president we have today is a typical Washington politician that's prone to hyperbole and decisiveness and false outrage. And I think it's very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/the-president-we-have-today-is-a-typical-washington-politician-that-s/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Donald Trump is not going to be the nominee, because we are not going to allow - people will wake up and we're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/donald-trump-is-not-going-to-be-the-nominee-because-we-are-not-going/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [My first job paid well for a young attorney. I was making over $50,000, which was more than either of my parents had ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/my-first-job-paid-well-for-a-young-attorney-i-was-making-over-50-000/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [My dad was a bartender. My mom was a cashier, a maid and a stock clerk at K-Mart. They never made it big. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/my-dad-was-a-bartender-my-mom-was-a-cashier-a-maid-and-a-stock-clerk/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Now, look, it's true, Americans do want leaders that will come to Washington, D.C. and work together to get things done, but that comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/now-look-it-s-true-americans-do-want-leaders-that-will-come-to/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [I have been an underdog my whole life, both in life and in politics. We're going to do well. We're going to pick up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/i-have-been-an-underdog-my-whole-life-both-in-life-and-in-politics-we/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Certainly being governor is an important job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/certainly-being-governor-is-an-important-job/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [The conservative movement is about government playing its important yet limited role, and about not falling into the trap of believing that every problem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/the-conservative-movement-is-about-government-playing-its-important/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [The greatest thing that we can do for the world is be America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/the-greatest-thing-that-we-can-do-for-the-world-is-be-america/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Our people want jobs. They don't want a safety net as a way of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/our-people-want-jobs-they-don-t-want-a-safety-net-as-a-way-of-life/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [I believe that every single human being is entitled to the protection of our laws, whether they can vote or not. Whether they can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/i-believe-that-every-single-human-being-is-entitled-to-the-protection/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [I don't measure success by how many buildings have my name on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/i-don-t-measure-success-by-how-many-buildings-have-my-name-on-it/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Any time you can degrade or take away the top leadership of an organization, it's a positive step forward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/any-time-you-can-degrade-or-take-away-the-top-leadership-of-an/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) [Explore all 649 Marco Rubio quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) ## More Accomplish quotes > [Learn to see the big picture. Often times we get tunnel vision and lose sight of the big picture and what we're really trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-cheeke/learn-to-see-the-big-picture-often-times-we-get-tunnel-vision-and/) [Robert Cheeke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-cheeke/) > [You know, by the time you reach my age, you've made plenty of mistakes if you've lived your life properly. So you learn. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/you-know-by-the-time-you-reach-my-age-you-ve-made-plenty-of-mistakes/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [I work every day. Sometimes I don't accomplish anything every day, but if I don't work every day, I get depressed and get afraid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-work-every-day-sometimes-i-don-t-accomplish-anything-every-day-but/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [God has given believers the responsibility of spreading the Gospel to all the world, and we need to use all at our disposal to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-epp/god-has-given-believers-the-responsibility-of-spreading-the-gospel-to/) [Theodore Epp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-epp/) > [ \[The Community's\] crosses and trials give me confidence. But I derive my hope above all, and most especially, from our utter incapacity, for it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-guerin/the-community-s-crosses-and-trials-give-me-confidence-but-i-derive-my/) [Theodore Guerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-guerin/) > [There's things that you want to accomplish, but to do that you have to work. That's the name of the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-schwarber/there-s-things-that-you-want-to-accomplish-but-to-do-that-you-have-to/) [Kyle Schwarber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-schwarber/) > [To accomplish much you must first lose everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/to-accomplish-much-you-must-first-lose-everything/) [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) > [We have to think about the future and what it is we want to accomplish from this party.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-bernice-johnson/we-have-to-think-about-the-future-and-what-it-is-we-want-to/) [Eddie Bernice Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-bernice-johnson/) > [Everything that I have ever hoped to accomplish, she has done and done better than anyone I have ever seen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-hathaway/everything-that-i-have-ever-hoped-to-accomplish-she-has-done-and-done/) [Anne Hathaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-hathaway/) > [There's a lot that I want to accomplish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/there-s-a-lot-that-i-want-to-accomplish/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [For what we want to accomplish in the future, we have to be able to view everything from the eyes of the customer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-katz/for-what-we-want-to-accomplish-in-the-future-we-have-to-be-able-to/) [Karen Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-katz/) > [And for me the only way to live life is to grab the bull by the horns and call up recording studios and set…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-frusciante/and-for-me-the-only-way-to-live-life-is-to-grab-the-bull-by-the-horns/) [John Frusciante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-frusciante/) > [A great tennis career is something that a 15-year-old normally doesn't have. I hope my example helps other teens believe they can accomplish things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/a-great-tennis-career-is-something-that-a-15-year-old-normally-doesn/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [Somebody once told me that if you laugh at a George Bush joke, or you send an email cartoon to your friends that makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/somebody-once-told-me-that-if-you-laugh-at-a-george-bush-joke-or-you/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [One should not withdraw from individuals and commit to the community what they can accomplish by their own enterprise and industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-pius-xi/one-should-not-withdraw-from-individuals-and-commit-to-the-community/) [Pope Pius XI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-pius-xi/) [Browse all 2,426 Accomplish quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accomplish/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "They made it to the middle class, my dad working as a bartender and my mother as a cashier and a maid. 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