‘You can’t pull yourself up when there is nothing to grab onto’: Michigan residents share their heart-breaking struggles of how it feels to be 'working poor' in powerful photo series

  • Humans of New York photographer Brandon Stanton traveled to the Trump-voting Macomb County soon after the election 
  • He  did not ask any of his interviewees about how they voted but allowed their stories to speak for themselves
  • One man's account that especially struck a chord with readers described how working people in the area can no longer afford to live
  • Another man told how he was left with no choice but to sell a treasured possessions, while a woman said she was abandoned by her mother at 12

By Miranda Bryant For Dailymail.com

Published: 12:31 EST, 1 December 2016 | Updated: 21:53 EST, 1 December 2016

The photographer behind the hit picture series Humans of New York is attempting to cast light on the struggles of America's 'working poor' by visiting a Donald Trump-voting county in Michigan.

Brandon Stanton, who traveled to Macomb County soon after the President-elect's victory over Hillary Clinton, has been sharing the stories and photographs of people from the area on his popular Facebook page. 

One story in particular - in which a man described how working residents are not being paid enough to live - has especially struck a chord with readers.

Personal experiences: Residents of Macomb County, Michigan, such as this man, pictured, shared the heart-breaking struggles of the 'working poor' with Humans of New York

Insight: The creator of the picture series Brandon Stanton traveled to the Trump-voting county soon after the election to photograph and speak to residents about their lives

Stand alone: He did not ask any of his interviewees about how they voted, allowing their stories to speak for themselves

The man, whose story has been shared hundreds of thousands of times, said that growing up in the suburbs he thought poverty was easily solved. 

'I used to think that I could write a prescription for a poor man: "Get a job, save your money, pull yourself up by the bootstraps."

'I don’t believe that anymore. I was ignorant to the experiences of poor people,' he said. 

Now he said people are not being paid a 'living wage' which means they cannot save, they cannot get healthcare and they have no money for emergencies.

He added: 'God forbid they make a mistake, because there’s nothing left to pay fines or fees. 

'When you’re down here, the system will continue to kick dirt in your face. You can’t pull yourself up when there’s nothing to grab onto.'

Last month, 'blue collar' Macomb County voted for Trump as Michigan turned Republican for the first time in nearly 30 years. 

Heart-breaking: One woman, pictured, told how she was abandoned by her mother when she was 12

Lost livelihood: Another man, pictured, said he was sacked because he 'didn't know the computer'

Worried: This man, pictured, was on his way to visit his mother but found out she was in hospital. Now he fears he made the wrong decision to allow doctors to amputate her leg

But Brandon, who created Humans of New York, did not ask any of the people he interviewed and photographed about how they voted, allowing their stories to speak for themselves.

He said: 'Many pundits have pointed to this shift as representative of a greater movement among America’s white working class...

'Very few of the stories even touch on politics. And while the series cannot presume to be representative of an entire region, hopefully it will introduce you to a few of the people who live there.'

Other people featured in the series include a college student and single mother who was forced to fend for herself at the age of 12 after she was abandoned by her mother.

Photographed leaning over the counter of a diner, she said: 'Right now I’m trying to finish college while being a single mother. 

'I’m taking care of my 83-year-old grandmother. I just beat cancer for the second time in four years. But things seem to be quiet now. 

'I’m always holding my breath, though. The story of my life has been the calm before the storm.' 

Resonating: This man, whose account has been shared by thousands, said that growing up in the suburbs he thought poverty was easily solved but he has since learned otherwise

Landmark moment: Last month, 'blue collar' Macomb County voted for Donald Trump as Michigan turned Republican for the first time in nearly 30 years

Emotional: A man said he resorted to selling his beloved violin for $145 to pay bills

A man said he resorted to selling his beloved violin for $145 to pay bills after his mother had already pawned their television and they sometimes went for weeks without power.

Another said he lost the job that he thought he would do for the rest of his life because he 'didn't know the computer'.

He added: 'They took all 1,800 of our brains, and they put them in a computer. So now a guy who don’t know nothing can just press a button, and out comes a clamp. Oh well, I don’t really give a s**t. I’m checking out soon.'

An elderly woman and mother of five said she has fostered 13 babies in her lifetime - each for just a few months.

'It’s just a passion I have in my heart...Once they were adopted, I’d never contact them again. 

'But I often wonder what happened to them. Maybe we’ll meet again in heaven.'

Another man described arriving in the area to visit his mother and finding that she was in hospital with internal bleeding and a blood clot in her leg.

Doctors told him they needed him to decide to amputate her leg and give her a colonoscopy bag, which he agreed to, but now he fears he made the wrong decision. 

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