Rich or Poor?

Once we lived in America. It was a very comfortable suburban existence. Everyone was pretty similar. Lots of Lutherans, lots of white people (OK, mostly white people). When we looked around most of the people were pretty much like us. We knew a few who were quite a bit better off financially, and we knew a few that were struggling much more than we were. But on the whole, we saw ourselves mirrored in our community.

Then we lived in Tanzania. It was a safe bet that we were some of the wealthiest people in the country, just by virtue of the fact we were there. EVERYWHERE we went, we were surrounded by abject poverty. In every situation, in every action, we were reminded of the blessings and privileges we carried. We were very conscious of wasting. Our children were very aware of the gap between us and the rest of the country and felt that same responsibility toward sharing and helping however we could.

Now we live in China. Wasting or conserving is not on any menu in here. People are rich in ways it is hard to comprehend. At recent birthday parties, cakes that cost $100 (and would cost $29.99 at Rainbow) were served and gift bags that cost more than the presents we gave were passed out. Their classmates often fly first-class to ski trips in Switzerland, the beaches of Rio, and the tropics of Bali, all in a school year. Not every Hermes bag, Prada suit, or Jimmy Choos are fake.

So...Minnesota aside (because we rarely saw either end of the spectrum in our daily lives), is it better for children to grow up privileged but surrounded by poverty, a very real reminder about how most of the rest of the world lives, or surrounded by wealth that they will likely never achieve, thereby learning lessons about the values and choices they will make in their lives knowing they will always be around the "have mores"?