I would definitely disagree about the extent to which you can be born into American status markers. Sure, it's possible to fall from class position, but class mobility is way down, and (even networking effects aside) people from high-status backgrounds have a vastly smoother road to the status positions in our working life, and almost guaranteed access to the non-working parts. (Showing up at art gallery openings is absolutely something you can be born to.) I grew up around plenty of ridiculously privileged kids (someday I should tell you about smacking the heir of the Bechtel corporation with a pillow) and believe me, status is very much inherited...