Who is the real upper class?

There is a noticeable distinction in Ragtime between wealth and class. There are even distinctions between impoverished people. In a scene in chapter 3, immigration officials sort newly arrived immigrants. The officials are likely to be not well paid and to not rank high in societal class; still their power over the immigrants is extraordinary.

“They were immediately sensitive to the enormous power of the immigration officials. These officials changed names they couldn’t pronounce and tore people from there families, consigning to a return voyage old folks, people with bad eyes, riffraff and also those who looked insolent. Such power was dazzling. The immigrants were reminded of home.” Pg 14

What struck me in this passage is the immense power title. To have any form of respected ancestry could be in some situations considered more important than wealth. This can be seen in the class difference between old wealth and new wealth. Old wealth requires being born wealth. Being for any period in your life un-wealthy or of lower status hinders ones ability to be part of high society later in life. This poses problems for those of new wealth, like Tateh and Houdini, who must feign aristocracy in an attempt to be accepted by high society. I would argue chooses a more successful title of Baron which alludes to old wealth. For this reason the family feels more comfortable in the presence of Tateh than Houdini. As Tateh is part of a fake aristocracy and Houdini is a common who somehow managed fame and wealth.
The greatest irony in this is that Tateh and Houdini must hide there true identities in order to gain status, yet they seem infinitely more talented and motivated than Father or even JP Morgan. JP Morgan, while talented, was raised in a family of bankers of considerable wealth; he is more a product of heritage than raw talent and motivation. Father’s skills seem almost inexistent, as mother is able to easily adjust to running the company with no prior experience while continuing to run the household. In contrast Tateh and Houdini risk their lives so that they and their families can live a better life. The safety of their families is more important to them than anything, and for that reason they devote themselves fully to their work. JP Morgan and Father feel compelled to travel the world and become part of history as if to justify or prove their own importance in the world.