They are simply people who are striving for knowledge in a society that does not promote the free access of information. These are the people who were never allowed to follow their curiosity. They were told to follow the paths and the curriculum that was laid in front of them, because people older and wiser than them had formed them. Many people were stunted and lost their drive for knowledge, others broke free. These people are not at all a bunch of hoodlums living in run-down basements trying to destroy networks.
Hackers are everywhere, from every walk of life, every type of lifestyle.
Being a hacker has nothing to do with race, religion, or sex. It has but one criterion. It is a quest that can never end, and I believe it is the noblest. It is an unwritten rule that one does not just call him or herself a hacker. The rule says that it is a title that is bestowed on you.