In reflecting on the first papers that we were assigned, I came across the tried and true "Invisible Backpack". I have strong feelings about this and the ideas it contains. As a young, white man I don't believe that I have gone through life intentionally setting myself up to be in situations described in this paper. It is not my fault, nor is it my intention, that many of the people in my neighborhood are white or that many of my friends are white.
In a way, this article almost makes it seem as though I should be to blame for the "privilege" that I have been afforded. Articles like this, while pointing out how unfair situations can be for minorities, paints an unfair picture. Frankly, I don't care whether I turn the TV on and see white people, black people, brown people, purple people, whatever!
Working at a school that is at least 90% Latino/Hispanic, arguments such as the ones made in the paper put me at a distinct disadvantage when a new crop of students comes into my classroom at the beginning of September. "Yeah, but you're white" is not something that I enjoy hearing. I have to prove not only that I am a capable teacher, but that I am "cool for a white person" as one student put it.
That being said, I do not believe that any other race has it "easier". My situation does not exist solely because I am white. My identity does not rest on the fact that I am white. I put myself into situations all the time where I am not in the racial majority. But in doing so, I see some of the things that Omi and Winant bring up.
Racism is not a "whites only" club. When I show up to Latin night at a club, I can be sure that eyes will be on me (not just because I am looking particularly good that night). When I go into a Korean restaurant, I know that I will get funny looks as one of the only white people there. I think it is also important to note that there are many situations where I am in the minority and yet, nothing adverse is going on. I am treated no differently than everyone else there.
All of that being said, I do not believe that racism is dead just because I myself am accepting of others. I know that it still exists and that "white" privilege, whether intentional or not, still exists. It is just reconciling the fact that often times we have to prove that we aren't "white devils" just as much as other races may feel the need to prove that they do not fall under the umbrella of stereotypes.
I agree that the white privilege article was far too antagonistic in its approach to trying to make a point. Instead of pointing out possible privileges that whites may have over other races, it instead comes across as "you are horrible for having advantages for being in the majority, and if you disagree with any of my ideas you are proving my point that you like being oppressive!" It just does not seem constructive.
ReplyDeleteI'm on the same page with racism not being a one-way street (or "white only club") While I don't think anyone is exempt from being racist, I do think we're all looking at the same term from different perspectives. I sympathize with Eric on the account of unintentionally finding himself with a slew of friends and neighbors of similar race. Would seeking out the company of a different ethnicity, for the sake of ethnic equality, be an equitable act?
ReplyDeleteI think you made some extremely valid points in this blog post. I felt on the same page as you throughout, for the most part. I am student teaching in schools that are 51% Hispanic, and while a lot of the faculty are Caucasian, I still feel like a minority, and how I am perceived by one group of students is definitely different to how I am viewed by another group. Do I think that is necessarily a bad thing? Not so much. It could be a positive perception, and my main goal is not about how I am perceived by the students but by now well they are receiving the information I'm trying to communicate. That is one thing I love about being a music specialist. There may be different genres of music, but overall it is a universal language and race does not really matter in the end. That's where the white privilege article drove me nuts. If we focused on the positives and not the negatives, then maybe this perception would begin to subside, slowly but surely. My biggest issue with the "White Privilege" issue is that it's often presented in a way that makes us feel like it is our fault that things are the way they are, rather than circumstances being what they are because of decades and decades of discrimination. I could care less what race or ethnicity my friends are, and if my race is represented in a particular TV show. Why do those things need to matter so much.
ReplyDelete...So after my rant, I suppose the main purpose of this comment is to say "AMEN!" to your response to the readings.
I have to disagree with you when you say that certain races don't have it easier than other races. I think the reason that many white people in this country feel that way is because they've never experienced what it's like to be put at a disadvantage simply because of the color of their skin. I think McIntosh does a great job listing examples of certain benefits that some races enjoy but rarely ever take notice of. Most people who enjoy these privileges take them for granted and attribute them to being "normal outcomes". One of my favorite comedians is Louis CK. He has a great quote that relates to this topic: "I'm not saying that white people are better. I'm saying that being white is clearly better." We do enjoy certain liberties that other races don't. That's not say that we are at fault because we receive these benefits, but we need to be more conscious and question whether or not our race is a deciding factor in these decisions instead of simply ignoring race as a whole.
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely interesting to read your post, especially because I did not have the same adverse reaction to Mcintosh as a lot of people seem to have had. I didn't walk away from that article feeling blamed for others disadvantages, but instead I was glad that someone was bold enough to point out that they still exist. I do agree with being white (or not) does not completely make up a person's identity, things are so much more complicated than that!
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to race, the make up of our society is changing and this will gradually bring changes to the sets of privileges that Mcintosh lays out for whites only.
It is interesting to hear from your perspective that being white, you feel a minority when you are people of other ethnic groups. I like that fact that you do not think yourself as seperior to people of other races, instead you are trying to prove your students that you are a good teacher.
ReplyDeleteBefore moving to Boston, I lived in a suburb of NewJersey where 75% percent of the population was Asians. So, I was very curious to find out how the white people living there felt. Your post gave me the answer.