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This is a very interesting article on white privilege and the more or less invisible ways that racism is systematically practiced in the U.S. It's written by a White woman.
I'm going to run down her list of privileges here, as they may or may not pertain to me. Keep in mind that I live in Ann Arbor and am a member of a so-called race that is often perceived as well-off in American society (though the racism directed against Asian-Americans can and does take on its own dimensions, often because of perceived status).
This is also somewhat long, but I'm not planning on cutting it unless someone tells me it's taken up an entire page on their friends list.
1. I can if I wish arrange to be in the company of people of my race most of the time.
True. I can now do so, because I live in a liberal college town. When I was a child, however, this was not possible; even my friends at Chinese School were from such a wide region of metropolitan Michigan that it simply wouldn't be feasible to be with them most of the time.
2. If I should need to move, I can be pretty sure renting or purchasing housing in an area which I can afford and in which I would want to live.
True.
3. I can be pretty sure that my neighbors in such a location will be neutral or pleasant to me.
True--well, okay, I can't be 100% sure about that.
4. I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed.
True.
5. I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented.
False. While certainly Asians are making progress in the media, they are not "widely represented"; I still sit up and take note when an Asian person is on TV--and in particular, if an Asian woman is on TV, what the role is. (Smallville could use a little work with this; HELLO, Asians as masseuse(eur)s, mafia-like gangsters, or cold scientists? Great, thanks.)
6. When I am told about our national heritage or about "civilization," I am shown that people of my color made it what it is.
False. Only the most cursory mention of Chinese immigrants who worked on the Union-Pacific railroad or in California during the gold rush made it into my high school history textbook.
7. I can be sure that my children will be given curricular materials that testify to the existence of their race.
Perhaps this may be true. I certainly hope it is--and that the materials will not be racist!
8. If I want to, I can be pretty sure of finding a publisher for this piece on white privilege.
N/A :)
9. I can go into a music shop and count on finding the music of my race represented, into a supermarket and find the staple foods which fit with my cultural traditions, into a hairdresser's shop and find someone who can cut my hair.
False, true, and true.
10. Whether I use checks, credit cards, or cash, I can count on my skin color not to work against the appearance of financial reliability.
True.
11. I can arrange to protect my children most of the time from people who might not like them.
I don't have children yet, but true.
12. I can swear, or dress in second hand clothes, or not answer letters, without having people attribute these choices to the bad morals,the poverty, or the illiteracy of my race.
True.
13. I can speak in public to a powerful male group without putting my race on trial.
Hm. I'd have to say that I don't know which way this one goes for me.
14. I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race.
True.
15. I am never asked to speak for all the people of my racial group.
False.
16. I can remain oblivious of the language and customs of persons of color who constitute the world's majority without feeling in my culture any penalty for such oblivion.
True.
17. I can criticize our government and talk about how much I fear its policies and behavior without being seen as a cultural outsider.
True (again, I live in liberal college town.)
18. I can be pretty sure that if I ask to talk to "the person in charge," I will be facing a person of my race.
False.
19. If a traffic cop pulls me over or if the IRS audits my tax return, I can be sure I haven't been singled out because of my race.
True.
20. I can easily buy posters, postcards, picture books, greeting cards, dolls, toys, and children's magazines featuring people of my race.
False. False false false false false.
21. I can go home from most meetings of organizations I belong to feeling somewhat tied in, rather than isolated, out-of-place, out numbered, unheard, held at a distance, or feared.
True.
22. I can take a job with an affirmative action employer without having coworkers on the job suspect that I got it because of race.
Well. This might not be true in the future, but I'll just have to see.
23. I can choose public accommodation without fearing that people of my race cannot get in or will be mistreated in the places I have chosen.
True.
24. I can be sure that if I need legal or medical help, my race will not work against me.
True.
25. If my day, week, or year is going badly, I need not ask of each negative episode or situation whether it has racial overtones.
True.
26. I can choose blemish cover or bandages in flesh color and have them more or less match my skin.
True, but only in the winter.
Now, I'm not saying that white people can't understand or are universally able to say "true" to all of the above. I'm certainly aware that there are a lot of things changing in our society for the better. Nor am I saying that these privileges are solely conferred on whites, or that they are solely denied on the basis of race. You could probably change the wording a bit on some of those and find that just about every subculture is denied certain privileges.
So what am I saying?
I'm not trying to say much, actually. I guess I'm mostly trying to ask people to think--and to get myself to think--about these things more.
I'm going to run down her list of privileges here, as they may or may not pertain to me. Keep in mind that I live in Ann Arbor and am a member of a so-called race that is often perceived as well-off in American society (though the racism directed against Asian-Americans can and does take on its own dimensions, often because of perceived status).
This is also somewhat long, but I'm not planning on cutting it unless someone tells me it's taken up an entire page on their friends list.
1. I can if I wish arrange to be in the company of people of my race most of the time.
True. I can now do so, because I live in a liberal college town. When I was a child, however, this was not possible; even my friends at Chinese School were from such a wide region of metropolitan Michigan that it simply wouldn't be feasible to be with them most of the time.
2. If I should need to move, I can be pretty sure renting or purchasing housing in an area which I can afford and in which I would want to live.
True.
3. I can be pretty sure that my neighbors in such a location will be neutral or pleasant to me.
True--well, okay, I can't be 100% sure about that.
4. I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed.
True.
5. I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented.
False. While certainly Asians are making progress in the media, they are not "widely represented"; I still sit up and take note when an Asian person is on TV--and in particular, if an Asian woman is on TV, what the role is. (Smallville could use a little work with this; HELLO, Asians as masseuse(eur)s, mafia-like gangsters, or cold scientists? Great, thanks.)
6. When I am told about our national heritage or about "civilization," I am shown that people of my color made it what it is.
False. Only the most cursory mention of Chinese immigrants who worked on the Union-Pacific railroad or in California during the gold rush made it into my high school history textbook.
7. I can be sure that my children will be given curricular materials that testify to the existence of their race.
Perhaps this may be true. I certainly hope it is--and that the materials will not be racist!
8. If I want to, I can be pretty sure of finding a publisher for this piece on white privilege.
N/A :)
9. I can go into a music shop and count on finding the music of my race represented, into a supermarket and find the staple foods which fit with my cultural traditions, into a hairdresser's shop and find someone who can cut my hair.
False, true, and true.
10. Whether I use checks, credit cards, or cash, I can count on my skin color not to work against the appearance of financial reliability.
True.
11. I can arrange to protect my children most of the time from people who might not like them.
I don't have children yet, but true.
12. I can swear, or dress in second hand clothes, or not answer letters, without having people attribute these choices to the bad morals,the poverty, or the illiteracy of my race.
True.
13. I can speak in public to a powerful male group without putting my race on trial.
Hm. I'd have to say that I don't know which way this one goes for me.
14. I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race.
True.
15. I am never asked to speak for all the people of my racial group.
False.
16. I can remain oblivious of the language and customs of persons of color who constitute the world's majority without feeling in my culture any penalty for such oblivion.
True.
17. I can criticize our government and talk about how much I fear its policies and behavior without being seen as a cultural outsider.
True (again, I live in liberal college town.)
18. I can be pretty sure that if I ask to talk to "the person in charge," I will be facing a person of my race.
False.
19. If a traffic cop pulls me over or if the IRS audits my tax return, I can be sure I haven't been singled out because of my race.
True.
20. I can easily buy posters, postcards, picture books, greeting cards, dolls, toys, and children's magazines featuring people of my race.
False. False false false false false.
21. I can go home from most meetings of organizations I belong to feeling somewhat tied in, rather than isolated, out-of-place, out numbered, unheard, held at a distance, or feared.
True.
22. I can take a job with an affirmative action employer without having coworkers on the job suspect that I got it because of race.
Well. This might not be true in the future, but I'll just have to see.
23. I can choose public accommodation without fearing that people of my race cannot get in or will be mistreated in the places I have chosen.
True.
24. I can be sure that if I need legal or medical help, my race will not work against me.
True.
25. If my day, week, or year is going badly, I need not ask of each negative episode or situation whether it has racial overtones.
True.
26. I can choose blemish cover or bandages in flesh color and have them more or less match my skin.
True, but only in the winter.
Now, I'm not saying that white people can't understand or are universally able to say "true" to all of the above. I'm certainly aware that there are a lot of things changing in our society for the better. Nor am I saying that these privileges are solely conferred on whites, or that they are solely denied on the basis of race. You could probably change the wording a bit on some of those and find that just about every subculture is denied certain privileges.
So what am I saying?
I'm not trying to say much, actually. I guess I'm mostly trying to ask people to think--and to get myself to think--about these things more.
