An interesting question concerning White privilege.

[Curious George]

Maximum privilege has been given to white male Protestants from Northern Europe. This can be illustrated by the number of times people have said something on the order of "they" are inferior the "they" being blacks, women but historically also orientals.

This is slowly disappearing but it's taking too long to go.

Do you think the privilege mentioned in the OP is an example of white privilege?

 

[Curious George]

To the privileged, equality feels like diminishment - you often hear white people complain about affirmative action in colleges for example, when in fact most colleges accept anyone, and the ones that are selective practice affirmative action in admitting athletes and legacies (children of alumni) who are less qualified than others. White people are very sensitive about any other group getting ahead, and tend to ignore the history that made the policies necessary. It is very rare that a less qualified person of color gets the goodies at the expense of a well-qualified white person, but that's how it works in their heads.

I understand that. But I am not talking about affirmative action at all.

 

[Nakosis]

So the concept about which I am talking is totally foreign to you?

Let us ask this question? Do you remember when Barack Obama ran for office the first time? Who do you imagine, (obviously imagining isn't actual data, but maybe it is helpful to the discussion) would be statistically more likely to get grief, by people of the same race, for not supporting a candidate based on race, a black person voting for McCain, or a white person voting for Obama?

A Black person voting for McCain. I'd suspect a White person voting for Obama would be seen by most as progressive.

 

[Orbit]

Hehe. My response is "What privilege does a poor, uneducated, white, "Trailer Trash" type enjoy?"

Please don't say, "One got to the White House!" LOL. It's a serious question.

Explaining White Privilege To A Broke White Person | HuffPost

 

[sun rise]

Do you think the privilege mentioned in the OP is an example of white privilege?

Yes in general. Anticipating a line of discussion, if there's a person who society has discriminated against by being sent to, say, deliberately inferior schools, then giving that person special help to equalize opportunity is not privilege.

 

[Curious George]

A Black person voting for McCain. I'd suspect a White person voting for Obama would be seen by most as progressive.

Do you think this exists in other spheres of life? A sentiment that a person who doesn't conform has forgot where they came from, or somehow abandoned the group, sold out, or, in severe cases, is a "race traitor" or "uncle tom."

 

[Curious George]

Yes in general. Anticipating a line of discussion, if there's a person who society has discriminated against by being sent to, say, deliberately inferior schools, then giving that person special help to equalize opportunity is not privilege.

That is not about what I am talking. I am wondering if white people have a privilege of not being pushed to favor their race.

 

[Nakosis]

Do you think this exists in other spheres of life? A sentiment that a person who doesn't conform has forgot where they came from, or somehow abandoned the group, sold out, or, in severe cases, is a "race traitor" or "uncle tom."

Sorry, I feel a little naive on this front. Although it seems implied to exist by the media, I've never personally run into it.

 

[Curious George]

Sorry, I feel a little naive on this front. Although it seems implied to exist by the media, I've never personally run into it.

Fair enough.

 

[Nous]

I was wondering if it is a white privilege not to feel a push, by people of the same racial make up, towards favoring someone of the same race, based on their race.

Geez, George, I would certainly understand if non-white people found that question rather offensive, as it assumes that non-white people "feel a push" to "favor" people of their own race.

Hopefully, we can agree that heterosexual-identifying or -acting people have at least historically been privileged in our society compared to gay- or bisexual-identifying or -acting people. I am definitely in the not-heterosexual-identifying or -acting category of people. But for someone to suggest that I "favor" other people in my category in some way that heterosexual-identifying or -acting people don't do is rather offensive to me. My best friends have always been straight women. I don't "favor" people inappropriately just because they might be in my category of sexual orientation or activities.

 

[bobhikes]

I think you have a valid point. There may be no race scientifically, however there most definitely is a social construct called race which consequently has statistical trends with regard to social interaction.

That race based on appearance and ancestry is a group that we need to consider is unfortunate. But to ignore this categorical approach is to ignore the discrimination used by those who do not ignore it, and choose to discriminate by it.

What I have realized is that people can only discriminate by race if we allow it. People should be laughed at, berated or corrected when they use the term race with humans. They should only be listened to or engaged when they properly address the type of humans they wish to address. As long as we keep using the term race we allow racism. Force people to say they don't like Dark skinned humans or light skinned humans and they will have problems defending it.

 

[YmirGF]

Explaining White Privilege To A Broke White Person | HuffPost

*suppresses a giggle*
*fails miserably*

 

[bobhikes]

To tell you honestly since I live with such a majority who are white, black, blue, and green I see it more as cultural differences rather than skin color. For example, I'm dark skinned (never called myself black; didn't viewpoint) but grew up in a white locality. I moved here and people of African american descent or they say black tell me, "you're not from here are you?" and we go into a conversation of my not being raised in Black Culture (lack of better words). There is a different language, customs, beliefs, and way of life shared by one locality than another. South Eastern U.S. totally different, yet we all have the same skin tone and we "get it." Probably because of history...

Another reason black is better than ethnicity say African american to many people is the differentiation between community and culture and politically correct terms the "white" people gave us. I mean, I looked on my family genealogy and on their birth certificate, they have negro.

A lot of what makes black and white people different is the language, culture, and customs. However, we have similar history but because of our roles and family family roles, unless we are militants, travel, or raised elsewhere, there's a sense of them vs. they. A lot of times black and white are used many of us don't even know where we came from specifically.

Political issues more than anything else.

Ethnicity is far better than black or a skin tone because it indicates much more about you. I have met all sorts of people Nigerians are not in anyway like Dark skinned South Americans. North Eastern Americans whatever skin color are not at all like Southern Americans which are different from Mid Western Americans. Australians and the English may look very much like me but act and think very different. Then you have the problems of mixed children, my children are half European and half Central American. If you go by looks, one looks like me and the other my wife. If you knew there actual family history rather then guessing by their looks, as a doctor you would be better able to serve them.

 

[Curious George]

Geez, George, I would certainly understand if non-white people found that question rather offensive, as it assumes that non-white people "feel a push" to "favor" people of their own race.

Hopefully, we can agree that heterosexual-identifying or -acting people have at least historically been privileged in our society compared to gay- or bisexual-identifying or -acting people. I am definitely in the not-heterosexual-identifying or -acting category of people. But for someone to suggest that I "favor" other people in my category in some way that heterosexual-identifying or -acting people don't do is rather offensive to me. My best friends have always been straight women. I don't "favor" people inappropriately just because they might be in my category of sexual orientation or activities.

It needn't be a minority or majority thing. Perhaps you are unaware that historically some white people did encourage other white people to favor based on race. White people were the majority at the time, so obviously the issue is not contingent on majority/minority.

Are you suggesting that people of color do not face ridicule or chastisement for not being "black" enough? Are you suggesting that this does not carry over to politics?

Are you suggesting you have never heard of this phenomenon?

 

[Orbit]

*suppresses a giggle*
*fails miserably*

Surely you can see that you'll never be pulled over for "driving while black" no matter how poor you are when your skin is white. White privilege doesn't guarantee that the world is handed to you on a platter, but it does guarantee that there are certain things in the social world that you don't have to worry about.

 

[Curious George]

What I have realized is that people can only discriminate by race if we allow it. People should be laughed at, berated or corrected when they use the term race with humans. They should only be listened to or engaged when they properly address the type of humans they wish to address. As long as we keep using the term race we allow racism. Force people to say they don't like Dark skinned humans or light skinned humans and they will have problems defending it.

I appreciate this. I am worried that we will miss some important areas of oppression though.

 

[Nous]

Perhaps you are unaware that historically some white people did encourage other white people to favor based on race.

Your OP question suggests that at least today there is some sort of difference in this regard between white people and non-white people.

 

[Curious George]

Your OP question suggests that at least today there is some sort of difference in this regard between white people and non-white people.

Yes, I am asking if you think white people are privileged in this aspect? If not do you think people of color are privileged in this aspect? Or do you think it equal?

If you were to ask me the same question between heterosexual and not heterosexual people, I would say I believe heterosexual people face more of a push to choose or assist someone who was heterosexual. And that is a problem. Someone should do some research on the topic even.

 

[taykair]

Are whites living in Korea or Qatar or Kenya or Costa Rica also the beneficiaries of white privilege? If not, then how does "whiteness" enter into it? Or is this just another "damn America for all its evils" argument, made by those who seem to hate this country while enjoying the benefits of living here and who, despite their discomfort, seem unwilling to emigrate?

 

[TurkeyOnRye]

The concept of white privilege is chiefly used as a tool by the left to mine resources from the dominant group. One never hears about "Asian privilege." In the US, Asians make more money and are at lower risk of adverse life outcomes than any other group. There's no outrage because Asians are such a small proportion of the population, they don't represent a mineable resource. Further, take a look at non-native Nigerian household income. An immigrant population, and their mean household income is higher than native whites. Nigerian-Americans have low divorce rates and seem to value education and hard work. To be quite frank, those are not cultural attributes I see in the native African-American population. There's pretty good evidence that disadvantaged groups can overcome poverty in a generation or so.