Peggy McIntosh writes, “As a white person, I realized I had been taught about racism as something which puts others at a disadvantage, but had been taught not to see one of its corollary aspects, white privilege which puts me at an advantage.” She then identifies the positive effects that white privilege has on her life; she is never suspected as a criminal and never targeted unjustly by the police. On the other hand, she shows the disadvantage African Americans have; the authorities are more focused on monitoring African Americans which cause the unethical use of racial profiling.
McIntosh only states the advantage white people have from this white skin privilege. However, this white skin privilege have consequences--it can be harming white people.
Boston
Marathon Bombing and manhunt is an example--three people were killed and 264 people were inured.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev and Dzhokar
Tsarnaev are white Americans who killed other white Americans.
Were
they able to pull through with this massacre because of their skin color? Were
the authorities focusing more on looking for criminals with different skin
color? If these two men weren't white, would Boston Marathon Bombing have
happened?
Other
examples of privileges having consequences can be applied to other races as
well. For example, Jennifer Lee’s research on “stereotype promise” shows how
Asian students have more chance of academic success because they are
stereotyped as “smart, high-achieving, and disciplined.” However, there are consequences--“Asian Americans are often disadvantaged in college
admissions because of an assumption that a school can have too many Asians and,
accordingly, accept only students with the most extraordinary academic
credentials.” In high school, I had a Chinese friend who had a higher GPA and
ACT score than my Mexican friend. In addition, my Chinese friend had more extra
curricular activities. However, my Mexican friend got accepted into University of Michigan
African
Americans have the privilege of the stereotype that they are strong and
athletic. This privilege helps them excel in sports and receive respect. In my
high school, white and Asian males would fight and bully each other, but never
challenged an African American male. However, this privilege has consequences
like being stereotyped to be violent.
So,
is it really a privilege to be unsuspected for having white skin? Is it really
a privilege of having a stereotype that can enhance one’s ability to achieve
higher academically? Is it really a privilege to be stereotyped as strong?
In
many cases, a privilege comes with consequences.
Here is an episode about preconceived notions about race relevant to the McIntosh's article--this episode shows the disadvantage certain people have from the color of their skin. It's also interesting because it shows that sometimes we do not know what race a person is.
Here is an episode about preconceived notions about race relevant to the McIntosh's article--this episode shows the disadvantage certain people have from the color of their skin. It's also interesting because it shows that sometimes we do not know what race a person is.
It is interesting to watch the women on the Tyra Show, and hear their stories on why they prefer to identify with one race and not the other in the cases of biracial identity. Their negative experiences with one of their racial ‘identities’ made them disown that identity and fully claim and promote the identity that was left. This is perhaps a reflection on society and how people of biracial identities are pressurized into claiming one identity, but never both. This reveals that the distinction between races almost assumes that being two races (or more) is incompatible, which it should not be.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Janice that privileges come with consequences, as she mentions that while black people may be stereotyped as athletic, this can also be translated as violent. Interestingly, I had not noticed the down side to positive stereotypes such as those experienced by Asian-Americans. They have to achieve high grades get into college because the number of Asians is limited to avoid having ‘too many Asians.” As a student I can identify with such setbacks even though I may not understand the degree of humiliation given that this stereotype is not applied to me. Yet, it is still important to see that, as in the questions written by Peggy McIntosh, some stereotypes spread into almost every aspect of life. Being viewed as violent, aggressive, lazy, self-entitled, untrustworthy, deceptive and dishonest, will affect ones daily life and all the social interactions encountered; from walking into a store, to applying for a job, to meeting new friends or paying for a transaction. When negative stereotypes affect almost everything one does, it builds a sense of hopelessness and the perception that ‘we’ cannot succeed because ‘we’ are not encouraged or expected to.
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ReplyDeleteWatching these clips of the Tyra show has been so eye-opening. When Janelle stood up and spoke about advantages of a light skinned black woman, being that she is darker skinned, she said: "you can identify with people in the commercial. I can't 90% of the time. You can walk into a store and find hair products and make up that works for you. I can't..." It immediately reminded me of the very last comment on McIntosh's list of her daily privileges, which was "I can choose blemish cover or bandages in "flesh" color and have them more or less match my skin. When doing an IGR dialogue, this was a huge issue that was brought up. Speaking as a biracial young lady, there are always more pronounced physical attributes representative of one of my two races. When it comes to hair and skin tone, I appear as more African American. Before really thinking about it, I always went across town to the Beauty Supply store to get my hair products and that was it. I never even knew grocery stores even carried hair products for the longest. And then once I knew, I didn't really see it as a problem that mine were never there. But it is. It just made me realize how disadvantaged I can be in that regard. Because I do have lighter skin, however, it is easier to find cover-up that matches my skin tone, even if I have to mix two different shades. For darker skinned people, I am sure it can be a struggle.
ReplyDeleteAt the end of the day, I can acknowledge the privileges that my race and skin color has granted me as I have lived my life, despite that NOT being white. Being black is not a bad thing at all, and trust me, it comes with its advantages as well.
I just want people to love themselves for who they are and for what they have or don't have. "It's self destruction and it's so sad...it's not [just] a black / white issue. This is a cross-cultural problem." THANK YOU Tyra Banks!!
Peggy McIntosh’s article highlighting white privilege and the advantages it brings compared to other races reinforces that it is “an invisible package of unearned assets which I can count on cashing in each day”. Although whites are given these privileges that become the social norm, this can be detrimental to ending racism once and for all. To provide benefits for one group, in turn, oppresses others, even if done unconsciously. They Tyra videos were intriguing because the women hated entire races because of a few unscrupulous encounters and experiences. One lady commented about whites having a higher standard in American and lighter skin translating into being more important and socially accepted. This was taken to such an extreme that she denounced her Black heritage and even engaged in KKK symbolic activities. So, even if we are not willing to acknowledge that whites have privileges not allotted to other races, it clearly exists and has penetrated people’s way of association. This “unearned advantage” being interchangeable with “conferred dominance” is an interesting angle because, by default, the group with more resources has always been the dominant group in history. However, getting people to acknowledge this and make changes seems nearly impossible.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting that she mentioned that when we try to help others, we are merely trying to make “them” more similar to “ourselves”. This was true when so many countries colonized others, but I also thought about mission projects and relief programs aimed to help inner city families. Although, providing assistance is always smiled upon and some people receiving the aid struggle are truly struggling..how many of those people appreciate new ways thrust into their laps with an expectation of compliance? Isn’t that trying to make others just like us? Is that not a method of asserting dominance over others?
Watching the Tyra Banks show I was just surprised as why some these ladies refused to claim their other race. I mean no matter how bad I feel about a certain race I will never try to disclaim it because it is a part of who I am. If these ladies feel so strongly about their other race, they can always be the exception and do things differently. Also in the video where the colored lady had a sister in law who looked more white than black, was right. White individuals can use their color to teach people about how wrong their actions and the effects of their actions. We have come so far from the slavery days but yet there is still racism I the society. When are we as a nation going to stand up and for once and for all just end this color barrier that have been established?
ReplyDeleteThe women from the Tyra clips are seriously confused; perfect example of identity crisis! Moreover, I think the Tyra episode illustrates that racism can and does occur within members of marginalized groups. For example, when thinking about racism towards blacks, we typically think white vs. black, but more often than we may think, this is not the case. I think this is an example of Marx's idea that the oppressed can become their own oppressors. Like the woman in the clip mentioned, light-skinned privileged does exist and this can cause tension within the black community. The lighter you are and the closer to hegemonic norms you are, the more advantaged you are, the more beautiful you are perceived to be, and the better you are treated. In my opinion, this is why black women attempt to alter their appearances. This can occur by activities such as bleaching skin, or more commonly, altering hair, reinforcing the idea that there is such a thing as "good" hair and "bad" hair. "Good" hair being hair that is most like white hair. This leaves black women thinking that they could never be beautiful and constantly trying to achieve an unobtainable ideal.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the fact that some people are at a disadvantage or the opposite because of their skin color, or sex due to racial profiling and stereotypes. One thing that I do not agree with is the aspect in which Jennifer Lee tried to explain about the unfair selection in admissions. Yes, it is true that a school can only have a certain number of Asians attending their school, but this is true for every other race including white people. To say that Asians are at a disadvantage is a little absurd because it wouldn't make sense to deny an Asian student due to the stereotypes. If anything it would reinforce the admissions office's opinion in accepting that student. I know I am a white male so I might just be oblivious to it but I believe as far as the "issue" with Asians applying to universities a bit ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteI found the episode from the Tyra Bank’s Show really interesting. I was surprised at how many of the biracial women associated more with one race rather than the other even though they looked more like the other race. It is interesting to see that even though they are born into both races, they still appreciated one race more than the other. Like Tyra mentioned, I think many of the women experienced negativity associated with one race which made them dislike apart of themselves so much. Moreover, I think their reason for identifying with one race more than the other is a result from societies perspectives on certain races. As was seen in the episode, Jenna identified with being white because of the perceived notion that whites have a high standard in society and have more privileges. I also thought this post was really interesting in portraying the stereotypes and the issues within interracial cultures.
ReplyDelete"White privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets which I can count on cashing in each day." (McIntosh, Peggy. 1988) Just like Michael S. Kimmel said: " Being white, or male or heterosexual in United States is like running with the wind at your back." It is invisible and people tend to take it for granted. The invisible knapsack includes all the advantages people get simply because they are white, male or straight. It is kind of hard to imagine that success does not depends on hard work or intelligence but on something invisible. And people feel guilty about it but can hardly change it. But like the woman said in Tyra's show :" You cannot change everybody but you can change yourself and how you think of ourself." If we all realize it, we can make invisible package visible. Like what the woman did in the clip "cracking the code: Joy DeGruy " A Trip to the Grocery Store" ", standing out for the people who was at disadvantage.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you in that the positive stereotype of Asian-Americans can have unexpected consequences. The Princeton sociologist Thomas Espenshade has calculated that an Asian applicant must, in practice, score 140 points higher on the SAT than a comparable white applicant to have the same chance of admission to a university. ( Wesley Yang, 2011) Apart from this, the "bamboo ceiling" which refers to the phenomenon that Asian American is far away from the executive positions when they at work. “If you’re East Asian, you need to attend a top-tier university to land a good high-paying gig. Even if you land that good high-paying gig, the white guy with the pedigree from a mediocre state university will somehow move ahead of you in the ranks simply because he’s white.” (Wesley Yang, 2011) I cannot deny the fact that other factor like lack of leadership or communication skills attributes to it. but it also shows some sort of "invisible privilege".
About the Tyra show, I think the cases are kind of extreme. This is not wrong because this is a commercial TV show. But it is lack of generalization.