The Importance Of White People In The World

Cleaver, E. “The White Race and Its Heroes.” in Souls on Ice, 65-83. New York: Dell Press, 1968.

Working Towards Whiteness is about immigrants who are coming to the United States during the twentieth century and struggling to become white. This is because America has this identity of being white and the new immigrants are facing the problem of fitting in based on their race and class. The states have applied restriction so that they can preserve the population to be more white. In Roediger historical studies he brings these practices to light and his goals to draw attention to the biased white supremacist policy of the government in the regulations of immigration. Roediger most evident strength would be that he has the adaptation of the “in-between” status of the new immigrants coming in, which they are neither accepted as white neither can they be able to identify themselves as their pre-existing background.

‘Whiteness’ is a socially constructed category of race, where people who are not ‘white’ are racially designated while ‘whites’ escape designation as if their racial category is not historically and ideologically based (Puzan, 2003). Race is socially constructed (Dyer, 1997) and it is important to acknowledge this in order to address its impact. Unless whiteness is labelled and confronted, being ‘white’ is usually considered the ‘norm’ which acquires certain social privileges, while all other socially-constructed categories of ‘race’ are considered different or, as Puzan (2003) terms it, the ‘racialised Other’.

Privilege affects everyone, regardless of if they are affected positively or negatively. Being the majority in America, the white populations bears an automatic stamp of privilege on their foreheads, although they would care very strongly not to admit it. On the surface, privilege does not seem like such a bad thing, but when you pay attention to the differentiation of struggles between white men and everyone else in America, you can see it is a very large issue. Whether it is in the classroom, in the workforce, in real estate, or even in your own home, white privilege is affecting you. White privilege in America is counterproductive to the growth of equality in society today because it affects the quality of living and level of opportunity for the rest of the country’s inhabitants. Within all facets of life, you can find extreme examples of white privilege.

Is whiteness only a matter of skin pigmentation? Nyack (2007) questions what would happen if we were to see whiteness as more of an organizing principle. Critical Whiteness Studies (CWS), she explains, provides a radically different way to think about race and challenge whiteness as the universal norm. If, additionally, we think of whiteness as a social construct that includes white culture, ideology, racialization, experiences and emotions, we can understand that CWS “focuses on problematizing the normality of hegemonic whiteness which has allowed whites to deflect, ignore or dismiss their role, racialization and privilege in race dynamics”

Race matters in nearly every facet of human interaction, although it should not. And anyone who believes otherwise is blind to the issues lying in front of them. Race can be used in both healthy and unhealthy ways. It helps to provide a basis for recognition, belonging, and reference. But race is, by its very nature, discriminating. It classifies people into particular groups that others just can not be in. This creates a feeling of both exclusion and superiority, specifically because some races are treated better than many others. The use of race to hinder the progress of people has been used for thousands of years. And although people are much more tolerant today than they have ever been in the past, racism exist more now than ever. Entire

Race is vitally important and completely meaningless. Our society would ideally want to say that racism has decreased, and that we are more diverse and tolerant than we have ever been. Racism is less than it was fifty years ago. Both of these concepts are true, but at the same time race matters more than ever.

White Privilege is the societal privilege that benefits people whom society identifies as white in some countries, beyond what is commonly experienced by non-white people under the same social, political, or economic circumstances.

White privilege is an apparent part our society, well to me at least.The fact that a white person can kill a black male for simply getting Skittles and Arizona, or selling non taxed cigarettes, or playing loud music,looking threatening and so on without consequences for their consequences is white privilege. White privilege is not having to be followed around a boutique or high class store because of the stereotype of being poor and a criminal. White teenagers can go out at night in large groups without being disturbed. White privilege is an advantage that white people are unaware they have.They can not see that the way in which they live is exclusive to their race. They have special assets that colored people do not. In White Privilege-

White privilege has decreased over the past couple years due to further understanding of racial differences. However, I believe it does still exist within our society. Many times it goes unnoticed by whites because they have the upper hand in the situation. One privilege I have noticed I have as a white member of society is credibility in educational situations.

This week article deals with keeping race in place with macroaggression’s and campus racial climate. Macroaggression can cause unnecessary stress to people of color. This article was written in 2002 were many people were still being affected by race and the way people perceive them to be like. The article states “We know that it causes stress, which has a great impact on the day to day lives of these students.” College is already stressful to the average college student therefore African Americans have twice the amount of stress on them to succeed.

White privilege is not taught to whites as the disadvantages are taught to the minority by the white race from birth. When a white person walks into a store they are looked upon with respect and it is assumed that they are not there to steal or vandalize property, they are automatically trusted as a quality citizen. The white race is unaware of their privilege because they have never had to experience the glares, or being followed around the store, automatically assuming they are there to steal or harm someone. White=good in every aspect of society because it is the norm, it is an unconscious advantage that is used in the conscious mind of all whites. These cultural mechanisms lead white people to be seen as trustworthy, honest, overall decent

Rather than merely examining the affects of racism on people of color, the book turns its attention to whiteness and how a system of white privilege, supported and perpetuated by whites, also damages whites by inhibiting them from making meaningful connections with other human beings. Until I almost reached the end of this book I was uncomfortable and disturbed by the way the book made me feel. As a white male, I am aware of the pain that my ancestors have created for others to advance the free world. I have pain for those who suffered and disagree with actions that were taken by my white predecessors. But I believed that we are now in a much more advanced world where we have chosen the first black president and equality was a focus of most Americans. Identifying with my culture as currently being a white supremacist society is something I have never considered, or would not want to consider. In Neuliep, within the Coudon and Yousef’s Value orientations, we perceive the human nature orientation within the United States with people being essentially rational. This term, rational, can be somewhat subjective. And if we continue with the same value system, and look from ‘the self’ values, we foster our self-identities from the influence of our culture’s values. If we are to reflect truthfully to how our country evolved and what we ‘had to do’ to create our freedom by limiting the freedom of other, how would we then perceive

Due to the evidence stated in this essay, slaves did not build the Great Pyramid at Giza.

In 1968 and 1865 Lincoln and Kennedy were trying to persuade Americans that the country is better united. Throughout America’s history I believe that a common goal was to build relations among the diverse nation. I think that Lincoln and Kennedy wanted to make a change because they saw the difference and unfair circumstances. However there has not been a lot that has changed. I believe a lot of people want to get rid of racism but a lot of people haven’t made an honest effort to make change. However I also think that many people do not know how to acquire change. Recognizing racial injustice can help create various steps toward racial equality in America’s society. When we as a society speak explicitly about race, we will accept everything that make us different from one another.