Whiteness As An Interdisciplinary Arena

Growing up in the United States, racism is an issue one cannot help but hear about at one point or another. Racial inequality and discrimination is a topic that comes up every February with Black History Month, and is often talked about in high school history classes around the country. But that is what it is considered to the majority of people: history. Most students are taught that, while there are still and will always be individual cases of racial discrimination and racism, nationally the problem ended with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. People of color, however, will often tell you differently. At least that is what they told Tim Wise,

White supremacy is when a person believes that because they are white, that they have supremacy over someone else. This is the standard phrase explaining what white supremacy is and has dominated the mentality of our country for decades. It has been prevalent all over the US. The only difference is that in the south, it seems to have been more amplified than in the north.

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’.

White privilege is the societal privileges that specifically benefit white people. White privilege is why white people can get pulled over by the police and escape a ticket with just a smile and apology. White privilege is also why whites are in charge of a company and they see a black person, they bypass the application. Whites carry a certain privilege not available to people of color. Marilyn Frye describes how whiteness is a form social and political power.

White privilege is a term used to describe the advantages in society that white people have over people of color. This concept is not new. It has been around, in America especially, for many years. We can see examples of white privilege in contexts such as slavery, the Civil War, and segregation. While we have overcome many racial issues in this country, racism and white privilege still exist today.

I agree with your responses on the White Privilege article. White people do not realize they have privileges until the observe themselves. For instance, how the author did in the article. The author observed her actions and the actions of people around her, and see began to notice white privilege. I like the way you stated white privileged as an “invisible package.” I thought that was a great phrase to describe white privileged. However, while people who are not white experience white privileged daily is frustrating. I disagree with your response that white privilege is use to oppress others to their advantage. I could agree with that in the past, however today the world is changing allowing everyone to privileges not matter of race or ethnicity.

“White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Backpack” by Peggy McIntosh is about the dominant white race having societal advantages over the minority race. White privileges are known for having favorable advancements to white people and particularly men in that category. For those who receive benefits due to their origins of the white race refuse to acknowledge the power they have over the minority race. Instead, whites see all races having the same opportunity to become successful. Due to their obliviousness individuals categorized in the dominant race does not intentionally allow racism to play a role in their society. Peggy discusses her own life experiences to show instances where she herself has been oblivious to this unearned

If you were to look up the definition of white privilege, it would say something along the lines of, benefits given to white people based solely on the fact that they are white. In Tim Wise documentary, White Like Me: Race, Racism, and White Privileged in America, he talks about white privilege and how it is negatively affecting America. He argues that by wanting to go back to the traditional America idea is really wanting for the unequal treatment of people of color, refusing to acknowledge how racism is working in our judicial system, and that by being colorblind is only enforcing white privilege.

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.

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

White privilege refers to the benefits that white people gain from society that minority members are not privy to. White privilege is walking around the land of the free and being free. Free of judgement, free of stereotypes and free of danger. When you come across the term “privilege” you instantly think of something being earned. But, if one looks a little further they will see that, this is not the case. In today’s society it is not earned, but given, given to “the man”. An act that happens in everyday life has become a norm to society, in which minorities are suppressed of what we all should have access to. But because of white privilege, the education that the Hispanic boy wants, the director position the female qualifies for or the house

Whitewashing can be referred to as the misrepresentation of minorities in film, specifically referring to placing racially diverse rolls into stereotypical parts. The misrepresentation of racial diversity is a recurring theme in today’s Hollywood movies. It is more likely for someone to land a job in Hollywood if they are a white