Pieper Blog #1: Whiteness

I recently read a quote that me quite sad when I sat back and thought about it for a minute.  “We have no way of testing the behavior of whites and blacks toward one another under favorable conditions – with no history of subordination, no money incentive for exploitation and enslavement, no desperation of survival requiring forced labor.” (Zinn, 1980, p. 30)  So, it is not a foreign concept to hear that white Americans enjoy privileges minorities simply do not.  As a country, the United States was established and ruled by whites for 94 years until they passed the 14^th Amendment, which made it illegal to deny a person’s vote due to their race, color, or previous work (aka slavery).  Therefore, whites have historically been the dominant group and have enjoyed the benefits that accompany this position.  (Martin & Nakayama, 2010)  Historically, the list of “benefits” seems to be endless.  Riding at the front of public transportation, superior school systems, better job opportunities.  However, I think what Peggy McIntosh described as “The Invisible Knapsack” was taken from a perspective that is different from the benefits I just pointed out.  She does not point out the obvious advantages whites have experienced over the years.  Instead, she focuses on the subtle ones.  Like…

(1)“I can be late to a meeting without having the lateness reflect on my race.”

(2) “I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race.” (3) “I will feel welcomed and “normal” in the usual walks of public life, institutional and social. “

(Martin & Nakayama, 2010, p. 188)

Number (2) particularly struck me when I read it.  People often think they are not being racist by glorifying someone of a minority race for achieving a major feat.  However, when they glorify someone because of their race, they are making the stereotype that this race is not usually capable of such a major accomplishment.

I browsed “Stuff White People Like” and even though I found it slightly amusing, I was a little disheartened when I saw the racist blog had over 91 million hits.  I found the “#19 Traveling” blog post to be racist for a couple of reasons.  First, it is assuming that white people have better oppurtunities, and therefore more money to spend, for traveling the world.  The writers even go as far as to say that “travel is not only beloved but absolutely essential in their development as white people.” (Clander, 2008, #19 Traveling)  Second, it gives the impression that all whites are more cultured than other races.  Making it seem as though whites know more cultures, people, and places in the world. 

“Appearing Empathetic with Personal Anecdotes of Poverty” was another post that I found interesting. It fit in nicely with Ms. McIntosh’s knapsack analogy.  The post talks about how white people realize the need to be empathetic to those less fortunate than themselves, but they also realize that they do not have the exact experiences as some minorities that truly struggle to get by.  So instead, white people try and make their lives seem much worse than they really are.  The writer, Kerri Scheer, uses examples about undergraduate students telling stories about how in school are/were “seriously, SO broke” and how they “seriously, LIVED on instant noodles.” (Clander, 2008, Appearing Empathetic with Personal Anecdotes of Poverty”)  It is interesting to reflect about how some white people recognize their they are well off, but then try and it play it off as though they are struggling so they might better associate with others and minority races.

Blog post “#81 Graduate School” is another post with some interesting quotes.  In particular, when the author was talking of graduate students complaining “that the government/university doesn’t support them enough, [and] claim they are poor.” (Clander, 2008, #81 Graduate School)  It is funny to me to think about people complaining they are not getting enough help from the government/university when they grow up in a country where they are born with more opportunities than most.  This fits into Martin & Nakayama’s sentence about whiteness being defined by how white people look at themselves and others. (Martin & Nakayama, 2010)  When it comes to school/scholarships, whites believe they are not getting an equal shot at government money than other minority groups. 

Finally, the blog post “#74 Oscar Parties” is subtly racist.  It is inferring that only white people are smart enough to enjoy and analyze movies.  It is easy to see how false and misinformed this claim is.  There are enough Hispanic, African American, and Asian actors in Hollywood that people ought to realize that American movies, and as a result the Oscar’s, are being watched and appreciated by people all throughout the world.  Not strictly white people.

It took 94 years before minorities were given the right to vote and run for public offices.  It took another 95 years before the supreme court began deeming Jim Crow Laws illegal.  It takes awhile for steps to be taken towards equality for everyone.  Therefore, the concept of whiteness and “the invisible knapsack” will not be eliminated from our culture sometime soon.  Not until children are raised by their parents with the teachings that all humans are created equal.  Regardless if the children are black, white, Hispanic, or purple.  Moving forward, I plan on being more conscious of even the subtle, minor details of racism.  I will try and recognize the instances where I may see myself and others being sympathetic to the less fortunate, but in reality, am acting ignorant and condescending. 

Here is another interesting video clip with Tim Wise on how white Americans talk about race

References:

Zinn, H. (1995). A People’s History of the United States 1492 – Present. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Martin, J.N., & Nakayama, T.K. (2010). Intercultural communication in contexts (5th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw Hill. 

Calender. (2008, January 23). #19 Traveling. Retrieved from http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/01/23/19-travelling/

Calender, Scheer, K. (2008, June 24). Appearing Empathetic with Personal Anecdotes of “Poverty”. Retrieved from http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/06/24/winner-2/

Calender. (2008, March 4). #81 Graduate School. Retrieved from http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/03/04/81-graduate-school/

Calender. (2008, February 24). #74 Oscar Parties. Retrieved from http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/02/24/74-oscar-parties/