As a Caucasian American, do you feel that white privilege exists?
As a minority, it is clear to me that white privilege exists and is alive and well. Every minority that I have spoken to feels the same. However, it has come to my attention, via social media and speaking with white friends, that many do not believe they have white privilege.
Do you think you are treated better or superior to minorities as a white person? If not, please explain.
Answers ( 1 )
I'm white and so is everyone in my family as far back as ancestry.com will go. I live in a 98% white small town. White privilege exists. Nobody asks me where I'm really from. I don't need to worry about getting dirty looks while I walk down the street. I can shop with a large handbag without being followed. Nobody has ever warned their neighbors that people who look like me are taking over. I have never - not once in my life - had a racial slur lobbed in my direction.
But I've been discriminated against - I'm female. No need for further elaboration on what that means to society. I've been poor, too. I've been at a disadvantage for jobs. But I can feel safe in the knowledge that I can go about my daily business without anyone paying me any mind. By definition, that means I have experienced privilege, even if there are factors keeping me down. Privilege doesn't mean a free pass or a head start on absolutely everything, and I think that's where a lot of white people get stuck. They experience discrimination or even hate in ways unrelated to race and they feel like if white people were really privileged, they would all be exempt from discrimination.