My White-Class Experience

“If these things are true, this is not such a free country; one’s life is not what one makes it; many doors open for certain people through no virtues of their own” (McIntosh, 15). This quote is from the article White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack. It refers to a list McIntosh compiled, of twenty-six examples of white privilege. McIntosh used the metaphor of an invisible knapsack to represent white privilege, unearned assets that one is able to easily able to cash in. These advantages are so prevalent, yet they are considered the society norm and we are taught not to recognize the.

Is Melting Pot of Diversity Real? The myth of the melting pot of diverse people in the US seems to sound easy and fancy, however, the truth is that people here only gather some particular areas. In the article “People Like Us” by David Brooks, the author says that although the United Stated is the diverse country, Americans do not seem to care about diversity. This is because they do not embrace diversity and would not associate with people who are unlike them.

Patricia Collins tries to expose her readers to the term oppression and the different types of oppression that human beings can be subjected to or rather the different disparities that cause human oppression including gender and race among others. Collins (74) in her attempt to expound on the issue of oppression and dichotomous thinking argues that "one side of the dichotomy is typically labeled dominant and the other subordinate" which forms the basis of the definition of the term as being a way of thinking in which an individual is convinced that they are subject to being the dominant or the subordinate on the basis of different issues including race where the white male perceives himself as the dominant while the black male becomes the subordinate. The

The two identities that I have decided to evaluate are my race (white) and my gender (female). These two identities make up a huge portion of who I am. For that reason, I feel that it is important for me to delve into these identities to better understand myself. In regards to my race I have never felt very impacted.

Have you ever been affected by race in your life? Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior is an outcome of racism. Racism is a big conflict in today’s society and effect many lives. In the two stories “Champion of the Word” by Maya Angelou and “Black Men and Public Space” by Brent Staples , race was the big social view being discussed. Racist ideology can become manifest in many aspects of social life.

Patricia Collins tries to expose her readers to the term oppression and the different types of oppression that human beings can be subjected to or rather the different disparities that cause human oppression including gender and race among others. Collins (74) in her attempt to expound on the issue of oppression and dichotomous thinking argues that "one side of the dichotomy is typically labeled dominant and the other subordinate" which forms the basis of the definition of the term as being a way of thinking in which an individual is convinced that they are subject to being the dominant or the subordinate on the basis of different issues including race where the white male perceives himself as the dominant while the black male becomes the subordinate. The

The diversity that may be found all around the world and in our very community has always fascinated me. I am aware that it is a widely held belief that being a minority is considered a disadvantage in various aspects and I would disagree with this. Diversity and culture is a two-way street- as a community, whether that be society as a whole or simply a freshman class, we have the potential to be able to learn from each other. I believe that my status as an underrepresented minority has shaped me into the person I am today. Despite moving to the United States at a young age and being a first-generation college student , I am grateful for the privilege to be able to further my education at the University of Utah.

The authors explore the notion of a white gaze which is hegemonic, historically established in material relations of white power where women and minorities are blamed for taking away their undeserving privileges. It boils down to resentful entitlement or privilege. The school shootings perpetrated by middle-class white male students, the men’s-rights movement, white supremacists, the fathers’-rights groups, etc. There is a deep-seated impression, among some white male Americans, that they are being deprived of their space in society. The era of privilege, when the reputable jobs and the best possessions was the white male American’s merit, has degenerated and is being succeeded by a society where white males are being systematically marginalized and overlooked in patronage of minorities and women.

From my personal experience, the oppression I had to face was violence during my middle school years. I attended Hodgkins Middle School as a sixth grader; the beginning of this year was definitely a nightmare. There were a small percentage of Asians who attended this school, I would say around 10 percent and majority of the students were Hispanic. I had a total of five classes where I was the only Asian girl and all of my classmates were Hispanic who knew one and another. Every single day, I would hear them mocking the Chinese language or approach me and call me China.

WEB DuBois spoke of double conscientiousness – a social theory framed to analyze and explain a state of being unique to African-Americans and a sense of being in, but not of a majority culture. As a first-generation American, born and raised in the south with Nigerian-born parents, I quickly realized that my background stretched beyond his duality structure and extended into a third level of conscientiousness. I am African, American and African-American – each having a distinct code and level of awareness as it relates to social institutions. When my mother made fufu and egusi soup, I was teased for smelling like stockfish at school, but I didn’t understand how anyone could not enjoy eating the dish. When I was invited to social gatherings,