Olivia Soudah - RR2 White Privilege

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Anthropology

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Jan 9, 2024

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Anthropology 104 Reading Response 2 | White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack Name: Olivia Soudah Semester and Year: Summer 2021 TA Name: N/A ? Discussion Section Number: N/A ? Getting Started Welcome to your second Reading Response assignment for Anthropology 104! Please add your information to this template (above) and save it in Microsoft Word .docx or .doc format. Make sure the filename includes your name and the name of the assignment (RR2). (Example) RR2 Wendy Liu.docx This assignment template contains the instructions and questions you need to complete for this assignment. The reading itself (“White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” by Peggy McIntosh) is available on Canvas. Background Despite consistent efforts over the last century by scholars to counter the inaccurate belief that races are biologically real, race has remained a powerful framework through which many people see human diversity. Imagined categories of race shape cultural institutions – schools, places of worship, media, political parties, economic practices, etc. – in the U.S. and elsewhere. Anthropologists study the ways racism is embedded in the structures of society. In other words, they look at the norms, patterns, and policies that create and reproduce access to power, resources, and opportunities in ways that systematically disadvantage people of color. Related to racism is a system that equally contributes to racial inequities. That system is white privilege. White privilege is not something that white people always do, create, or enjoy on purpose. Rather, white privilege is a preference for whiteness that saturates U.S. society. In this exercise, we’ll consider some of the ways that white privilege works. Peggy McIntosh, a women’s studies scholar, wrote a now-famous article in 1989 in which she considered her own white privilege. To do so, she created a list of some of the ways that she saw white privilege operating in her life. For this assignment you will her article and reflect on it. Reading Response 1 | Peggy McIntosh’s “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” Instructions & Expectations Before you begin this writing assignment, read “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” (available as a PDF on Canvas). Each answer should be written using full sentences and should be 100 – 200 words . DUE DATE: Read the instructions about Grading and Submission for this assignment on Canvas. This assignment needs to be completed by July 17 by 11:59PM . 1 Anthropology 104 | Reading Response 2

Task 1 Begin by choosing six points on McIntosh’s list. If you struggle to understand how a particular point is a form of privilege, reformulate it as its opposite. How would that be experienced as a form of oppression? Write the number and a brief summary of each point in the table below. Reflect and respond to each point by answering these questions. Each answer should be 100-200 words.  Prior to reading this article, were you aware that this point exemplified a form of white privilege? o If yes, explain when and why you became aware of it. o If no, explain why you may have been unaware of this form of privilege before now.  Does this privilege benefit you or others? Explain your answer.  To the best of your knowledge, what are the structural forces that have produced this form of privilege? Be as specific as you can. Example Point Chosen: #4 – going shopping alone Example Response This one surprised me because it seems … 1st Point Chosen: #7- being taught about the history of my race Prior to reading this article, this is an example of privilege I recently became aware of. With the BLM movement, on social media I have seen a couple posts about how many important black figures in history were wither “white- washed”, misrepresented, or not represented at all. For example, how Beethoven was shown to be a white man, or how the real Betty Boop was a black woman, who was never discussed. By becoming aware of this, I realized how much the history I learned in elementary school as a child was centered on the history of white people. I am Palestinian and I’ve rarely heard any type of history that relates to my family background. Our education system hasn’t been well-rounded enough for all races. Especially as a child, this could be very hurtful not seeing your history represented. In my opinion, some of the structural forces that have produced this type of privilege are the historical patterns in what is taught, that hasn’t been updated despite the increased diversity in this country. Essentially, the education system hasn’t quite caught up which has been a structural force in producing this privilege. 2nd Point Chosen: #8 – being able to have confidence in the fact that my voice will be heard This point was the point that probably initially stood out to me the most. I also didn’t really think about how different it is reading about white privilege from a white person, versus a person of color, and how that may impact publishers publishing pieces for readers. I think I was probably unaware of this privilege simply because it was something I never considered in this way. This privilege is something that, once again, would benefit other white people. As someone who is a POC, I’ve had to feel worried about my voice being heard or feeling represented at other hands in a public way. In my opinion, two main forces that contribute to this type of privilege is individual racism as well as structural racism in employment. I think individual racism plays a part in this issue as there is clearly prejudice that exists, as negative assumptions are likely made about what a person of color might have to say about white privilege. Additionally, I think institutionalized racism plays a role, as it is widely known that people of color face issues in 2 Anthropology 104 | Reading Response 2

employment, or in this example finding someone to publish their work, because of the system. 3rd Point Chosen: #9- Being able to find resources/products that are representative that are representative of my culture This point was something that I previously have thought a lot about. As someone who is Palestinian, and lives in a predominantly white neighborhood, most goods (music, food staples, hairdressers) I come into contact with are tailored to sell and please the majority, which are white people. While I was aware of this, I never thought about directly through the lens of how it represents the privilege I have in my community. It makes sense from a business standpoint to market to your consumers, but I never thought about it in the way that these businesses are largely ignoring or not equally representing others. This privilege benefits my friends, but not me. I have had to go to multiple stores or specialty businesses to get items that are important to my family life. This represents a form of institutionalized racism in the way that the media and businesses promote and sell products aimed more towards white consumers, and don’t consider consumers of color and their needs the same way, because of the patterns already ingrained. 4th Point Chosen: #12 – experiencing prejudice based on my actions solely because of my race While it may seem like a rather random example. I became aware of this type of privilege after watching the TV show All-American, as this is one of the main struggles the main character faces. In this show, a young African American football player who grew up in a rougher suburb of LA moves and is living with an affluent black family and attending a prestigious school, many of the struggles he faces have to do with the assumptions people make about him because of his race and where he is from, even after he proves to be a stellar student with good morals and athletic talent. This type of privilege benefits white people, as I have felt worried about my actions (swearing, what I wear, writing, etc.) being negatively interpreted solely because of my race. I think the main structural force that has contributed to these problems is the stratification that still exists in the United States. Many people of color still live-in communities that experience greater crime, poverty, etc. which has perpetuated stereotypes about certain races, making this type of privilege possible. 5th Point Chosen: #17 - talk about how much I fear its policies and behavior without being seen as a cultural outsider As we’ve seen the BLM movement grow, we’ve also seen backlash from the government, calling protesters inappropriate names that insinuates they are out of control and radical. When white people have done the same thing, our government has applauded them for being “great people” and “standing up for what they believe in”. Because of this, I have read about how much harder it is for people of color to speak out against the government, as they are seen as dividing society and causing trouble instead of inciting much needed change. This privilege does not benefit. Being Palestinian, I post a lot about “Free Palestine”, which is an extremely hot topic right now. I have gotten backlash for my posts, many from white people who aren’t even educated on the subject. The structural force that is most responsible for this type of privilege is the patterns of a white-dominated government that exist. In the United States, most government officials are still white, and in history, this holds true. Because of this, the system has long been set up to accommodate white people and there are fewer advocates for what people of other races may be trying to bring awareness to. 6th Point Chosen: #20- being able to see my race represented in the media Lastly, while I’ve encountered this point before, I related it back to the “Free Palestine” movement. Even the news hasn’t really given this movement the type of tv-time that they have given BLM, or other movements. I’ve encountered articles and posts about the lack of representation a lot of minority groups face in TV shows, movies, 3 Anthropology 104 | Reading Response 2

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advertisements, etc. even things like postcards, children’s books, etc. This type of privilege doesn’t benefit me, as I have had a lack of representation of my Palestinian culture. For example, when I was little, I loved to play with Barbie’s. At that point, the standard Barbie was white and blonde, and I remember being hurt by this lack of diversity and disappointed that I didn’t have a doll that looked just like me. I think the main structural force that created this was the historical domination of white people in the media in the US. Since white people have had the privilege of having the most influence over products and media for a long time, it’s now become a more regular occurrence and expectation. Task 2 This list was first published in 1989 and is in need of an update. Write down two items that you would add to the list to make it more relevant to America today, based on your own perspective and experience. Write a 100-200 word paragraph to describe and justify your proposed additions. 1st Addition The first thing I would add to the list is “I have never been largely blamed for a world event or phenomena due to my race.” For example, based on the actions of the government as well as other citizens in response to the COVID-19, I can imagine that many Asian people feel targeted and at fault for something totally out of their control solely based on their race. I think this is applicable to this list because we’ve seen this happen with other groups as well, whether it is because of religion or country of origin. Another example, we have seen similar xenophobic and intolerant sentiments expressed towards Muslims in the US after 9/11, as they have faced discrimination due to the Islamophobia that exists in the US. As a Palestinian person, I have experienced discrimination for being Middle Eastern and people have made 9/11 jokes, even though I am not Muslim. I believe that if you have not experienced this, it can be considered a type of privilege. 2nd Addition The second addition I would make to this list is “I have never had assumptions made about my personality or interests based on my race.” I think this is important to include on the list because I feel like many incorrect stereotypes exist that are associated certain races or groups of people, that are much more hurtful that can initially see. For example, if someone were to tell an Asian person that they “must be really smart” or “they bet they’re good at math,” they are feeding a stereotype. An assumption is being made about who they are as a person, what they may be interested in, or what their strengths are solely based on their skin color or race. I’ve had this type of experience saying, “you must be really smart” or “do you eat goats?” based on my race. Many people who just glance at me see a person of color and connect it to the many stereotypes we have in our society. Because of experiences like this, I think it’s important to recognize this type of privilege. It could be subconscious and exist through microagressions and people might not know its hurtful. 4 Anthropology 104 | Reading Response 2

Olivia Soudah - RR2 White Privilege

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