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Aurora
Regular Poster
Username: Aurora
Post Number: 36
Registered: 04-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 20, 2006 - 04:46 pm: | 
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Whites Understand the Advantages of Being White
by Lorinda Bullock
NNPA National Correspondent
WASHINGTON (NNPA) – While many White Americans recognize that they enjoy certain privileges over other races, nearly half of them believe governmental institutions are color-blind and don’t contribute to those privileges, according to a new “Whiteness” survey released by researchers at the University of Minnesota.
“The assumption has been that Whites didn’t see or understand the privileges they might have that go along with race,” said Doug Hartmann, an associate professor of sociology at the university and the study’s co-author.
“And there we have pretty high numbers. Sixty percent or upwards of Whites see the way that prejudice and discrimination and family upbringing and access to schools creates advantages for them. That’s surprising to a lot of left-leaning type scholars who assume that Whites didn’t get that,” he said.
Although more Whites are starting to understand the advantages of being White in America as a group, they are less aware of it than other racial groups, the study said.
The study reported that 46 percent of Whites “agreed that laws and institutions play an important role in explaining why Whites are better off than other racial groups.”
Hartmann said, “Whites recognize White privileges in a lot of individualistic domains but they still think that American laws and institutions are fair and treat everyone equally.”
The researchers did a telephone survey of more than 2,000 homes nationwide. Of the participants, 1,000 were White, while the remaining participants were a combination of Blacks, Hispanics and other racial groups.
The study also showed that Republican, White males are “less likely to believe laws and institutions are important and more like likely to believe laws and institutions are not important in explaining white advantage.”
That finding doesn’t surprise Julia Hare, executive director of the San Francisco-based Black Think Tank.
“Any Whites denying White privilege are either in total denial or pathological liars,” Hare said.
“We know that everyday, anyone at any age would be able to see that. All you have to do if you would pass a newspaper stand, if you pass a magazine rack, you turn on your television at anytime of the day or anytime of the night, visit any cooperation and see who has the top jobs… those who are making the decisions are White…When we see that most mayors, most governors, most sheriffs, most of the people with the high jobs in our society, you don’t call that White privilege? What else could that be?”
Eddie Moore Jr. should know. He is the director of diversity at the Bush School in Seattle and organizer of the annual “White Privilege Conference.”
The conference, to be held next April 18-21 at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, is heading into its 8th year and draws hundreds of scholars, students and people who study race.
“It’s not a 'Kumbaya' diversity conference, everybody’s not in full agreement on issues, but we really worked hard to create a space where folks could come and talk about tough issues and do it in a way that’s positive and productive,” Moore said.
Like Hale, Moore was also interested in the study’s ability to narrow the views of White, Republican males.
“Once you begin to break down the variables of how people are responding and who they are responding I think that becomes very interesting to me because it allows us to see where some of the challenges lie in continuing to do the work into the 21st century,” he said.
Another key element of the study, Hartmann said was Whites and how they viewed their racial identity.
The study showed that 77 percent of Whites reported that their racial identity was important to them and their racial group has a culture that should be preserved, a statistic that also surprised researchers, according to Hartmann.
Southern Whites tended to hold those views the most, said the study.
“Seventy-five percent of whites answering affirmatively sounds like a big number—it is—but it’s also way less (than) like 85-90 percent of African-Americans and Hispanics (who say ‘absolutely its important, absolutely we have a culture worth preserving.’ So it’s a big number for Whites compared to the fact that we thought Whites didn’t think about it at all,” Hartmann said.
Generally, Hartmann said sociologists believe Whites don’t want to associate themselves with a race, or just preferred to consider themselves as American.
He said there have been two responses to the study so far, one that reads the statistics as White Americans looking to find their place in the “American Mosaic,” while others believe the numbers show White Americans afraid of the darkening of America as other ethnic groups rise in population and political power.
Hartmann, who is White, believes it’s a little of both and this study is just the beginning of a greater examination of how White people think about their own race.
“The larger implication of all of this and of the study as a whole is realizing the problem of race is not just the problem of communities of color but in fact is an issue, if we’re going to think about it properly, much less benign, to solve those problems, we’ve got to have the majority White group fully informed, invested and involved in recognizing how they’re implicated in racial dynamics.”
Moore also agrees that this study is the beginning of a good dialogue among the races, and “part” of him is excited that White people “are beginning to show an indication that their awareness and knowledge around these issues are improving.”
But he is also disheartened that many “don’t see the connection to the systemic, institutional design.”
Moore, an African-American, said it is not enough for White people to just recognize their advantages, but to take it another step further and take action to equal the playing field for all Americans.
“I want to give you some praise for getting to that point,” he said. “But for me that is not enough.” |
Yvettep
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 1317
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 20, 2006 - 04:52 pm: |
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I've heard Doug Hartmann speak here in our department. He has done some fascinating work, including some really interesting stuff on race and sports. I have a link to more info on this research from my blog if folks are interested in reading more: http://blog.lib.umn.edu/perry032/impossible/
(Scroll down to Sept 12)
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Tonya
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 151
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 20, 2006 - 05:36 pm: |
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Another key element of the study, Hartmann said was Whites and how they viewed their racial identity. The study showed that 77 percent of Whites reported that their racial identity was important to them and their racial group has a culture that should be preserved, a statistic that also surprised researchers, according to Hartmann. . .it’s a big number for Whites compared to the fact that we thought Whites didn’t think about it at all,” Hartmann said. Generally, Hartmann said sociologists believe Whites don’t want to associate themselves with a race, or just preferred to consider themselves as American. He said there have been two responses to the study so far, one that reads the statistics as White Americans looking to find their place in the “American Mosaic,” while others believe the numbers show White Americans afraid of the darkening of America as other ethnic groups rise in population and political power. . . “The larger implication of all of this and of the study as a whole is realizing the problem of race is not just the problem of communities of color. . . we’ve got to have the majority White group fully informed, invested and involved in recognizing how they’re implicated in racial dynamics.” . . Hartmann, who is White, believes it’s a little of both and this study is just the beginning of a greater examination of how White people think about their own race.
~~~~~
Please.
They’ve always thought this way. It’s just that, now, they are forced to acknowledge it--the changing climate have got them realizing what’s at stake |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 5229
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 20, 2006 - 06:39 pm: |
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Here's some interesting excerpts from an article relevant to this thread which appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times yesterday September 19th. From the picture which appeared with this report, Jennifer Richeson looked like she was "mixed."
Genius has its rewards. Just ask Jennifer Richeson.
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation awarded Richeson a $500,000 "genius grant" Monday. The coveted grant comes in recognition of her work in the psychology of racial bias.
"It's not quite real. I'm totally in the land of the surreal," said Richeson, an associate professor of psychology at Northwestern University. Richeson's work is firmly grounded in reality. With techniques including surveys and MRI brain imaging, she studies interactions between races, shattering traditional views of how people think and feel about race.
Richeson will "spend a little bit of time thinking" about the issue that has captivated her since her college days: The complexity of racial feelings. "This stuff isn't straightforward. . . It isn't just a question of who and who is not a bigot," she said. For example, Richeson's work has shown that well-meaning whites work to repress bigoted feelings when dealing with people of other races. Brain scans show "heightened activity in areas of the brain associated with regulating our thoughts and emotions," she said. That effort leads to "awkwardness" and "exhaustion" in social interactions, she said, and could lead to depleted ability to perform other tasks. Richeson grew up in Baltimore and attended public schools. She became interested in race relations while in college at Brown University, which was "a sea of whiteness" filled with wealthy kids, she said. After getting a doctorate at Harvard University, Richeson taught at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., before coming to Northwestern last year.
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Igbogirl
Veteran Poster
Username: Igbogirl
Post Number: 60
Registered: 09-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 21, 2006 - 09:38 am: |
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"Sixty percent or upwards of Whites see the way that prejudice and discrimination and family upbringing and access to schools creates advantages for them"
Family upbringing among whites is not automatically positive or full of privilege! Try telling that to whites who are raised in trailer parks and molested by their drunken in-bred daddy! |
Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 6575
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: 
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 21, 2006 - 10:18 am: |
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Whites have NOT have been able to create, install, enforce and maintain White Supremacy for as long as they have if they did NOT know how VITAL such has been to their being able to do what they want to do.
Hell. A hundred years ago, at least HALF of supposedly Caucasian Americans (especially those of Eastern and Southern European descent) didn't even qualify as being White UNTIL such was deemed in the best interests of the powers that be. Mofos HAPPILY 'became' White to assume the benefits conferred upon such.
But, in a way, you almost have to excuse their being ignorant of the advantages they enjoy. Because White people claiming to be unaware of their privilege is akin to how unconscious most of us are of our breathing: We really only notice that you've been breathing when something occurs that threatens to steal our breath. |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 5238
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 21, 2006 - 12:31 pm: |
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It could be that privilege and entitlement are traits that are genetically imprinted on the Caucasian brain inasmuch as this species was also naturally bellicose and, therefore, able to denominate their adversaries. White supremacy is actually about being superior to others in specific areas. So, being better at waging war and repressing those you vanquish allows white supremists to advance the specious assumption that they are superior to others in general. |
Ntfs_encryption
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Ntfs_encryption
Post Number: 726
Registered: 10-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 21, 2006 - 01:53 pm: |
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”Hell. A hundred years ago, at least HALF of supposedly Caucasian Americans (especially those of Eastern and Southern European descent) didn't even qualify as being White UNTIL such was deemed in the best interests of the powers that be. Mofos HAPPILY 'became' White to assume the benefits conferred upon such.”
Yep! No doubt about it. When the despised lower white races came to America (Italians, Irish, Russians, Slavs, et al) they were detested as much as blacks and Indians were. But they served the same purpose that Mexicans now do, they were needed for a cheap and exploitable source of labor. Generations later, they now enjoy the full perks and privileges of being white.
”But, in a way, you almost have to excuse their being ignorant of the advantages they enjoy.”
Naw, I can’t excuse it. I once dated a woman whose parents were Germans and immigrated to the US. When they came to America, they were treated very badly and discriminated against for being German (post WW II). Once they opened their mouths and that unmistakable German accent was heard, done deal! But they survived, made good of their lives and are now very comfortable. But even though they face intense discrimination, they did not like black people. They were very happy when their daughter was married to a white man and gave birth to two blond and blue eyed children. But when she divorced, she started dating black men. Well, she is married to a black man now and I’m sure her parents aren’t too excited about it even though she says they really like him. Bottom line is this, it never ceases to amaze me how white immigrants who were once intensely discriminated against have no problems displaying the same discrimination and loathing they once faced against black people.
”Because White people claiming to be unaware of their privilege is akin to how unconscious most of us are of our breathing: We really only notice that you've been breathing when something occurs that threatens to steal our breath.”
This is true also. Many whites have no idea (IMO) of their privileged status. Since they do not face discrimination because of their skin color nor do they have to think of themselves as being racially inferior, they just go about their lives being clueless of how skin color plays a major role in status, opportunities and the doors that are automatically open to them for being white.
But to be fair, you are correct when you point out their ignorance. I once had a white guy that I worked with tell me he had no idea racial discrimination was so pervasive. His wife was Mexican and she constantly told him of the discrimination she faced. He was clueless since he did not personally experience it. He openly admitted it. Typical for a white American.
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Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 5243
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 21, 2006 - 02:03 pm: |
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Yeah, but one of the first words the immigrants in question learned was "nigger." And they immediately picked up on the reality that no matter how low they were, they were still above people with black skin. And nobody had to tell them this; they automatically believed they were better than blacks. That's an in bred form of entitlement and privilege. |
Ntfs_encryption
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Ntfs_encryption
Post Number: 729
Registered: 10-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 21, 2006 - 02:26 pm: |
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"Yeah, but one of the first words the immigrants in question learned was "nigger." And they immediately picked up on the reality that no matter how low they were, they were still above people with black skin. And nobody had to tell them this; they automatically believed they were better than blacks. That's an in bred form of entitlement and privilege."
Well....ummmmm..you're certainly not going to get an argument from me about that. I agree.
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Igbogirl
Veteran Poster
Username: Igbogirl
Post Number: 66
Registered: 09-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 21, 2006 - 03:38 pm: |
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"Yeah, but one of the first words the immigrants in question learned was "nigger." And they immediately picked up on the reality that no matter how low they were, they were still above people with black skin."
You state this as if its a fact. You say they picked up on the REALITY that NO MATTER HOW LOW THEY ARE THEY ARE STILL ABOVE PEOPLE WITH BLACK SKIN
One of the biggest problems in America is that BLACK people actually believe they are lower than whites and FEEL lower. Some black people even believet that ALL white have material comfort and power. |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 5246
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 21, 2006 - 03:55 pm: |
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Yes, the black psyche has been damaged but that mindset is beginning to fade. I do know what my parents told me how back in the day they and their contemporaries had frequent encounters with Slavs and Serbs and Polacks who could hardly speak English but who called negroes "niggers", and looked down on them. |
Prettybabygirl
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Prettybabygirl
Post Number: 595
Registered: 04-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 21, 2006 - 04:08 pm: |
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Yeah, but one of the first words the immigrants in question learned was "nigger." And they immediately picked up on the reality that no matter how low they were, they were still above people with black skin. And nobody had to tell them this; they automatically believed they were better than blacks. That's an in bred form of entitlement and privilege.
They learned that in Europe before even arriving here. Go to Asia, you'll see it's the same. It's a global understanding, though in foreign countries they also have a sympathy towards blacks for being "inferior".
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Igbogirl
Veteran Poster
Username: Igbogirl
Post Number: 68
Registered: 09-2006
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 21, 2006 - 04:23 pm: |
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It is certainly true that plenty of people believe black people to be inferior. There are plenty more people who know that blacks are NOT inferior but enjoy the present status quo and so perpetuate the myth. But what worries me is that plenty of black people also think that black people are inferior and will choose to murder other black people, be rude to and otherwise mistreat fellow black people, just because they think black people aren't worth shit.
Many a time I've seen black sales clerks in stores speak rudely or behave unprofessionally in front of black customers yet suddenly snap out of it and behave respectfully towards white customers. |
Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 6578
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 21, 2006 - 04:31 pm: |
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Ntfs,
You think Mexican's will evolve into American's next 'White' nationality?
I almost suspect they might.
Funny you mention German foks. I tend to like foks of German heritage more than I do most other White foks. (Okay. Yes, I'm stereotyping.) They're usually very smart and organized. And I've found them to be more honest. Sometimes brutally so. And no matter your differences, if foks will respect each other enuff to be skrait-up, they have a much BETTER chance of reaching some kind of accord.
PS: I think they handed the n-word to White immigrants as they were entering Ellis Island. |
Tonya
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 154
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 21, 2006 - 04:48 pm: |
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"They learned that in Europe before even arriving here. Go to Asia, you'll see it's the same. It's a global understanding, though in foreign countries they also have a sympathy towards blacks for being 'inferior'."
Thank you pretty; you would think that is common knowledge! |
Tonya
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 155
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 21, 2006 - 04:52 pm: |
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Abm, sorry, that was not in response to your post.  |
Ntfs_encryption
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Ntfs_encryption
Post Number: 733
Registered: 10-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 21, 2006 - 08:59 pm: |
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"Ntfs,
You think Mexican's will evolve into American's next 'White' nationality?
I almost suspect they might."
I don’t know about the white part but I do know that given the massive uncontrolled hemorrhaging at the boarders (something Bush and congress refuse to deal with and you know why!) and the explosive birth rate of Mexicans, they will constitute half the US population before the end of this century. YOU CAN BET ON THAT! I live in San Diego and I see it every single day. But since the Mexicans provide a cheap labor force that can be ruthlessly exploited and paid sub-standard wages minus benefits, lobbyists for big business, Republicans who are tied to the hip with corporate American who are constantly looking for ways to increase their profits while maintaining low wages for workers and the politically correct rot of Democrats, don’t expect any serious or effective policies or laws dealing with illegal immigration any time soon.
Given the paranoia of whites to be the dominate force of presence and power, it amazes me how a generation of whites are willing to exchange the demographic face of America in the future in order to enjoy the profits and benefits of illegal immigration today. One day, when Mexicans constitute 40 plus percent of the entire US population and California, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas will be politically controlled and dominated by Mexicans, they will realize the folly of their failure to implement reasonable illegal immigration control. But it will be too late. Oh well…..
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