Current Events > is this white privilege?

(+) Yeah! (+)

white person to asian coworker: Oh hey did you get done eating your noodles
Asian coworker: ...Um what? Did you just assume that I would eat noodles... cause I'm Asian?
White coworker: I mean yeah don't you

Asian coworker is annoyed, and so goes to manager to explain his grievance. Manager handwaves him away and says "Look, white coworker did not mean to offend you. I wouldn't worry about it." Asian coworker gives up because he doesn't want to be seen as a problem.

COMPARE TO

asian person to white coworker: Oh hey did you get done eating your unseasoned chicken
White coworker: ...Um what? Did you just assume that I would unseasoned chicken because I'm white?
Asian coworker: I mean yeah don't you

White coworker is annoyed, and so goes to manager to explain his grievance. As a white man himself, manager doesn't recall having a preference for unseasoned chicken. He is not flattered by this ugly stereotyping. "Listen, Asian coworker, you can't make such racially insensitive jokes in the workplace. Understand?"
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what a white coworker topic

also

YOUHAVENOHOPE posted...

White coworker: ...Um what? Did you just assume that I would unseasoned chicken because I'm Asian?

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YOUHAVENOHOPE posted...

White coworker: ...Um what? Did you just assume that I would unseasoned chicken because I'm Asian?

Hmm, one of those freaks, eh.
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Sounds like a bad boss who needs to point out the race of his employees constantly.
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I mis-typed something wow
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Nobody has answered yet
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YOUHAVENOHOPE posted...

Nobody has answered yet

i think the answer is yes? i mean it's pretty cut and dry in your scenario
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why bother make this topic? to illustrate that white priv is real?

people who don't believe it's a thing will just say that would never happen.

if something like this actually happened then i'm sorry you/coworker had to go through that
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MedeaLysistrata posted...

why bother make this topic? to illustrate that white priv is real?

why does anyone make topics
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YOUHAVENOHOPE posted...

MedeaLysistrata posted...

why bother make this topic? to illustrate that white priv is real?

why does anyone make topics

i mean sure, fair point.
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Who complains to a manager over something so stupid? Both of these scenarios are dumb as hell.
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Pepys Monster posted...

Who complains to a manager over something so stupid? Both of these scenarios are dumb as hell.

MedeaLysistrata posted...

people who don't believe it's a thing will just say that would never happen.

"i've never had to feel marginalized because of my skin color"

i guess you were right
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YOUHAVENOHOPE posted...

MedeaLysistrata posted...

why bother make this topic? to illustrate that white priv is real?

why does anyone make topics

woah

Pepys Monster posted...

Who complains to a manager over something so stupid? Both of these scenarios are dumb as hell.

i mean microaggressions can get grating, depending on ones background they might not have much tolerance for it
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BloodyNate posted...

s pretty cut and dry

just like unseasoned chicken
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BloodyNate posted...

i mean microaggressions can get grating, depending on ones background they might not have much tolerance for it

If you can't handle a situation that small yourself without going to a manager, you deserve to get only 4 hours a week until you quit.
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DocileOrangeCup posted...

just like unseasoned chicken

the first time I tried cooking chicken without a recipe I didn't season it, what a horrible mistake

but now I barely eat chicken so
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Pepys Monster posted...

If you can't handle a situation that small yourself without going to a manager, you deserve to get only 4 hours a week until you quit.

ok
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GregShmedley posted...

No, that is an example of an inconsistent boss who is either racist or can't understand why the white coworker's comments are offensive due to ignorance and a lack of critical thinking.

???

you basically said "its white privilege" without actually saying "its white privilege"
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Pepys Monster posted...

If you can't handle a situation that small yourself without going to a manager, you deserve to get only 4 hours a week until you quit.

Having personally been in the situation, if the coworker in question doesn't actually get that he's ACTUALLY bothering you (a common problem with the nu-male soyboy types these days) it's hard to make it stop without disrupting workplace dynamics

Minorities are generally in the position of "Do I make a big deal and make it stop, but be seen as a troublesome element... or Do I just let it slide and make work easier for myself" when it comes to these situations

That's when you have to go to management. But then you're doing the problematic minority thing, so you don't really feel like you've won... and then the situation in the OP happens

It's really not fun
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YOUHAVENOHOPE posted...

Pepys Monster posted...

If you can't handle a situation that small yourself without going to a manager, you deserve to get only 4 hours a week until you quit.

Having personally been in the situation, if the coworker in question doesn't actually get that he's ACTUALLY bothering you (a common problem with the nu-male soyboy types these days) it's hard to make it stop without disrupting workplace dynamics

Minorities are generally in the position of "Do I make a big deal and make it stop, but be seen as a troublesome element... or Do I just let it slide and make work easier for myself" when it comes to these situations

That's when you have to go to management. But then you're doing the problematic minority thing, so you don't really feel like you've won... and then the situation in the OP happens

It's really not fun

Work on your people skills. It's not hard to tell someone if something bothers you without going behind their back and tattling to the manager.
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white privilege doesnt exist
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Pepys Monster posted...

Work on your people skills. It's not hard to tell someone if something bothers you without going behind their back and tattling to the manager.

and here it is
the assurance that it's really not a big deal
and that clearly the problem must be with me if I cannot efficaciously handle it on my own

You really downplay how much people try to make it stop without making things awkward. And you obviously have no idea how offended certain people get when you suggest they are in any way racist. And my god are those people sensitive, too.

ALSO as I already said, YOUHAVENOHOPE posted...

Minorities are generally in the position of "Do I make a big deal and make it stop, but be seen as a troublesome element... or Do I just let it slide and make work easier for myself" when it comes to these situations

this kind of thing makes it harder and more annoying to deal with the problem
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GregShmedley posted...

That's not what--you know, I'm not even sure why I bothered responding. Enjoy your topic.

what you said is "the white guy had the advantage because the boss couldn't relate with the asian guy"

how is that not clearly white privilege

oh, because its not accusing white people of having done nothing to get where they are? if the "white privilege" definition doesn't match that, it doesn't register as white privilege to you does it
lmfao
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GregShmedley posted...

YOUHAVENOHOPE posted...

GregShmedley posted...

No, that is an example of an inconsistent boss who is either racist or can't understand why the white coworker's comments are offensive due to ignorance and a lack of critical thinking.

???

you basically said "its white privilege" without actually saying "its white privilege"

That's not what--you know, I'm not even sure why I bothered responding. Enjoy your topic.

I didn't for the same reason. I'm sure there's really people who think this is what the term white privilege refers to though so it's both funny and sad.
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Pepys Monster posted...

YOUHAVENOHOPE posted...

Pepys Monster posted...

If you can't handle a situation that small yourself without going to a manager, you deserve to get only 4 hours a week until you quit.

Having personally been in the situation, if the coworker in question doesn't actually get that he's ACTUALLY bothering you (a common problem with the nu-male soyboy types these days) it's hard to make it stop without disrupting workplace dynamics

Minorities are generally in the position of "Do I make a big deal and make it stop, but be seen as a troublesome element... or Do I just let it slide and make work easier for myself" when it comes to these situations

That's when you have to go to management. But then you're doing the problematic minority thing, so you don't really feel like you've won... and then the situation in the OP happens

It's really not fun

Work on your people skills. It's not hard to tell someone if something bothers you without going behind their back and tattling to the manager.

And if you tell them about it then you're being combative, a trouble maker, etc.
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That would be bias on part of manager and nothing more. There is nothing in that situation that is wholly white-related. You could make the manager any race, the coworker any racer, and the worker any race, and it would change every dynamic. The whole hypothetical is dumb.

nemu posted...

That would be bias on part of manager and nothing more. There is nothing in that situation that is wholly white-related. You could make the manager any race, the coworker any racer, and the worker any race, and it would change every dynamic. The whole hypothetical is dumb.

Why can't people say it's not white privilege without, at the same time, diminishing the gravity of the situation?

"It's dumb."
"It's not that big a deal."

You're literally doing the same handwaving as the hypothetical manager lmfao
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YOUHAVENOHOPE posted...

nemu posted...

That would be bias on part of manager and nothing more. There is nothing in that situation that is wholly white-related. You could make the manager any race, the coworker any racer, and the worker any race, and it would change every dynamic. The whole hypothetical is dumb.

Why can't people say it's not white privilege without, at the same time, diminishing the gravity of the situation?

"It's dumb."
"It's not that big a deal."

You're literally doing the same handwaving as the hypothetical manager lmfao

Because you're using a horrible, slightly nonsensical example.

YOUHAVENOHOPE posted...

nemu posted...

That would be bias on part of manager and nothing more. There is nothing in that situation that is wholly white-related. You could make the manager any race, the coworker any racer, and the worker any race, and it would change every dynamic. The whole hypothetical is dumb.

Why can't people say it's not white privilege without, at the same time, diminishing the gravity of the situation?

"It's dumb."
"It's not that big a deal."

You're literally doing the same handwaving as the hypothetical manager lmfao

Because a grown ass man should be able to handle the situation himself.
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@YOUHAVENOHOPE is right, tbqh
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nemu posted...

Because you're using a horrible, slightly nonsensical example.

and what's nonsensical about it

please point out any part other than "the manager would not do this."

You can't tell me that. It literally happened to me.
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YOUHAVENOHOPE posted...

nemu posted...

Because you're using a horrible, slightly nonsensical example.

and what's nonsensical about it

please point out any part other than "the manager would not do this."

You can't tell me that. It literally happened to me.

Because you cannot attribute the idea of white privilege to a case of three people. It cannot be applied on an individual level. The boss being any other race would change the narrative. The boss being white but being of the SJW mindset/hating one of the workers and thus being biased/etc would completely change the narrative. As I said, it is the manager being biased in that scenario and nothing more.

nemu posted...

YOUHAVENOHOPE posted...

nemu posted...

Because you're using a horrible, slightly nonsensical example.

and what's nonsensical about it

please point out any part other than "the manager would not do this."

You can't tell me that. It literally happened to me.

Because you cannot attribute the idea of white privilege to a case of three people. It cannot be applied on an individual level. The boss being any other race would change the narrative. The boss being white but being of the SJW mindset/hating one of the workers and thus being biased/etc would completely change the narrative. As I said, it is the manager being biased in that scenario and nothing more.

Hmm
I guess I can see your point
and I accept that it's valid

However I think this kind of situation would logically occur more often than not, because there are more white people in leadership roles in the US workplace

which would let you assume, logically, that they would relate to their white employees more, no?

Which illustrates a kind of white privilege, no?
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YOUHAVENOHOPE posted...

nemu posted...

YOUHAVENOHOPE posted...

nemu posted...

Because you're using a horrible, slightly nonsensical example.

and what's nonsensical about it

please point out any part other than "the manager would not do this."

You can't tell me that. It literally happened to me.

Because you cannot attribute the idea of white privilege to a case of three people. It cannot be applied on an individual level. The boss being any other race would change the narrative. The boss being white but being of the SJW mindset/hating one of the workers and thus being biased/etc would completely change the narrative. As I said, it is the manager being biased in that scenario and nothing more.

Hmm
I guess I can see your point
and I accept that it's valid

However I think this kind of situation would logically occur more often than not, because there are more white people in leadership roles in the US workplace

which would let you assume, logically, that they would relate to their white employees more, no?

Which illustrates a kind of white privilege, no?

See, this is where the whole X privilege narrative begins to get dumb. All in all, any majority grouping is going to have bias towards another group. That is not something inherent to while people/men/straight people, etc. If you want to say group X as a whole will likely experience more benefits than groups Y and Z due to their collective being larger, that is not inaccurate. If you want to say groups Y and Z will likely experience more hardships than X as a whole, that is not inaccurate. It's this insistence of attaching this very specific label that is the issue.

The idea of white privilege being a thing that is quantifiable is not itself a problem, but what people want to imply when they use that term. So, if you have a demographic where you're more likely to have white coworkers and white bosses, then I would agree on a whole such people will have a higher likelihood of facing potential racial problems. The only thing I would not agree on that it is a problem that can really be solved ever, and that it is something inherently "wrong" with a certain grouping.

nemu posted...

If you want to say group X as a whole will likely experience more benefits than groups Y and Z due to their collective being larger, that is not inaccurate. If you want to say groups Y and Z will likely experience more hardships than X as a whole, that is not inaccurate. It's this insistence of attaching this very specific label that is the issue.

But the USA is unique in that white supremacy plays a key role in its foundation and economic prosperity

It's specifically a problem because white supremacy still influences the United States

White privilege borne of majority is not the problem - white privilege borne of discrimination, prejudice, and white supremacist ideals IS the problem.

Now, I'm not saying that the OP is a white supremacy issue - THAT would be ridiculous. But that's why specifically "white privilege" is a thing

because the USA is still heavily influenced by its white supremacist roots
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YOUHAVENOHOPE posted...

nemu posted...

If you want to say group X as a whole will likely experience more benefits than groups Y and Z due to their collective being larger, that is not inaccurate. If you want to say groups Y and Z will likely experience more hardships than X as a whole, that is not inaccurate. It's this insistence of attaching this very specific label that is the issue.

But the USA is unique in that white supremacy plays a key role in its foundation and economic prosperity

It's specifically a problem because white supremacy still influences the United States

White privilege borne of majority is not the problem - white privilege borne of discrimination, prejudice, and white supremacist ideals IS the problem.

Now, I'm not saying that the OP is a white supremacy issue - THAT would be ridiculous. But that's why specifically "white privilege" is a thing

because the USA is still heavily influenced by its white supremacist roots

The US is unique in this regard? What nation or empires in the past didnt hold the view their own ethnic people as being superior than people of other ethnicities and races? Supremacist ideology has influenced historical development significantly, but thats not unique to white people or the US by any means
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Kazi1212 posted...

The US is unique in this regard? What nation or empires in the past didnt hold the view their own ethnic people as being superior than people of other ethnicities and races? Supremacist ideology has influenced historical development significantly, but thats not unique to white people or the US by any means

Oh but it is
Yes, generally you favor the majority ethnicity
but the US specifically had major white supremacist beginnings, and is one of the only nation that actively ACTIVELY suppressed, persecuted, and subjugated black people in an effort to make sure they were kept "subhuman"

We emancipated slaves later than everyone. We integrated later than everyone. And today the racial income disparity is suspiciously massive. Why?

And that's where the idea of white privilege comes in
And you should know that to any educated person, white privilege shouldn't be an indictment upon every white person or an excuse to dismiss their accomplishments

That's one of those things where people on the right try to redefine things so they can argue against it better, like the #metoo thing or clutching pearls over kneeling during football games

I'd also like to point out that white privilege extends to the rest of the globe, though to a less problematic degree in most situations.
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YOUHAVENOHOPE posted...

nemu posted...

If you want to say group X as a whole will likely experience more benefits than groups Y and Z due to their collective being larger, that is not inaccurate. If you want to say groups Y and Z will likely experience more hardships than X as a whole, that is not inaccurate. It's this insistence of attaching this very specific label that is the issue.

But the USA is unique in that white supremacy plays a key role in its foundation and economic prosperity

It's specifically a problem because white supremacy still influences the United States

White privilege borne of majority is not the problem - white privilege borne of discrimination, prejudice, and white supremacist ideals IS the problem.

Now, I'm not saying that the OP is a white supremacy issue - THAT would be ridiculous. But that's why specifically "white privilege" is a thing

because the USA is still heavily influenced by its white supremacist roots

The problem with that train of thought is that it assumes every bias stems from that narrative. Every human will have biases towards every other human. If you put any race in the majority and any other race in the minority, this kind of stuff will always happen. Does racism still exist in America? Yes. Might there still be lasting social ramifications from slavery, Jim Crow, and the longstanding racism of the early to mid 1900s? Yes. Is the current state of affairs something that could only be brought about in a white-majority nation? No. I'm fine with the idea of pointing out inequality and taking real attempts to fix it where it needs fixing. The problem with the X privilege narrative is that it is most often used as a means of associating blame with a specific group with no intention of actually solving anything.

nemu posted...

The problem with that train of thought is that it assumes every bias stems from that narrative. Every human will have biases towards every other human. If you put any race in the majority and any other race in the minority, this kind of stuff will always happen. Does racism still exist in America? Yes. Might there still be lasting social ramifications from slavery, Jim Crow, and the longstanding racism of the early to mid 1900s? Yes. Is the current state of affairs something that could only be brought about in a white-majority nation? No. I'm fine with the idea of pointing out inequality and taking real attempts to fix it where it needs fixing. The problem with the X privilege narrative is that it is most often used as a means of associating blame with a specific group with no intention of actually solving anything.

So your biggest problem with "white privilege" is "it makes white people feel bad."

Am I understanding, or am I oversimplifying

Also the bolded part is very MILEAGE MAY VARY and sounds like a bias on your own part, tbh

Edit: Might also mention that acknowledging the existence of white privilege doesn't mean every other "privilege" is gone
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YOUHAVENOHOPE posted...

nemu posted...

The problem with that train of thought is that it assumes every bias stems from that narrative. Every human will have biases towards every other human. If you put any race in the majority and any other race in the minority, this kind of stuff will always happen. Does racism still exist in America? Yes. Might there still be lasting social ramifications from slavery, Jim Crow, and the longstanding racism of the early to mid 1900s? Yes. Is the current state of affairs something that could only be brought about in a white-majority nation? No. I'm fine with the idea of pointing out inequality and taking real attempts to fix it where it needs fixing. The problem with the X privilege narrative is that it is most often used as a means of associating blame with a specific group with no intention of actually solving anything.

So your biggest problem with "white privilege" is "it makes white people feel bad."

Am I understanding, or am I oversimplifying

Also the bolded part is very MILEAGE MAY VARY and sounds like a bias on your own part, tbh

No, my point is that it is not used in a constructive manner, and it holds people to some impossible standard. I'm fine with the sentence "white people on average will likely experience more success in their lives in America than minority groups, and it is imperative that all social hurdles for those groups be removed." That describes the current state of affairs, and I will accept that it is true on the whole.

The problem is the sentence of "You have White Privilege." I don't care that it might get some white nationalist in a huff. I do care that it is ascribing this general framework to the individual. It is putting some kind of onus on the individuals living in this country as if it is a tangible thing that can be dealt with. If the term is simply used in the context in paragraph one, that is fine. The problem is the increasing use of it to try to act like this is not part of the human condition.

Couple of factual things:

We didnt emancipate slaves later than everyone, in fact quite a few nations didnt abolish slavery until the 1900s, most of these are non white majority nations.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_abolition_of_slavery_and_serfdom

Additionally, what makes you say the US specifically had white supremacist beginnings? Was this country founded on the idea white people were superior? Do you think nations and empires such as Britain, China, Egypt etc...wasnt founded on the idea that their people were superior? Im just trying to understand how youre differentiating between how America was founded vs other nations.
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YOUHAVENOHOPE posted...

Kazi1212 posted...

The US is unique in this regard? What nation or empires in the past didnt hold the view their own ethnic people as being superior than people of other ethnicities and races? Supremacist ideology has influenced historical development significantly, but thats not unique to white people or the US by any means

Oh but it is
Yes, generally you favor the majority ethnicity
but the US specifically had major white supremacist beginnings, and is one of the only nation that actively ACTIVELY suppressed, persecuted, and subjugated black people in an effort to make sure they were kept "subhuman"

We emancipated slaves later than everyone. We integrated later than everyone. And today the racial income disparity is suspiciously massive. Why?

And that's where the idea of white privilege comes in
And you should know that to any educated person, white privilege shouldn't be an indictment upon every white person or an excuse to dismiss their accomplishments

That's one of those things where people on the right try to redefine things so they can argue against it better, like the #metoo thing or clutching pearls over kneeling during football games

I'd also like to point out that white privilege extends to the rest of the globe, though to a less problematic degree in most situations.

Lol no it isnt unique to the USA and no it doesnt extend to the rest of the globe. White privilege in Africa lol good one.

The majority of the world believes their race is superior. They even made a word for it, ethnocentrism.
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when the petty and insecure also prove that they don't understand the terms they are attempting to use..
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