The Great White North - "Whiteness"

Part 1 - Quote

Choose one quote from pp. 43-45 of The Great White North? State the quote in your blog posting, then compare and contrast this quote with your own definition of whiteness by answering these three questions: How do you interpret the meaning of the quote? How does its meaning expose a certain truth about the concept of whiteness? Does your definition of the concept prove or disprove (agree or disagree with) the perception of the chapter’s author, James Frideres?

"Privilege is hard to see for those who were born with access to power and resources" - ( Carr & Lund pp. 44)

I thought this was a very insightful quote. The concept being expressed is that whiteness (at least the dimension of whiteness that relates to privilege) is, in large part, defined by non-whites, as privilege is most tangible and concrete for those people who were not born into it. Whites have never known anything other than their racial privilege, as such it is hard for them to comprehend the reality of it or the impact it has on the lives of non-whites. This idea exposes the invisibility of whiteness to whites. Furthermore, the notion that racial identity belongs only to non-whites implies that to be white means to be a part of the "norm" - to be human rather than to be defined by your race. I had honestly never considered that before, but having been confronted with with it in the reading, I can see the truth in what Frideres is saying.

My own definition of whiteness and Frideres parallel one another in some ways, but I would not say that I embrace his definition of whiteness in its entirety. I agree that whiteness relates to privilege that white people receive based on their racial identity. I agree that whiteness is viewed in our society as the norm, and that other ethnicities are labeled as the other. However, I think that to claim that the entire concept of whiteness is the invisible and ubiquitous nature of white privilege is rather shallow and one dimensional. I would hope that there is more to whiteness than simply power, privilege and the identity of oppressor just as I would hope there is more to blackness than being underprivileged and oppressed. Am I wrong? Is this issue as clear cut and one dimensional as Frideres seems to be suggesting? Am I just too blinded by the whiteness of my own skin to recognize the truth? It's hard for me to say, and I think that in this debate the reality of my whiteness diminishes my credibility.

Reread the first full paragraph on p. 51. Considering yourself a future teacher, create two open-ended questions that if given the chance you would ask the author, James Frideres, about his ideas in this paragraph as they relate to your (future) teaching practices. Then, for each question, propose your own response to the question. If you believe the question is unanswerable, provide a detailed response explaining why its unanswerable.

Question 1: "How might we, as teachers, address the subject of whiteness with our students without propagating white guilt? In other words, how do we broach the topic without making it seem as though we are accusing the white students of being guilty by sole virtue of the color of their skin?

I think it's important that the subject be addressed with some sensitivity on the part of the teacher. I think a more successful and meaningful way to get the message across would be to allow the students to first reflect on and discuss their own heritages, their own experiences, and their own assumptions. Then you might ask them to consider how the issues they raised themselves relate to the subject of racial privilege, societal norms and biases. By directing the students while still allowing them to come to their own conclusions about the issue, I believe the experience would be much more empowering and a lot less defeating.

Question 2: "What would the impact be of a non-white teacher bringing up the subject of white privilege in the classroom? Would his/her racial identity give him/her more credibility, or would it further the sense of otherness between him/her and his/her white students? Would a non-white teacher need to approach the discussion differently than a white teacher?

Unfortunately I think that, yes, a non-white teacher would most likely encounter different challenges in this context than a white teacher. Honestly, it's hard for me to imagine what they might be, as it is not a situation in which I will likely ever find myself. However, I think that if the subject were addressed properly, a non-white teacher might utilize his or her own experiences with white privilege as a powerful learning tool. In addition, a non-white teacher would likely not be influenced by individual color-blindness, giving him/her more insight into the reality of racial privilege.

Reflections on Chapter 1 of The Great White North

I find the topic of whiteness to be a very interesting and multidimensional issue. As such I have chosen first to respond to question 1 posed at the end of chapter 1 in The Great White North

In what ways did/has whiteness entered your life in Canada as either privilege and/or oppression?

First off, I would like to clarify that most of my experiences relating to whiteness have taken place in the United States, since I have only been in Canada for a few short years. Having said that, I have been fortunate enough to have experienced both ends of the spectrum, which I hope will allow me to avoid a singularly dimensional perspective when it comes to issues of race and whiteness.

Since I went to a Spanish school which catered predominantly to Latin American families, I experienced a great sense of “otherness” as an outsider to the prevailing culture of the school. For a significant portion of my life, the overwhelming majority of my peers were Hispanic, and I often felt a tinge of self deprecation for not being able to fully participate in their heritage. I felt boring, drab, uninteresting and separate. It wasn’t until we moved and I attended my third high school; a very wealthy, suburban, upper-class school where the average parental income was in the millions, that the tables turned. Suddenly ninety percent of the student body was white and I started to see the impact it had on the non-white students. I started to notice groups self-segregating themselves based on racial identities, and the suspicion that authority figures had towards the non-white groups was very distressing for me. In addition, my neighbor, an elderly widow, would regularly make comments about “her Mexicans.” She had hired help for her yard, and rather than using names or job-titles, she simply referred to them as “her Mexicans” which offended me horribly, though I kept silent about it, a fact that I still suffer guilt over.

In what ways can you and your students/clients/family work to articulate and transform the authority of whiteness at the individual, societal, community, and institutional levels of the local and national levels of Canada?

I think the most important thing to do is to recognize the reality of white authority and to discuss it openly and honestly. As teachers, I believe it is important for us to incorporate lessons of diversity in our classes and to have the students, if they are old enough, think critically and challenge one another’s perceptions of race, whiteness and power. Without recognizing the status-quo, we can’t expect to change it. Individually speaking, I feel it is important to remain aware of ones own privileges and not to allow oneself to become blinded by comfort.

Societal, communal and institutional change will only occur with a shift in the individual mindset. It is important for whites to acknowledge their privileges and to be willing to fight for the rights of non-whites, even if it means giving up the seat of power. We mustn’t allow ourselves to stagnate or accept anything less than total equality. Improvement does not mean achievement!

Response to Chapter 8 of "When Race Breaks Out"

One of the exercises recommended by Fox is to discuss with students the issue of relationships spanning the racial divide. The assumption is that it is difficult for people of different racial backgrounds to develop meaningful connections due to the ignorance of white people to the everyday plight facing people of color.

My problem with this particular argument and exercise is that I feel it simply fosters the notion of difference as being an obstacle rather than an asset, furthering the very thinking we are trying to overcome. Perhaps, as a white person, I am speaking out of ignorance, but it is my belief that truly meaningful relationships are often forged as much out of differences as similarities. In addition, it automatically challenges and belittles the close inter-racial relationships that do exist which may (understandably) offend many students, regardless of race.

On the other hand, it is a valid topic to discuss, and it may offer students an outlet to share with one another issues that would otherwise have been left unsaid. It also challenges students to re-think what they thought they knew and admit that perhaps they are not as enlightened and aware as they may like to think they are. I feel, however, that a better way to pose the question would be “do you believe that a racial divide makes it difficult to have meaningful relationships?” as this choice of words is less likely to offend and leaves the door open for a more varied debate.