Christopher Amado
Census Data
03/22/2012
While conducting research of economic status of different ethnic backgrounds using the United States census I came across some interesting comparisons and patterns. I made it a point to focus on three main areas; my home city Brockton in Mass., the State of Massachusetts itself, and the United States of America. I must first reflect that the accuracy of the census in itself is not entirely up to date and because of this I was forced to use data from the census of 1999. Not to mention, not everyone fills out the census when they receive it.
Based the on the accuracy of the census in 1999, white ethnicity seemed to be the majority of people in Brockton, Massachusetts, and The US as a whole. According to it America was home to almost 79 million white households which trumped over the almost 12 million black, 3 million Asian, and 9 million Hispanic and Latino households. Out of that 79 million, 2 million resided in Massachusetts 22,000 in which resided in Brockton. This goes to show why white privilege was institutionalized and able to spread like wildfire through the immense white community.
Even though the Asian households weren’t as populous as white households they still seemed to make around the same if not more money than their white coworkers. Is this because they were smarter or because they had better training? My guess would be quite possibly that there was an internalized idea that Asians were smarter so they were paid better. Of course that is just an educated guess but there is a common stereotype in the United States that Asians are naturally smart. In the US the average household earnings of Asians amounted to around $68,000 while the average for white households was only $60,000. Next were Hispanics and Latinos at $44,000 thus leaving black households last at $40,000 for average annual earnings.
Even though the white population of the US was so much more than that of the other ethnicities, the white households still collected more social security than any other. In city, state, and federal government the white households seemed to collect roughly around $11,000 beating its counterparts by thousands of dollars. Is this a form of white privilege that goes unnoticed? Do white people make more money from the government because of their ethnicity and color? This is a question that some may find themselves asking one another.
Overall I think that the census provided a lot of positive information and gave a brief overview of the institutional structures that our society has developed. Especially institutional structures developed and made to benefit those of white ethnicity.
Christopher Amado
03/1/2012
CRMJUS 321L
White Privilege
For years it has been discussed in the minority communities how white people benefit from unearned privileges. These so called privileges can include but are not limited to access to resources, wealth, knowing key people in government, unearned trust with authority figures, and even advancement in jobs faster than others of minority status. Of course none of these privileges are written in stone or blatantly obvious to the public but some may argue that they are everywhere and should be illegal. Three interviews that I conducted with people I know who are also white like I am revealed the opinions of some on the issue of “white privilege.
For the sake of revealing any identities of those interviewed I will just refer to them as subject 1, subject 2, and subject 3. Subject 1 was the first interviewed. After briefly reading an article on white privilege, she stated that she believes that it does exist and is not blatantly obvious in most of society. She explained how she thinks color is an institutionalized concept that is formed in American culture and that in other countries is not even something that is recognized. Just like the issue of racism she believes it is something that can never be dismantled but only worked on to reduce its negative effect on minorities.
Subject 2 had a very similar response on the issue. He stated that there are many different social privileges that may come with being white including a stereotype that you are well behaved and educated because you are white. He stated, “People think more highly of you because of your skin color and you usually don’t have to prove that you are educated or smart because it is naturally assumed in society which is not the case for most minorities.” He also thinks that more people are most suspicious of activities conducted by minorities because some of them are sometimes seen as mischievous.
Subject 3 was the last person interviewed and she had the most to say on the matter. Unlike the other two people interviewed she did not believe white privilege to be real. Instead she believed it to be a concept made up to create excuses and sympathy for those who do not try hard in life. She believes that most children have equal opportunities these days and that it is up to them to create their future. Not only did she contest the concept of white privilege but she promoted the idea that minorities actually have more privileges than white children to better their future. To back up her argument she used college scholarships like the Negro College Fund and government funded programs like food stamps and section 8 which many minorities who have low incomes may take advantage of. She believes that success in people is not measured by their privileges in society but their motivation to do everything in their power to be successful. She used her son as an example. He is a teenager of Hispanic descent who because of his ethnicity received more government grants and scholarships to attend college. “Is it not true that the government tries to provide more aid to minorities than white children?” she stated. One hundred years ago it was definitely an issue but now she thinks that children are less racist than their parents or grandparents. They afford the same leisure to their peers no matter color or ethnicity.
I agree with the points made by all three of the people I interviewed and even possibly may have come to the conclusion that the concept of white privilege may be a made up concept or a concept developed deep in the subconscious of its offenders. Either way it seems to be something that is not consciously practiced and may just be a direct form of racism that people of this day and age are already attempting to filter out of their own heads.
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