What Does It Mean To Be White?

A couple of weeks ago on another blog I read the blogger asked the question "what does it mean to be white?" (You can read the post here)

I started to write an answer that night but couldn't get my thoughts clearly down on paper and then the last 2 insane weeks began and well I didn't even have dinner until 10 each night so a "thinking" post was beyond my capabilities. However, tonight I thought I would try to figure out my answer to "what does it mean to be white?"

Except, I am not really sure it what it means to be white.

Because "white" isn't a culture.

There is significant diversity between white folks too. Whether you are an Italian Catholic or a Russian Jew influences who you are. The Swiss are not the same as the Greeks and I think no one would ever say the French are just like the English- because each of these groups are diverse in language, tradition and lifestyle. To be a member of one (or more) of these groups does not mean your experiences are interchangeable with a member of any other group.

Yet at some point in time, society managed to distill away all that diversity and we just became "white". (Although, admittedly, some of groups mentioned have arrived in "white" more recently than others)

When the questions is asked "what does it mean to be white?" as opposed to "what does it mean to be English?" it neglects to address the fact that is substantial white diversity.

What it means to be white then becomes a simple question of what it means to be in the majority.

And that question brings us back to privilege.

Because as much as I didn't want to make this another post about privilege, turns out that privilege is the defining answer to what it means to be white. It means that I am the norm, the standard, the expectation- and I don't have to worry about what role my race is playing as I go through my day. It means I don't have to think about being white at all because being white is what people are- anything (or anyone) else is the exception. White is the default setting for how society views individuals and institutions.

It means that I can live where I want, drive the car I want, go to the college I want, get the job I want. I can easily find other professionals who look like me, and I can see myself reflected positively in the media and news. I know the system will likely work to my advantage and that most the assumptions made about me based on my outward appearance will be favorable.

It means I have thousands of unearned privileges each day, some more significant than others.

In short, being white means my life is easier.

Now if you want to know what it means to be Italian.... well that's a different question.

And if you want to know what it means to be white and parenting children of color.... well that's a whole different thread