I don't relate to "White."

[Bicoastal]

(reposted from another thread)

I'm Jewish American, and my roots are Eastern European. If a stranger asked me to describe my background and heritage, I'd start with my great-grandparents who immigrated here around the turn of the last century. And then I'd probably tell you the city and state I was born in, and that I am proud of being part of the American experience. Further prodding would reveal that I am straight, single, a musician, etc, etc. i'd go on and on until you were thoroughly sick of hearing about me.

However, at no point would I say, without prompting, "Me? Oh, I'm white." Don't misunderstand me, it's not that I'm self-hating or ashamed of my skin color. I know full well what I LOOK like, and I wouldn't get offended if someone described me using that word. And of course, how people choose to treat me is a completely separate issue.

But I can't see what I have in common with anyone whose skin tone matches mine, other than the fact that we check the box on official forms that describes us (somewhat inaccurately) as "Caucasian." I don't share a culture with my Irish-Italian best friend, or a heritage with my Armenian accountant, or a language with King Juan Carlos I of Spain, or a religion with the white Chechchens who committed this attack. But we're all white guys, so that makes us all family? Do you think if I tried to join that creepy "White Student Union" at that college in Maryland, do you think they'd want to let me in?

I'll call myself white if I have to on official records, but it goes no farther than appearances to me. If I was black, it'd be different. There's a good argument for black people in America having a shared cultural background that started with involuntary servitude and culminated in fighting for basic civil rights; I understand that, the same way I feel have a shared cultural background with other Jews due to our history. But when it comes to personal identity, white does not merely mean the opposite of black.

In short, I feel the same ambivalence towards my white skin color as I do toward the color of my eyes and hair, which are also things I'm neither proud nor ashamed of. It's what nature made me, no less, no more. Others may see it differently, but in this time period, in this country, and speaking purely in terms of self-identity, that's how it is for me.

[MaineLinePhilly]

1. These are all social constructs meant to divide

You have it right in your statement and I wish that more people saw it that way. But in a country such as this with such a melting pot, when things like this happen its a quick way for those who aren't "white" or "black" or "Hispanic" to disassociate themselves with that group for what they did. Its a social construct to divide and cause others to fear and often times oppress and discriminate against a particular group.

[clarice]

9. I've never believed..

that "Our strength is in our diversity"
I believe that "Our strength is in our commonality"

[Supersedeas]

10. I am not so sure that "fear" is an exclusive motivating factor for this type of group think

There may be many other reasons/emotions underlying their intent to discriminate and use skin color as a means of dividing us.

But, I agree that just when you think an event like this will unite the country into a feeling of solidarity, there are those who will stop at nothing to drive a wedge between what they identify as "their group" in order to disassociate themselves.

And then call the force of these wedge issues speaking truth to power.

[HiPointDem]

20. +1

[clarice]

2. How about..........we are all Americans.nt

[ZombieHorde]

4. I don't relate to the abstract construct of "American" either.

Nationality is just a rhetorical tool make us prefer some people over others.

[clarice]

8. Wow ! nt

[ZombieHorde]

3. I don't relate to "white" either, and that is part of the joy of the privilege of being white.

Doesn't matter if we relate to our skin color or not because we live in a white normative society. We are not "otherized" by our skin color.

[Bicoastal]

12. Well, that's a fair point.

But not all white people feel the same way about their own color. And I think it's worth looking at if our society is to improve itself.

[ZombieHorde]

13. I agree with you on this. nt

[MOTRDemocrat]

5. The whole "white privilege" meme pisses me off.

There's some kind of nefarious group or something that's trying to add this to the national conversation.

I get the sentiment, but I don't feel it's productive.

[ZombieHorde]

11. Then think of it as "non-white disadvantage." nt

[Paul E Ester]

6. Love this

"In short, I feel the same ambivalence towards my white skin color as I do toward the color of my eyes and hair, which are also things I'm neither proud nor ashamed of."

[treestar]

7. That's what racists whine about

that "white" is no longer one specific ethnic group. Their symbolism indicates they think it is some sort of tribal Germanic culture. Yet that doesn't cover the ethnicity of all white people. They just think it should.

[Demoiselle]

14. Some days I relate best to "pasty." nt

[d_r]

15. ethnic gloss

Asian-American, African-American, Hispanic/Latino are all as heterogeneous as "white."

[Bicoastal]

16. Of these, though, white is the only one based solely on appearances.

[d_r]

17. you think?

I'll have to think about it a while.

I kind of thing those groupings are based on what people classify you as. Not sure how to separate that from how you classify yourself because they would be so intertwined.

[Zax2me]

18. Doesn't matter - others will still wish YOU to be the bomber.

Because you are not Muslim and have white toned skin.

You are grouped into a category and ill will wished upon your group.

[Bicoastal]

19. And which group has that NOT happened to in recent years?

Dude, calm down. I get it.

[HiPointDem]

21. kind of like how you wished the bomber to be dark and foreign, judging by your comments