Mclntosh presents the advantages of being part of her race basing majorly on the color of her skin and not other aspects of ethnicity (McIntosh, 1988). It is evident that she an those of similar skin color have it extremely easy in the societies they live in. As one can see from the privileges she mentions, her life on that of individuals with white skin seems like a bed of roses. All the simple and daily privileges she enjoys translate into instances and situations of fear for one’s life when related to people with other skin colors apart from white. It is evident that Mclntosh’s life is more comfortable and easy to live as she has the liberty to engage in many activities that other people in her society find it hard to participate in. These privileges do not only make a difference for her but her children as she does not have to channel energy into teaching them how to protect themselves from a society that is often against them in many instances for no good reason other than their skin color (Kimmel, 2018). Her environment, community and living conditions are non-issues when it comes to how people view her. For instance, no one will equate her character to a poor background or a family immersed in violence and crime. It seems like all the necessities in life, especially those that make success possible are handed own to her and her children ensuring that they have the opportunity to achieve the life dreams and desires (Kimmel, 2018). Even then society will not castigate her for choosing not to act on her education, but she will be provided with a soft landing and a community that is ready to take her back without question even after failing on one way or another.
As an Asian male in a society that elicits immense favor for Caucasians, I believe that knowledge of these privileges sheds light on why many of the Caucasian individuals I interact with seem to have it more comfortable than I do. Understanding of these privileges means that I o not have to blame myself for the higher position my age mates from the Caucasian community have gained over me. It only means that I need to go the extra mile in achieving what they have already achieved and in some instances it may take longer than I expect. It also means that I learn of the areas and cases in which I need to exercise extreme caution to ensure my safety. I do not have the liberty of walking freely in such a society because many view me as an outsider and thus treat me as so.
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However, I do not blame these privileges on the individuals that experience them because society is how they found it. Those who came before them ensure to set a soft and solid ground for them while segregating the rest. The privileges only show the level of racism existent in today’s society and how it has become normal for those who are party to such practices. I can only try to make a change towards achieving balance for those of different skin color or ethnicity, but even that may not be as successful as many have and still try to change the status quo to no success. These privileges mean that I am often at the mercy of a Caucasian individual as the society, its assets and resources belong to him or her (McIntosh, 2015). He or she has the power and resources to push me down when it seems convenient for them which means that there is no given moment that I need to be against him. I may resort to fighting against the discrimination by being a minority means that it may take longer and in some instances, I may never achieve my goals. Nonetheless, my relationships with these individuals remain respectful and one with strict boundaries where necessary.
Numerous privileges stand out for me including the use of blemish cover or bandages that will match Mclntosh’s skin. Here she needs her readers to understand that even items use to accessorize or any other additional item used on the body will likely match the skin of a white individual (McIntosh, 1988). It shows that racism reaches the level of small items like bandages or band-aid. A different privilege demonstrates that she has the liberty of ignoring developments in minority arts and at the same time find ways to protect herself from any negative consequences of such works of art or developments. The privilege shows that white individuals may overlook and underrate the potential of any black developments to the level of pushing them out of the way without suffering any negative consequences from their actions.
She also mentions how easy it is for her to find and purchase items that feature her skin color or people from her race (McIntosh, 1988). It is true that white individuals find it easy to access many items that relate to their race because almost all of these items are made in their preferences. People of other races are forced to identify with such items because they have no option. Another privilege that stands out is the availability of numerous opportunities for many life issues that people of her color have (McIntosh, 1988). The possibilities are plenty to the level that when one fails, she has hundreds of others that she can fall back on. It is not the same for people of color or other ethnic backgrounds because they may have one to no option and when the one they have fails, there is often no hope for them.
Overall, Mclntosh’s fifty privileges mirror they level of racism present in society. These small instances of privilege for her translate to experiences of racial discrimination for those who identify with other ethnic groups. These privileges make it easier for the white to be successful and achieve their life desires. They do not have to exert as much effort, and caution in their daily life tasks like people from other races have to do.
References
Kimmel, M. S. (2018). Peggy McIntosh: White privilege and male privilege: Peggy McIntosh. In Privilege (pp. 42-54). Routledge.
McIntosh, P. (2015). Extending the knapsack: Using the White privilege analysis to examine conferred advantage and disadvantage. Women & Therapy , 38 (3-4), 232-245.
McIntosh, P. (1988). White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack.
