White Privilege?

[steve-in-kville]

I got thinking about this a little more. I've heard more than one local small business owner tell me they hesitate to hire minorities. Why you may ask? They get tired of the race card getting played and the drama that goes with it.

Their words, not mine.

[JimFoxvog]

White privilege is merely the privilege of not being disadvantaged or discriminated against because of one's skin color. It may not exist in a few neighborhoods or institutions but is clear to almost anyone who isn't seen as "white", as virtually all have experienced this discrimination.

[Ernie]

Our family visited China six years ago. I was concerned that we might be offensive to Chinese culture and tried getting our rank-and-file Chinese friends to give us tips on what to do or what not to do. They told us a few things but assured us that it would not be a problem if we missed some queues. "Most people in China look up to Americans." In other words, Americans can get away with things that others cannot. We enjoyed high public esteem when we visited huge cities. It could be days before we saw any other white Caucasians. People of color from America didn't enjoy the same esteem.

While it was nice to be treated kindly and respectfully in China, it did disturb me. Why should my nationality and skin color give me such privileges? While a good portion of Americans can see past nationality and skin color and relate to people equally, there are way too many people in America (including blacks, browns, and whites who can't). This is a real problem in many places in America, including in many CA churches.

[Josh]

Why should we try to "diversify"? What's wrong with people settling in communities with other people similar to them?

Nothing is wrong with it in theory.

But in practice what you describe is often achieved through long histories of discrimination both overt and covert. And that is, in fact, both wrong and sinful.

The topic at hand is Mennonite churches. There is no “discrimination” there. Anyone can join who wants to, and experience the “privilege” of:

- making lots of donations to church agencies, the building fund, etc.
- serving on a zillion committees (food committee, building committee, serve meals at homeless shelter committee, etc etc)
- being expected to give up your family time or take time off from work at a moments’ notice to serve others

Now the question is why we should feel pressure to “diversify”. The doors are already open for anyone who sincerely wants to become part of that.

[Josh]

Our family visited China six years ago. I was concerned that we might be offensive to Chinese culture and tried getting our rank-and-file Chinese friends to give us tips on what to do or what not to do.

The fact that you asked (as have many other people of similar ethnic background to yourself) is precisely why people who are similar to you get treated well in a place like China.

[Robert]

White privilege is merely the privilege of not being disadvantaged or discriminated against because of one's skin color. It may not exist in a few neighborhoods or institutions but is clear to almost anyone who isn't seen as "white", as virtually all have experienced this discrimination.

I have experienced it multiple times in my life, but I had to put a different name to it since race was not the perceived reason. A few times, I just did not have the Mennonite last name.

[Ken]

Why should we try to "diversify"? What's wrong with people settling in communities with other people similar to them?

Nothing is wrong with it in theory.

But in practice what you describe is often achieved through long histories of discrimination both overt and covert. And that is, in fact, both wrong and sinful.

The topic at hand is Mennonite churches. There is no “discrimination” there. Anyone can join who wants to, and experience the “privilege” of:

- making lots of donations to church agencies, the building fund, etc.
- serving on a zillion committees (food committee, building committee, serve meals at homeless shelter committee, etc etc)
- being expected to give up your family time or take time off from work at a moments’ notice to serve others

Now the question is why we should feel pressure to “diversify”. The doors are already open for anyone who sincerely wants to become part of that.

You made no mention of churches in your statement. You wrote: "What is wrong with people settling in communities with other people similar to them"

Hypothetical question. What do you think would happen if a group of Somali refugee farmers or a group of Guatemala refugee farmers sought to buy farmland in say the Kishacoquillas Valley of PA (Belleville area) which is heavily Mennonite and Amish? Having spent a lot of time there my guess is that locals would rally to prevent that from happening and exert a lot of social pressure on landowners to make sure such lands stayed in Amish and Mennonite hands.

That is the sort of thing I'm talking about.

[ohio jones]

Our family visited China six years ago. I was concerned that we might be offensive to Chinese culture and tried getting our rank-and-file Chinese friends to give us tips on what to do or what not to do. They told us a few things but assured us that it would not be a problem if we missed some queues.

The fact that you asked (as have many other people of similar ethnic background to yourself) is precisely why people who are similar to you get treated well in a place like China.

The perception in other countries is that the Chinese don't ask those sorts of questions, and are clueless about the cues of expected behavior, especially as it relates to queues. They have a reputation for acting like the lady Joy mentioned.

[barnhart]

Here are some things I have observed non white people that I know feel they can't or shouldn't do or get in trouble for doing.
1. Run on the side walk
2. Wear sweatpants and hoodies after dark
3. Carry merchandise from the shelf to the cash register (ask me to do it)
4. Go more than two weeks without a haircut or forego shaving for several days
5. Arrive at an acquaintance house in a rural area after dark if you have never been there

[steve-in-kville]

Hypothetical question. What do you think would happen if a group of Somali refugee farmers or a group of Guatemala refugee farmers sought to buy farmland in say the Kishacoquillas Valley of PA (Belleville area) which is heavily Mennonite and Amish? Having spent a lot of time there my guess is that locals would rally to prevent that from happening and exert a lot of social pressure on landowners to make sure such lands stayed in Amish and Mennonite hands.

That is the sort of thing I'm talking about.

Unfortunately, the above scenario that Ken details is way too common.