Privilege

 White privilege, Western privilege, whatever it is, it’s real and it affects everyone in some way.  Some people benefit from it while many others know the sting of the other end of it.  I definitely benefit from it, and it’s about damn time I recognize it.

As a white male who grew up in a suburban, white, middle class town, the realization of my privilege came slowly.  Whatever news I bothered listening too usually gave me the impression that other people weren’t successful because they didn’t work for it.  Everyone is born with the same opportunities in life, and the reason for inequality is just that some people capitalize on it while others don’t.  Naturally, I agreed with it.  I’d earned my college education and my various jobs because I worked hard, not because they were handed to me on a silver platter…or were they?

Would I have made it into GVSU if I had attended a sub-par school district?  Would I have been able to study for a year in Germany or a semester in India if I came from a low-income family?  Would people have hired me for my various jobs if I had a different gender or race?

Most likely, no.

My first real encounter with my privilege came during my time in Germany, when I made a very ignorant and insensitive statement in front of one of my best friends.  Being the good friend she was, she immediately scolded me and told me to never say those words in front of her again.  I was confused and mad at first.  We were all white Americans in that room, and I was only kidding after all.

That’s when my privilege shined right through.  As a white male, I could “kid” about marginalized groups in society without fear of repercussions because my privileged statues allowed me to do so.  However, when those very same groups stand up and demand fair and equal treatment, mainstream society laments them for being “divisive” and upsetting the established order.

That is privilege.  And it becomes all the more apparent over here in India.

Many of my Indian classmates ask me why exactly I’m studying at their university for a semester when American universities are obviously so much better.  Trying to explain why is quite difficult because the study abroad concept is very new here.  Spending a semester abroad to experience a new culture is a luxury that very few people in this world have.  So why would I willingly give up a semester at my university in the U.S. to study here?

I usually give the typical study abroad answer “to experience another culture, learn a new language, meet international people, etc…”  But, hidden behind these interactions is the over-arching theme of privilege.  In these cases I have the privilege of choice.  I (along with many other U.S. college students) can choose to spend a semester abroad because of my privileged status.  Most of the students here, on the other hand, just don’t have that option.

And privilege is everywhere.  It’s in India, and yes, it is in the U.S. as well.  So recognize it if you have it, and empower those who don’t.