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'White' means certain labels



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Published: June 28, 2009

In a letter to the editor published on June 21, John Centonze writes, "I am a straight, white male and proud of that fact. Don't like it? Tough!" I will go part of the way with Mr. Centonze — I am also a straight white male, and I am also proud of who and what I am. Yet, the tone of Mr. Centonze's letter causes me to wonder whether he has explored the origins of "whiteness" in America.

As an American Jew, I know that I am "newly white." Not so long ago, Americans who considered themselves white did not accept Jews as white people. A wonderful analysis of this phenomenon can be found in the book, How Jews Became White Folks and What That Says About Race in America. The changing boundaries of whiteness reveal it to be an artificial construct — more about social and economic position than skin color. Jews are not the only ones who have "become white": Irish people, Poles, Italians and others have their own stories of assimilation into U.S. culture. Each wave of European immigrants has had to choose to either conform to American culture or lose economic and social opportunities.

Mr. Centonze, in addition to being proud of ourselves, you and I must also explore the role of race in America, including the privileges and limitations imparted to us simply because we bear the label "white."

Paul Erlbaum

East Montpelier








READER COMMENTS


The reason why "white pride" has become racist is just for that reason. It has been used by the racist, ultra conservatives as a stick to bludgeon the other, "lesser" races. White Power, purity of the master race ect are all phrases spoken along side of the white pride phrase. it is not ok that it is seen as a negative, but that is the definition that has been earned over the past 50 years or so. About "special" rights or protections given to the minorities. they are there for a reason. the reason being that, even today, there are many business owners who would give a job to an under-qualified white man over a qualified woman or minority.
-- Posted by firedog on Mon, Jun 29, 2009, 6:13 pm EST

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None none, you are right, nobody should get special privileges from our government. But they do. Specifically, white, straight (or at least closeted gay, Christian males have been the recipients of special privileges from the government for hundreds of years. We also reward property owners fairly well. It is something that has been built into the very foundation of our society. That is why it is so hard for the recipients to comprehend. Your heart beats from the day you are born till the day you die, that doesn't mean that you are liable to be particularly aware that it is beating, it has always been. When it skips a beat or two though, we notice! That is human nature. Just like you may not notice the ticking of a clock until it stops and you notice its absence...or if you have always found it easy to find work, it is harder to have empathy for someone who, for whatever reason, can't.
-- Posted by Comfy Anon on Mon, Jun 29, 2009, 5:45 pm EST

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For some, apparently it is ok to be proud to be black, gay, japanese, hispanic, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, atheist, etc., but it is racist, xenophobic, homophobic, etc., to be proud to be white, straight and whatever the heck he was proud of, not to mention those who are proud to be God-fearing people.

If liberals in Vermont feel that anything in a majority has no right to be proud, then by their own claims they ought to be a downright sheepish lot. We'll give them the sheep part, certainly!
-- Posted by Allen Kuusela on Mon, Jun 29, 2009, 5:03 pm EST

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Who even knows what "pride" is? A people can certainly be proud of whatever they want to be. Back when a certain boxer was not retired yet I was proud to be a fan of his. I met him once after he retired and I was till proud to have been a fan of his. But the relationship was definitely one sided. He not I did all of the exercises to train for those too many fights, and it was he not I who took the blows while in the ring. But I had some choice in the matter. I was a fan of his when many others were not - so I guess I had some very small thing to be proud of.

White, male, straight. Is that all the original writer had to be proud of? A dash of character might provide just a little more to be proud of than pure happenstance, but people ought to be free to decide for themselves as to what makes them proud.
-- Posted by David Searles on Mon, Jun 29, 2009, 4:11 pm EST

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By 2050 your "whiteness" will be a minority in America based on current census data trends.
-- Posted by Allen Kuusela on Mon, Jun 29, 2009, 1:04 pm EST

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Bill Johnson; Brilliant!

Comfy - No one deserves special privileges from our government - we should all be equal. Men, women, race, religion, should not matter. The only group that deserves special attention is children.

I'd personally like to know in what ways white men are put on a pedestal by our government.... past is passed, look at our current system and tell me the white male is still favored more highly than other denominations. Go into family court and find out what the female judges think of todays' fathers.
-- Posted by None None on Mon, Jun 29, 2009, 11:41 am EST

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Bill, what you say is true. The thing is that none of the groups that you mention were considered "white" while they were being persecuted. They became accepted as white later. Personally, I find this part of our history somewhat encouraging since I see it as proof that we can grow past all of this racial/ethnic divisiveness to recognize all kinds of Americans.
You also make an excellent point about favoritism, perceived or real, of one group over another. This is largely how a wedge was driven (I don't think intentionally) to politically divide poor white people in our society from black people at a time when they were fairly well united as workers and becoming a very real threat to the status quo.
I think maybe what we call white has really come to be more about those who are entrenched in powerful social positions. I tried to explain some of this in my comment on the June 21 letter. We, as a nation, need to get past this and move in a more positive direction. To simply view the white people as bad for being in a good position is silly. This has been going on for hundreds of years. It is normal for a person to defend an advantageous social position and even to take it for granted if it is all he has ever known. Understandable certainly, but right? the way it should stay? No.
I think it's nice to see this discussion going on here. It could be a sign of healthy growth! I myself have been wondering how racism will play out in Rutland in light of some of the things that I have seen going on. Many times, we see a person of color has turned out to be here from some other city to sell drugs. It concerns me that people who have not had much exposure to the 'non-white' world see this and think that since it is all that they have seen of people of color, that is what all or most people of color are like. An understandable conclusion if it is all you have seen, but an erroneous one that hurts us all in the end.
-- Posted by Comfy Anon on Mon, Jun 29, 2009, 11:21 am EST

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bill johnson: The history of race may be multi-layered but is not all that complicated. Those desiring power and wealth look for groups to scapegoat and exploit. Scapegoating is a tactic designed to inspire fear of and hatred against a group, allowing those with the power to cast themselves as saviors. Exploitation is a tactic as old as humanity, causing some to do the heavy lifting and allowing others to prosper.

The times change, the colors change, the ethnicities change, but the tactics stay the same.
-- Posted by SC Boy on Mon, Jun 29, 2009, 9:35 am EST

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But, comfy, gross injustices have also been hoisted upon most of the white citizens of our country as well. the irish were mocked for the decades as the "niggers of europe", the kkk reformed in the 1920's, mostly against italians and other catholics, the quakers were exiled from boston as early as the 1600's. jew-hating is historically even more prevalent than racism against blacks. why no effort to rectify the horrible violence and discrimination against all of these "white" groups?? the history of race and ethnicity in america is extremely complicated and multi-layered. the only way to move forward is the truly color-blind society that dr. king once dreamed of. government favoritism of any group over another can only breed resentment.
-- Posted by bill johnson on Mon, Jun 29, 2009, 9:02 am EST

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Actually, Ms. F., I think the fact of federal aid and opportunities offered to minorities is an acknowledgment that whiteness is indeed a social construct. It is an effort to remedy the inequality of opportunity and and treatment under the law that has long existed in our country. Though not necessarily the answer to all of our problems, more like a drop in the bucket toward remedying the gross injustices that have been systematically foisted upon the non white citizens of our nation, but at least it is a start.
Nice letter, Mr. E., we need more people with your insight.
-- Posted by Comfy Anon on Sun, Jun 28, 2009, 7:26 pm EST

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Sorry, it should read the government DOES NOT think of whiteness as "artificial construct" when it hands out federal aid and opportunities to MINORITIES.
-- Posted by Fae McGee on Sun, Jun 28, 2009, 1:06 pm EST

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The government does think of whiteness as "artificial construct" when it hands out federal aid and opportunities to "MINORITIES".
-- Posted by Fae McGee on Sun, Jun 28, 2009, 12:59 pm EST

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Paul's letter and SC's posting begs a broader community discussion. Racism in Rutland. It's no accident of geography this state is statistically the "whitest".
-- Posted by Marginalized Voices on Sun, Jun 28, 2009, 11:26 am EST

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Interesting construct and one that I believe is true. Have to tell you though, Mr. Erlbaum, it is far too esoteric for many Vermonters to grasp. The same crowd who ranted against same-sex marriage and who currently rant against equality in health care for all Americans will not get your point.
-- Posted by SC Boy on Sun, Jun 28, 2009, 5:38 am EST

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