General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Tackling Asian Privilege [View all]Raksha
(7,167 posts)and have it carry more weight than otherwise. I don't know. But I disagree that "saying whites are privileged is no better than saying Jews are greedy, Hispanics are illegals, blacks are lazy or Asians are smart."
Really? Saying "whites are privileged" is simply stating a fact of American and European culture. "Privilege" is unearned credibility, based on who you are and what you look like, not on anything you've done or haven't done. In itself, the word carries no condemnation or moral judgment whatsoever. I don't understand why people, especially white males, get so defensive when someone points out that they have privilege. Privilege is mostly about how other people perceive you, and secondarily about how you perceive yourself in relation to other people.
BTW, I didn't realize until recently that Jews aren't considered "white," Ethiopian Jews being the obvious exception. But light-skinned Ashkenazi Jews like me (maybe you too?) were always classed as "white" and checked the "Caucasian" box on government forms if they chose to answer the racial question at all.
Of course the word "Ashkenazi" invokes an increasingly virulent stereotype all by itself. Nothing like being demonized for being a Semite and NOT being a Semite at the same time!