Quote:
Originally Posted by LChoy
At my organization, we're currently doing a very good equity and diversity course run out of University of Dalhousie. We had a chapter on White privilege and some of the key points is that the recognition and acknowledgement of white privilege shouldn't have a component of blame to it. It's the recognition and acknowledgement that all people have similar challenges in life, but on top of those challenges, non-white people have additional barriers and issues that exist solely due to them being non-white. Someone posted earlier that it's like a video game difficulty lever. You shouldn't have to apologize for being born white and or having had any of the benefits in life because of it, but to acknowledge a white male is the default difficulty level, and as you start adding other equity dimensions (gender, sex, attraction, ethnicity, neurodivergence,...etc), the more difficult life becomes.
So yes the system doesn't work for everyone and there are white people who are struggling in society. However being white doesn't significantly add additional challenges as it does for non-white individuals, and that's what makes it a privlege.
Hope that makes sense
LChoy
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I'm not sure that's so true anymore. 40 years ago when our parents came to Canada sure, but even then, they were given language classes so get back on their feet. Our parents generation worked labor jobs because there were very few foreign-education equivalent programs, you know, the Indian doctor having to drive taxis. They worked labor jobs so their children (us) could get an education. I don't think our kids (Canadian born non-whites) have any disadvantage at all. And immigrants coming today, there are much more programs out there, Immigrant services, Center for Newcomers, CIWA etc.. and also education equivalents, high school and university marks abroad actually count for something, sometimes more!