Similarities Between Racism And White Privilege In Society

Racism and white privilege are two polar elements present in society today. On one end of the spectrum, those who endure racism deal with discrimination, judgement, and a lack of opportunity. They are victims of unnecessary scrutiny, and are often written off before they are given a chance to demonstrate their talents and abilities. On the other end of the spectrum, white privilege is "an invisible package of unearned assets that[can be counted on] cashing in each day,but about which [society was] “meant” to remain oblivious” (McIntosh). These social advantages are “earned” by simply meeting the criteria of the ideal American: white and upper-middle class. Even among the category of Americans who are white and upper-middle class, there is
Because I appear “white enough,” I am treated like any other person when I interact with others in person, or when I am with friends. The racial discrimination comes in when I either try to communicate through writing, or when I am with my grandparents. I am 100% Portuguese— both sets of my grandparents are from Portugal, and speak broken English. When I go with them at stores and restaurants, they sometimes have trouble communicating with the employees. As such, I sometimes have to act as the mediator between my grandparents and the other party. Sometimes— especially at restaurants— the waiters/waitresses get visibly annoyed that my grandparents can not communicate, and act rudely towards us. Additionally, because my last name is “Goncalves,” I never get callbacks for jobs, no matter how qualified I am for them. For example, there have been times where I applied to McDonalds chains, Dunkin, and Bath and Body Works that had “now hiring” or “help wanted” signs hanging up, and my application either gets ignored, or I get turned down. The only jobs that I have actually been able to get were as a dish washer, and as an ice cream truck driver. The only reason I have the retail job I have now is because of a connection— my boyfriend is best friends with the manager. If it hadn’t been for that connection, I would probably still be