Hi Thomas,
Thanks a lot for sharing your opinion and taking the time to discuss it. I appreciated it.
First, after reading your full comment, I don’t think that we will agree on everything. We will probably just agree to disagree, so just to summarize why: I principally disagree because I believe that white privilege is not a racist ideology and that you don’t have to be a specific skin colour to discuss it, also from my point of view there is a huge difference between begpackers and migrants, gypsies or homeless.
But I am happy to share my opinions on the points you mentioned.
On another note, I wrote the article as a personal point of view so obviously it reflects some of my perspectives of the world, which are different from yours. But contrary to your belief, I’ve been to the West many many times (I studied, lived for some years and even worked there). I love to travel and I have visited countries in all continents and worked, even for short periods, in Europe, Africa, Asia, North America and South America). I won’t give my whole background but I thought it was interesting that you justify some of your points based on this false perception.
On your second point, I associated “begpacking” and “white privilege” because almost all begpackers seems to be white. As I explained a bit in the article, I believe than this trend can work for those people mainly because of their skin colour and the perception locals reflect on them. I believe that because of some of the perceptions associated with darker skin colour, it would definitely be difficult for another person, even from the West, to do the same.
Then, I would say that the ideology behind “white privilege” is not a racist one. For me, it exists, and it does not mean that I have a problem with white person or that I am racist. Skin privilege can be exercised by anyone no matters their skin colour. Being aware of white privilege just means that we can be aware of some privileges associated with our skin colours. As for me for example, I have a skin colour that most of the people associate with mixed race and I am aware that it sometimes gives me a skin privilege on some of my black friends. It is not because of me or them, it is just a reflection of what the society projects on us.
Then, I can agree with you when you say that “Privilege, in any form, by its very nature, requires contrast to a different experience with a similar or relatable starting point. Otherwise you simply can’t determine privilege, in any form.” But saying that I can’t understand white privilege because I am not white is a bit over the top I think. I believe that most of the people who actually understand it are not white. White privilege is defined by a privilege given to white people that would not be given to a person of a different skin colour. So if I use your logic, then you shouldn’t be able to talk about white privilege. So I strongly disagree with that logic.
That’s also why I disagree when you say “When it comes to race, we simply can’t state that someone experiences “white privilege”, “black privilege”, “asian privilege” and so on, because none of us are living two parallel lives in different comparable cultures.” We can try to understand and relate to others without having the pretention of comparing to our own experience. Respecting that I can’t be in the shoes of a white, black or asian person does not mean than I should be completely hermetic to theirs experiences. How can things evolve if everyone does not try to understand others?
I agree that you can see my use of the term “unequivocal” as a bit too much. But as I said it is a personal view point, it is just a way to say how I felt in the moment. It does not mean that my ideas can’t be challenged (it is what you are doing in a way) and it does not necessarily mean that I can’t change my mind. It is just how I express myself.
I am not predicating my “entire philosophy” on “westerners/white people behaving in a way in foreign nations that they never would, nor would they condone in their native nation”. I am only talking of begpackers from the west, not all westerners or white people”. There are maybe people who behave like “begpackers” in western nations, but not in the same context I think. For me vagabonds, gypsies, migrants and even hitchhikers can not be compared to begpackers in this specific context. Their way of life might be something you accept or not, but I personally believe that there is a difference between someone travelling for fun without money and those people. Usually, hitchhikers do not ask for money, they ask for help. Vagabonds don’t come for a different country just for a few months to travel. Migrants come to stay and live in a country. And gypsies have a different way of life with different norms, that you can or cannot accept, but they are not asking money to visit the Eiffel tower for example …
And when I say people don’t do it at home, I mean their home country or city. So if you saw people begging for money for a hostel in NYC, it might be begpacking as well (I don’t know the context).
Finally, yes I think that being able to experience someone else way of life by choice is a privilege. How many poor people get to experience being rich? I am not sure why you think I only talk about white people. I was talking, in that paragraph, about experiencing the life of some who is poorer, it does not mean you have to be white. I’ve seen it in my own country, in favelas tour… Saying it is a privilege does not mean it is bad. What I would say is bad is using it to show off. You can be aware of it, you can choose to experience it if you want to understand for example but, for me, it does not mean that you have to use it to show off.
And just to let you know white people are not pissing me off. I think it is a bit pretentious of you to reduce all my arguments to the only fact that I am not white. But that’s your point of view and as you said thank you “for writing this, it’s caused for some interesting and new thoughts, which is much appreciated.”
