Thomas.
Thomas.
Sep 4, 2018 · 6 min read

Hi Majda,

Thanks for your reply. I both appreciate the time you took to write it, and consider what I imparted.

Two major points right off the bat; first,

I think it is a bit pretentious of you to reduce all my arguments to the only fact that I am not white.

I’m not reducing any of your points to you not being white. In fact nothing I stated had to do with your points being motivated by your own ethnicity, but rather that the discussion of “white privilege” as a political ideology, when committed by anyone who doesn’t have access to the first hand knowledge of being the race in question is at the very least, presumptuous. Given the racial nature of the idea of privilege afforded to one race, as opposed to the species, I define as racist. Not negatively charged racism, simply the highlighting of race in the game of privilege. I do not believe you to be a racist, at all, quite the contrary I think you’re bravely challenging the norms and investigating your own bias. That’s courage.

Secondly, and more importantly; given your response, it seems we are talking about two different things, but calling them by the same name. You were discussing privilege in its entirety, and in this case privilege that befalls white people. I am reacting to, and discussing the political term/ideology “white privilege” as it is thrown around in The United States. Which is an ideology that dictates ONLY white people have privilege, and everyone else is therefore oppressed. Those are two contradicting ideas so it makes sense we don’t see eye to eye on it. Speaking to your use, I agree, entirely. Everyone has privilege and acknowledging it specifically affords us the ability to grow and learn. That’s a great point, and I wish more people saw that as you do.

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.

Privilege, when denoted with a race, is racist, per definition. You can absolutely discuss it, I’ve never said you couldn’t nor is it up to me to dictate what anyone can and can’t say, so of course you can, but that comes with the acknowledgment that you’re playing a game of prejudice and relative guess work. I can presume women to have a certain privilege, or black people to have one, but I don’t factually know because I haven’t experienced it. Of course my observation can be as keenly accurate, but I can’t actually, factually, proclaim it to be true for the actual recipient of that privilege. It’s a fine line, but a line none the less.

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

I respectfully disagree, I had a gypsy family ask me for money, in Paris, to go up the Eiffel tower in 2016. No joke. It’s ironic that was the example you threw out given it’s happened to me, but I readily acknowledge your point and it stands on firm ground, outside of my own experience but I won’t pretend to be a representation of the average.

Hitchhikers always ask for money. Migrants don’t come to stay, thats antithetical to the definition of ‘a migrant’ or ‘migrating’ in general.

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’m not saying you don’t understand white privilege, I’m saying, quite clearly, that you can’t dictate what is and is not white privilege because you aren’t aware of what any individual white person has done in their life, or what it is to walk this earth as a white person.

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.

You contradict your definition of race related privilege here. Additionally the presumption that most people who know/understand what white privilege is, are not white, means you aren’t discussing white privilege, but a comparatively lacking privilege or even oppression among people who are not what in this case is: white. It’s simply masked as white privilege because pointing at someone else for having something is easier to denote than noticing what you don’t have. I don’t think the opinions or beliefs of those people is necessarily wrong to them, or for them, it’s just not based on fact.

For instance, what do you believe is a privilege white people have that no one else does, outside of this cultural phenomena called begpacking?

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.

As stated near the top of this response, I agree. Well said. Yet you didn’t mention that, nor hint at it, in your initial piece. Had you done so the entire thing would’ve read differently.

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.

I don’t believe you haven’t been to the West, I said it seems like you haven’t. Can you define what points I’m justifying based on that? It was my intention to phrase all of those as questions given my understanding that you have, in fact, been to the west. Otherwise why would I ask? If that was unclear or poorly worded I sincerely apologize. It was meant as a series of questions to attain a greater comprehension as to how you could have enjoyed a privileged existence in the west, not needing to ask for money and happily gain education, job experience, and the privilege of travel while asserting the white Europeans and Americans traveling in your part of the world, completely impoverished, is somehow privilege.

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.

That example doesn’t work. Poverty to wealth is an economic transition that’s made many times over. One can’t go from being one race to another. I think you only talk about white people because in this article you only talk about white people, and exclusively from an antagonizer perspective, and your profile reads “I believe that we can make things better if we learn how to discuss our biases with respect.”. I didn’t feel you were discussing it respectfully, nor acknowledging your biases.

As you stated, we will agree to disagree, and I am truly grateful you responded to me as I have learned three valuable things.

1, You’re absolutely right, travel is a privilege, and one I should appreciate more as it requires substantially more to do so for people without my knowing it.

2, Privilege, racial or otherwise, is a vague term that we must continue, as a species, to define and determine so we can afford it to those who truly need it over those who squander it.

3, It’s important to ask and challenge people, so oneself can learn, I thank you once more for providing me some depth of thought and education.

Much respect.

Thomas.

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Thomas.

Artist, Human Being, Friend, Curious, Fair.