I’m New to Gender Studies and I’m Asian. Here are my thoughts…
In Asian culture, investing heavily in politics isn’t too common or prioritized. At least that is what I observed growing up in a middle class Asian family. I was taught to always work hard and strive towards a better education to obtain a lifestyle that my parents never achieved. Politics took a sideline seat when it came to our priorities when education and culture was at the forefront of lectures and deep morally infused stories from back in the day. For about 19 years, I lived in this society without fully developing a political stance or fully engaging in political movements however, 2016 and 2017 evoked an uncomfortable urgency that I should pay more attention to the society that I’m living in. Although I’ve scrolled through many articles and Facebook posts here and there about recent events, I would still consider my knowledge on political subjects limited. This quarter, I’m determined to be exposed to more movements and literature concerning the role of social privilege of both race and gender. I’m a newcomer and I think its about time I joined the discussion.
After reading Peggy McIntosh’s White Privilege and Male Privilege, I had a chance to think about what my privileges were as a male Asian. One line in particular shed some light on some of the hidden aspects of my status that I really haven’t considered before.
“I have come to see white privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets that I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was “meant” to remain oblivious” -Peggy McIntosh
After reading the list of common situations Peggy McIntosh encountered, I can see relatable situations in my own life. To basically sum up Peggy McIntosh’s list, there seems to be an advantage in every aspect of life based on your skin color. As an Asian, I don’t often encounter situations in which my race is used against me in a negative way. Although my race comes with the usual stigmas and stereotypes, these negative aspects do not impact my ability to navigate my way through society. After thinking about the quote some more, I pinpointed one aspect of this quote that I’m conflicted with. The idea of “unearned” assets implies that these benefits are handed to you solely based on which side of society you were born into. I know for a fact that my parents work hard every day and night to provide for the family. My mom came to America with little to no money but with hard work, she was able to build a stable foundation for me to grow up in. Was it privilege that enable her to get a stable job or was it months of studying like her life depended on it? I think its the latter. However, this does bring up an interesting question. Can privilege be earned? As of right now, I can say that I’m a very lucky and privileged individual. I’m able to live in a nice community, attend a prestigious university, and most importantly not having to worry that my race or skin color might devalue my worth in other people’s eyes. The fact that other members of my same community has to constantly be at the brunt of dehumanizing acts makes me question whether or not privilege can be earned even more. I’m sure that their families work hard if not harder than mine to secure even a little foothold in this society but with all the bigotry and racism circulating in our society today, securing a normal lifestyle seems beyond challenging.
Events happening right is an urgent reminder that all citizens, regardless of race, class, and gender, to join the conversation about the inequalities and the racism in our society. Two events that capture this urgency perfectly is the women’s march which took place on January 21st, 2017 and the immigration ban approved by our current president Trump. For the women’s march, Erica Chenoweth, an editor in the Washington Post, stated that “The women’s march on Washington was likely the largest single day demonstration in recorded U.S history”. To have three to five million women and men marching about reproductive rights, violence, and civil rights demonstrates that society still has a ways to go if these basic rights are not being met. While we try to improve our citizen’s rights domestically, we also have to deal with citizens abroad. The ban on immigration not only affected immigrants but also UC students studying abroad as well. In an article written by UC Berkeley's The Daily Cal, writers discussed how all UC systems warned their students to “not leave the United States, even if they hold visas or are lawful permanent students”. To not be able to return to your own school as a student who traveled abroad just because our national “security” associates your skin color with danger is just crazy and outrageous. Events like these speak volumes about the need to join in the conversation even if you’re a newcomer like me.
