Can White Passing POC Benefit off of White Privilege?

Whiteness. What is it? Whiteness can be defined as a social construction that demarcates and confers privilege based on race, skin color, social class, etc. Which leads us to white privilege. Defined as “The reality that a White person’s whiteness has come — and continues to come — with a vast array of benefits and advantages not shared by many people of Color (POC).”

Now how can a POC living in the US benefit from the concept of white privilege while being a POC? Easy. They can’t. POC can’t benefit off of white privilege, but they can benefit off of the concept of white passing privilege and/or be white passing and identify as white, while ignoring their ethnic heritage.

Now, what does it mean to be white passing? For those who don’t know, white passing is exactly what it sounds like. It is the term to describe POC, who appearance wise, have European-like features and appear “white.” White passing privilege is a much more correct term than identifying the privileges white passing POC have, as opposed to white privilege. Identifying their privileges as white passing privilege, does not erase the POC’s identity, since they are not white and or fully white.

Also, the term white privilege is a term to challenge whiteness. In the US, whiteness has spread a constructed image of what is the norm. Whiteness has been institutionalized through the social history of the US. From beauty standards, being thin noses, colored eyes, light skin, etc. to customs. For example, when Christopher Columbus sailed to the “New World, he saw the Indigenous People as inferior and would make good servants to obey him as they were naked, without religion and had brown skin. Everything that was not white or up to the white standards, was something to make a gain off of and exploit.

Now even though at first glance, a white passing POC can benefit from white passing privilege, doesn't mean they can keep them as they can lose them or be affected by negative stereotypes. Say a Latinx of Mexican decent is called Elizabeth Zendejas and white passing, it will immediatly throw off those who believed they were white and bring in the subtle racism. Yet this is not to be confused with the way darker POC deal with stereotypes and racism, since they are on two different levels and they deal with colorism.

When i say this, remember i am not saying that just because some POC have European like features, does not make them any less of their ethnicity. Many POC who have European like features, are not at fault. The main cause can be coming from an ethnicity that has colonized ancestry. For example, if your a white passing Mexican decent person, it isn’t your fault you have these features. Mexico was colonized by the Spaniards and created Mestizos, the same way Spain colonized many other groups of POC.

Now to the white passing privileged POC. What you should do for your community is listen to the unique darker voices of color in your community. Don’t overstep their voice, but uplift and support them when they speak about the issues they face with colorism and racism. Don’t remove movements from them that they use to celebrate their skin and features, like #BrownAndUnbothered and #Unfairandlovely. Refuse to take opportunities that belonged to the darker counterparts in your community.

Don’t forget, you are accepted in the community and important, you must just remember to always check your privileges.