Shrasta Tayo Tamrakar Chicago Newa VII

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Unraveling the Issue of

White Privilege
Shrasta Tayo Tamrakar
Chicago, USA
After stressing the issue of white privilege,
McIntosh offers a solution towards this persisting
Even though white privilege is
problem. McIntosh distinguishes between earned
supreme, I am proud of the struggles power and conferred privilege. Unlike earned power,
I have gone through and everything which anyone has the ability to obtain, conferred
my parents have sacrificed, as it has privilege is only available to certain groups that
made me the strong and hard working “reinforce our present hierarchies” (McIntosh, 1989,
individual I am today. p. 140). Even thought the United States is said to be a
democracy run by earned power, it still keeps conferred
dominance invisible. The power to rule and govern is
not actually given to every individual but only to those
In “Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack,” Peggy who already have the majority of power. McIntosh
McIntosh argue that white individuals are not taught concludes by saying the only way to change the system
to recognize the white privileges that they overlook that society is run by is for white individuals to not
throughout their daily lives. Even though in our society only acknowledge conferred privilege, but for them to
racism and sexism seems to have disappeared on the be willing to resign their power to give other groups
surface, it is still present through white privileges. the ability to obtain freedom.
McIntosh declares the reason to why white individuals
do not comprehend the advantages that they have due Just like how McIntosh brings the issue of white
to the color of their skin. She says, “…whites are taught privilege into play, and how the American society is
to think of their lives as morally neutral, normative, still not equal even though it seems like it, Helen Zia
and average… so that when we work to benefit others, addresses the issue of racism and sexism she dealt with
this is seen as work which will allow ‘them’ to be more while living as an Asian American in America during
like ‘us’” (McIntosh, 1989, p.137). the Vietnam War in ‘From Nothing, a Consciousness.”
Zia recalled a conversation she had with a fellow male
McIntosh attempts to unravel the problem by Asian American in college. They argued about race
connecting herself with this hampering problem. Being and gender, and her male friend said, “Race is primary.
a white individual herself, she writes out a list of daily Only after we eliminate racism can we fight sexism.
instances and effects of white dominance. Her list Women will have to wait” (Zia, 2000, p. 49). Zia
includes broad privileges such as being surrounded found inequality in her own group, where her male
by people of her own color without feeling out of the friend discusses racism as a problem, but brushes off
group, to ones that almost everyone overlooks as being the inequalities women face. Her male friend did not
white dominance. “I can choose…bandages in ‘flesh’ grant the fact that men are over privileged, which
color and have them…match my skin” (McIntosh, was similar to what McIntosh discussed about white
1989, p. 139). The color of bandages is such a small individuals not accepting that they are privileged.
advantage, yet McIntosh implies that people of color
do not have the access to that advantage, which is Living as a Nepalese-American in a white
taken so lightly by white individuals. dominated country can be difficult, especially now
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when so many immigrants are denied the right to Peggy McIntosh’s unraveling of the invisible
enter a country which they felt could become their knapsack of the privileges of white individuals not
home. Even though I was young when my family came only displays the obviousness of individuals to view
to the US, I still recall the struggles I went through inequality but also their inability to accept the fact
in school. While many of my classmates had common that there is inequality present in our society. “It is
names, mine was always a struggle for the teachers. I an open question whether we choose to use unearned
was often asked if I had a nickname that was easier. advantage to weaken hidden systems of advantage and
I used to also feel embarrassed when I would bring whether we will use any of our arbitrarily-awarded
Newa food from home, and my classmates would power to reconstruct power systems on a broader
cover those noses because the smell was unfamiliar base” (McIntosh, 1989, p. 141).
to them. However, through all these experiences, I Works Cited
have come to an understanding that one should not McIntosh, B. (1989). Unpacking the Invisible
feel ashamed because they are different and do not Knapsack. White Privilege: A Personal Account of
fall under the norm. Even though white privilege Coming to See Correspondences Through Work in
is supreme, I am proud of the struggles I have gone Women’s Studies, 137-141.
through and everything my parents have sacrificed, as Zia, H. (2000). From Nothing, A Consciousness.
it has made me the strong and hard working individual Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an
I am today. American People, 44-50.
Shrasta Tayo Tamrakar has graduated from DePaul University Chicago. She is pursuing Dental
School in 2018. Her research paper has been published in the Journal of Macromolecular
Science, Part I (Pure and Applied Chemistry)
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Happy New Year
Nepal Sambat 1138
Dr. Ujjwal Tuladhar and Dr. Pragya Dhaubhadel
Clarks Summit, Pannsylvania
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Unraveling the Issue of

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