So I heard this NPR story recently about the first white valedictorian to graduate from Morehouse, a historically black college. Interesting stuff, but the item that caught my attention was when the interviewer asked him something to the extent of, "Do you feel you've got a unique perspective, being the very rare white person who has been in the minority?"
What's your reaction to that? Because I immediately thought, well, it's not that rare. What about homo- and bisexuals, Jews, women in science, men in nursing? I'm not sure if the interviewer meant racial minority, specifically, but just didn't say it, or if she genuinely doesn't think that people in those situations are, in fact, minorities. I'm intrigued to hear other people's thoughts.
What's your reaction to that? Because I immediately thought, well, it's not that rare. What about homo- and bisexuals, Jews, women in science, men in nursing? I'm not sure if the interviewer meant racial minority, specifically, but just didn't say it, or if she genuinely doesn't think that people in those situations are, in fact, minorities. I'm intrigued to hear other people's thoughts.
posted by mcm at
10:23 AM
2 Comments:
Well, while I may be a minority as a Jew or a homosexual, being a minority because of my whiteness isn't something I generally experience (well, sort of in my neighborhood!). And you can't look at me and know I'm Jewish or gay (usually).
I can only assume the interviewer meant for "...as a white person in America" to be implied at the end of that sentence.
What was your perspective like being a white person in Nigeria? :)
By
Adam807, at 5/15/2008 12:09 PM
I took it as it was probably meant, a college experience where being white and being a minority is role-reversal from the usual situation.
Of course, aren't whites technically the minority now in the US? I thought I heard something on the news a year or so ago that if you split up the country by race in two categories, white/non-white, that the total of non-white people is greater.
I still tend to just follow my two rules in life....
Rule #1, People are People. No matter where you go in the world you will find nice people, nasty people, angry people, happy people, violent people, relaxed people, etc....
Rule #2, People are Stupid. No matter where you go in the world you will find that people can be complete idiots.
By
Anonymous, at 5/16/2008 5:45 AM
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