Blackbear

************************************************** ******************
This Message Is Reprinted Under The FAIR USE
Doctrine Of International Copyright Law:
_http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html_
(http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html)
************************************************** ******************

_http://www.startribune.com/462/story/667886.html_
(http://www.startribune.com/462/story/667886.html)

Do white people consider their race important? Are they aware of how their
racial status gives them advantages in America? In unusual study, most whites
said "yes'' to both questions.

_Jean Hopfensperger_ (mailto:hopfen@startribune.com) , Star Tribune
Last update: September 10, 2006 – 11:31 PM

White people consider their race to be an important part of who they are,
and most are aware that being white gives them advantages in America, according
to an unusual survey released last week by the University of Minnesota.
The findings emerged from what the university billed as the first national
telephone survey of white people discussing their concept of racial identity.
It's part of a growing -- and controversial -- field of scholarly research
called "Critical Whiteness Studies," which focuses the lens of race relations on
the white majority.
The survey found that 74 percent of white Americans interviewed said their
racial identity was important -- a number that surprised researchers, who
believed that Caucasians simply took their race for granted.
Likewise, the white Americans said they understood they benefit from their
race.
While more than 80 percent said access to schools and social connections were
important in explaining "white advantage" over racial minorities, 62 percent
said prejudice and discrimination against non-whites also explained those
advantages.
"The assumption has been that for many white Americans, race is something
other people have," said Doug Hartmann, a sociology professor at the University
of Minnesota and co-author of the study. "Experts in the field and diversity
trainers assumed that whites overlooked their own race."But you can't deal
with the problems of race and inequality by just looking at the people who are
disadvantaged," Hartmann said.
Research has critics
The study is part of a growing body of research on the attitudes and beliefs
of white people, in particular in the context of race relations. The field of
Whiteness Studies has its own conferences, university classes and even
"Whiteness Scholars."
But critics say much of the work has focused too much on white people in the
context of oppressing of minorities. One of them is Mitch Pearlstein,
president of the Center of the American Experiment, a conservative think tank based
in Minneapolis.
"The perspective is almost always built on the assumption this is inherently
a racist society, that white people have loads and loads of privileges, and
that virtually everything in American society is skewed against people of
color," Pearlstein said. "It discounts how complicated race is."
Hartmann said he is "neither pro-Whiteness studies or anti-Whiteness
studies." The survey was simply an attempt to test preconceptions about whites' lack
of awareness of their own race.
In 2003, Hartmann and the study's co-authors commissioned a telephone survey
that reached 2,000 people -- 1,000 white, 500 black, 400 Hispanic and 100
other members of racial minorities. The survey results were presented at the
annual meeting of the American Sociology Association in Montreal last month.
The study showed Caucasians were indeed aware of their race and the
advantages it brings to them, said Hartmann. But it also found that both Caucasians
and racial minorities strongly valued individualistic ideals such as freedom
and hard work.
The study found similarities and differences between the two groups.
• Three-fourths of the whites, and 91 percent of the racial minorities, said
their cultures must be preserved. But only a small minority in each group
belonged to organizations dedicated to that goal.
• Only 17 percent of whites, and 23 percent of racial minorities, said racial
"favoritism" helped them get ahead.
• Fewer than 50 percent of whites thought U.S. laws and institutions
contributed to disadvantages for blacks. But 81 percent of minority groups believed
they did.
Minnesotans such as John Lund, CEO of the Sons of Norway, says he's not
convinced that most white people think of themselves primarily in terms of the
color of their skin. It's ethnic identity that shapes many of them, he said.
"I don't think of myself as white," said Lund, whose Minneapolis-based
organization works to promote and preserve Norwegian heritage. "I think of myself
as an American of Norwegian ancestry."
Lund says he feels even "less white" than 20 years ago, as he has watched a
world of new immigrants and African Americans make Minnesota home. His
son-in-law is black, he said. His grandchildren will be mixed race. He feels at
home in that spectrum of color.
"I don't know if considering ourselves by color really promotes anything," he
said.
Jean Hopfensperger • 612-673-4511 • _hopfen@startribune.com_
(mailto:hopfen@startribune.com)

__________________
Don't worry that it's not good enough for anyone else to hear... just sing, sing a song.

ntownn8ive

White people or caucasians, which ever you prefer, certainly do not worry about, or consider, or deal with issues that other races have to face on a daily basis. Issues that have been dealt extending over a long length of time and what not..issues that result in molding the way entire races view the world around them.

(By the way, why is everyone else a minority? ) It is also certainly ironic that a nation founded on people seeking a new life away from tyranny and injustice inflicted, in turn project that same treatment on the Native people of this continent. But anywayz, there is something deep down inside of me that makes me think that some, not all, but some white people wake up everday, drink their coffee, watch the news, see the world around them, and think 'thank God I woke up a white person today!'.

But, all non-white people of the world have certainly gained from this. We make white people accountable and aware of the world we all live in as best we can. For instance, Natives can walk down the street wearing Native Pride hats and shirts simply because we come from a heritage and culture that we can be proud of. Now, let a white guy walk down the street with a White Pride hat on....see how long that lasts. We can call our friends and relatives Skinz. Now, let a white guy come up to a bunch of Nativez and say 'What's up Skinz?'.

Well, juss messin' around, but those white people that take being white really seriously and you can see it in their eyes. There are white people that live in the gutter and see the same issues that any rez or ghetto or bario might see. And, there are white people that are proud to be Americans but see fit to learn and teach their culture, languauge and traditions of what ever country their ancestors might have come from. Which they are entitled to..no probs.

The white people we have to deal with are Americans, hence 'white America'. The most notorious, provacative and scrutinized species of the caucasian race to ever evolve on this planet. Don't get me wrong, I know a bunch of them and most of them aren't that bad. But, really, not a lot of people in this world like them, even the people from the countries which most white people came from!

It makes me feel, almost sad, well for a second anywayz, okay now I'm done, that white people can go on living their lives not knowing where they are from. Or, never tracing their roots back to their mother countries, because they are so wrapped up in believing that the life they are living is truly the American way and there is no other way of life, and no other way of life is better. Geez, how long has America been around, like just over 200 some years? Not very long considering the history of mankind!

So, being that this is America, diversity has given those white people, that don't really want to grasp or take advantage of our America being a white America, outlets to fill that void in their lives. He-hum, such as hip-hop, goth, Peace Corp, etc.

And of course, the American Indians! Thus, every white person has a Cherokee grandmother and not only that, she was a princess or something. Then some go so far as to get a bone choker, hi-top leather moccasins, leather headband or a plume connected to a roach clip for them to put in their hair. It's great! And, I don't mind, really.

I'm all for white people doing that rather than them dressing up in ties and walking door to door spreading the word about Jehovah, or shaving their head and wearing Doc Martins, and sleeveless shirts with tattoos of swastikas...

Long story short, some and most white Americans out of fear of whatever, take full advantage of being a white person in America. Then some have seen the importance of learning their ancestoral culture. Then some almost completely denying their race, look for those little outlets.

__________________

yellowthunders mama

Ok, so here is my take on this issue. If we look back in US history, we will find that the same government that singled our peoples' out for termination made up the term “white” to group together a bunch of light skinned people of varying ethnicities. Why would they want to do this? Well, if white people identify with their ethnicity: i.e Celtic, English/Anglo, Italian, German etc… than they are no longer the majority because they are a bunch of separate ethnic groups. So, the govt. had to group these people together into one group in order to make us and other people of color “minorities.” By definition, “white” is not a race and “white people” are defined by what they are not rather than what they are, i.e. not Black, not NdN, not Mexican, not Arab, not Asian etc… So the whole concept of “white” as a race yet another lie perpetrated by the US government. It is the reason light skinned people of other countries do not identify themselves as white. Light skinned peoples of other countries identify themselves by their true ethnicity. In my opinion, the “critical whiteness studies" are just an opportunity for the government to check up and see how their experiment is going.

WhoMe

To me, my personal opinion is that white people came from Europe.

In Europe, white people (and others) are deeply nationalistic.

If you called a Brit a bloody German.....

Well, those are fighting words.

Also, there are lots of skinheads in Europe (and a few here too). They are definitely proud of being white.

__________________
"Today, recognizing and respecting the origins of powwow aids in our Cultural Survival. If enough people break the rules because they are not satisfied...."We will have no culture."

WhoMe

WhoMe

Now really, really white people...

are actually pink. *L

__________________
"Today, recognizing and respecting the origins of powwow aids in our Cultural Survival. If enough people break the rules because they are not satisfied...."We will have no culture."

WhoMe

RedShield

This is kind of an interesting topic...

I remember watching a tv show a few years back called "How the Irish became White" Yes there is a deeply ethnic diversity in the skin tone in other parts of the world where Germans are Germans, French are French, Brits are either Brits, Welsh, Irish or Scotish... but once the varying nationalities moved to the US... they became "White" with very little distinction between nationality... but the nationality that arrived later was always viewed with suspicion (sp?), such as the first "whites" moving into the New England area were British, French and a little German... then later group after group that were viewed with caution as sub-human until another group arrived they could distrust and the other group blended into the melting pot of "white" Religion is also a factor... some white supremisist groups believe that "white" means white protestants, while "white" catholics, muslims or Jews are not "White" even though they share a skin tone... It's interesting that these people are still the "dominant" race in almost every phase of the game... and they see "non-white" as a threat... well they should... they really aren't the dominant race anymore, if you were to pool all the other races and unite them as a group labeled "non-white" they would outnumber the "white" side... man this whole subject is confusing to try and understand and comprehend... racism, anti-racism, counter-racism and reverse-racisim... that's way to man ism's! should just be one ism... Humanism...

Just my 49 cents worth...

Paselo!

__________________
I became a singer because I love to sing... and to feed my addiction to cough drops!

indian-heart-beat

LOL LOL- yeah, right, absolutely! -Sorry!!!


Germany still feels guilty. Yes, I do say it this way, cause I think it is true.
I am not a blond pink German. LOL Some are nice, some are attacking people like me. I am not pink and I am not brown.

When I was in US twice this year, I was really able to see some
racism against NDNs - and I was kinda shocked. Are we living in the middle ages???

But what I think was more important...NDNs were greeting each other - and me as well! I went through the streets and young and old NDNs greeted me! Incredible! But not only one white American greeted me in those streets. Only in shops... It feels like- whites have no 'family'. Yes. My two cents.

tsuj510

Nah-that's why they try to take everyone elses! Aeeeeeyyyyy!

between2worlds

*grin* my Irish wife and our German-Welsh-Irish PCA (that musta been a party!) are both so white they glow in da dark!

My experiences with my mother's people (German) are that they deeply care that they are white. They care so much that children who are born to parents where -both- are not German - those mixed children don't exist in what they think of as their extended family.

My mother's mother told Mom (in earshot of us kids) that "when you have children with someone like him they come out like puppies - all different colors ."

indian-heart-beat

ok24stacey

I read this topic yesterday and thought about it a lot. I do think about it a lot anyway. I hate dropping people into a box because it's getting harder and harder to do. My Maternal side of the family is Swedish and there is a lot of pride in that. One of my distant relatives was a Viking and we have a family crest. My Grandfather has always been sure to teach us and make sure we have that to be proud of. My Paternal side of the family doesn't show pride in their heritage (the majority of them) but they love the fact they are a bunch of Southern Baptist hypocrites. They didn't like anyone who wasn't one of them. Unfortunately my Sister and I fell under that category. lol

Who can be proud to be a part of a race that followed the upsurd idea of Manifest Destiny? I agree with Redshield...too confusing for me, also. All I know is I am proud to be me and proud of the fact so many great people consider me to be a friend, regardless of which box they have to check on the census survey.

__________________
To live is the rarest thing in the World. Most people just exist, that is all.

ok24stacey