Made in America Chapter 3

This chapter was really eye-opening for me.  For the first time in a long time, I became aware of the impact of race and the impact of my "whiteness".  Many of the students in this chapter expressed an affinity to exploring racial issues or to exploring their own racial identities and the social consequences of those identities.  Perhaps one of the most interesting parts of the chapter was seeing how the white students felt about race.  In a predominantly "white" society, where white culture is most accepted and sought out as "American," people who are white do not typically feel the social consequences of race.  By that, I mean that white people do not always understand race or what it means to be white.  It is not uncommon for people to be labelled by their race, but most white people in America do not feel racialized at all.  It is a very rare occasion that I even think of myself as "white".  We live in a culture that is so racially charged, yet whites often do not feel that pressure because of their dominant and privileged position in society.

The students who were asked to research what it means to be "white" and what "whites" experience at Madison came up with some very interesting conclusions:

• "She's black and I'm white, and that's that" (69).
• "But out in the world, I never have to think of myself as white - only here" (69).
• "We don't think of ourselves as white until someone makes us think of ourselves as white" (70).
• "It's all in how we see each other. We make each other racial"( 70).

It was amazing to me to see that these high school students were so aware of the privilege behind their race. I think that the young boy who claimed to only be racialized in Madison was implicitly aware that his "whiteness" held power and prestige outside of the diverse school walls.  He didn't feel his whiteness outside of school because he wasn't a numerical minority outside of school and he (most likely) lived in a predominantly white neighborhood.  

For me, this chapter poignantly called attention to my own lack of cultural awareness and my implicit acceptance of my social dominance because of my white skin color.  I attended a diverse high school, yet I would say that most students "acted white" if they were not white and the rest of the student were actually white.  After high school, I went to a community college that was predominantly white, and the ISU (again predominantly white).  I have been submersed into a predominantly white culture and never felt what it was like to be a minority.  The white students at Madison were a numerical minority and because of this they became acutely aware of what other students of color were "privileged" enough to receive. It was interesting to see how slighted they felt in Madison because people of other racial backgrounds seemed to be given more attention - whether it was classes offered on their heritage or a higher acceptance rate into the advanced courses. 

Coming from a "white privileged"background, this makes me wonder if all minority students feel this slighted.  Also, what can I feasibly do as an educator to be inclusive of all cultures/racial groups?  How can I ensure that a culturally inclusive atmosphere is adopted throughout the entire school, no just my classroom?