Privileges by Gabriella

Privileges by Gabriella - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

This past year I took a semester Ethnic Studies course, through California State University-Long Beach with Professor Sanchez who enlightened me in so many different ways about historic and current ethnic struggle. Struggles that, at first, I was sympathetic of, but I never could have imagined the direct impacts they had on me and everyone around me.
The most significant idea I am leaving ethnic studies with is the concept of white privilege. My father, who originally immigrated from Guatemala, has always discussed the corruption of our U.S. government and the injustices that Latinos face. I also imagined that at one point or another I myself would be discriminated against too, and then have a complete understanding of the countless experiences he has described. I learned from Mrs. Sanchez that this will never be the case. Because I don’t have tan skin, dark eyes, and black hair like my father does. I look phenotypically Euro-American with my fair skin, blonde hair, and green eyes. It is because of my white appearance that I have unknowingly acquired white privilege my entire life. I have never encountered racism or been discriminated against, and probably never will. I cannot walk through the world as a Latina does, because people don’t pass me and assume that I could be. Unfortunately that is the way the United States is shaped, where citizens knowingly or subconsciously, admire and respect whites.
Despite the illusion that I am white, this class has really allowed me to tap into my inner Latina. By learning about the strife that Latinos face during immigration really gave me a sense of respect for Latinos and a responsibility to ensure my culture’s longevity. When conducting research papers, I was educated of my father’s specific immigration story and the history of my families forced migration. Only through this class was I able to fully develop a cultural identity. By learning about my ancestors and immediate family, I can conclude that I am a proud Latina who, does obtain privileges of whites, but nonetheless is still strengthened by our historical challenges and grows everyday as the new majority of this country.
Ethnic Studies is a crucial course that is vital to students everywhere. Mrs. Sanchez, specifically, was extremely important because she educated me of the reality that they are living in, one that is not as glorious as we make it out to be. The United States is a nation that is supposed to be free: the most liberated country on Earth. We are known for our equality and countless opportunities that allow for social mobility if the individual is tenacious. While the above is theoretically true, it lacks subsidence and is contingent on many variables. When actually the United States is a country of hypocrisy. Americans were immigrants from Britain who wiped out the indigenous population who inhabited them “found”, and yet have enacted laws in our legislature that deny this fact. We have excluded races from entering our nation, and if they do, we consider them as foreign competition that we must forcibly remove. The United States is one of equality but lacks justice. Mrs. Sanchez helped me understand this concept by uncovering the missing pieces of ethnic stories that are Americanized in textbooks. I learned that all ethnicity is beautiful and is not in any way inferior to those of whites.
Mrs. Sanchez uncovered so much information about our history, my culture’s history, and ultimately my identity. I loved coming to this class every week and tackling new injustices and correcting the wrongs of white supremacy. Professor Sanchez has had an immense impact on my perspective of our society, one that I was lucky to have acquired in high school. I cherish all of my experiences and knowledge while apart of this class, and continue to educate others about them.