Checking my American privilege

For all of the progressive discussion about white privilege, we often take the advantages of modern American citizenship for granted

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One of the most contentious concepts in social justice discourse is that of white privilege. There are some who feel the concept is critical for white people to come to grips with. Others find it racist and offensive (or even laughable). Still others understand the intent, but find it to be counter-productive in too many ways. These days, I primarily fall into the last group. Setting aside hair-splitting about whether the term “privilege” is appropriate to describe what should fairly be described as “human rights,” I do think there is a benefit to highlighting for ourselves some of the aspects of our lives that we take for granted to the point that we don’t even notice them. “Check your privilege” was initially intended to remind the speaker: before you critique the perspective or life choices of someone else, reflect on what opportunities and advantages you’ve had that perhaps they did not. The initial idea, at least as I perceived it, was not to shut down conversation entirely; it was to spark empathy and understanding for those who’ve faced different challenges than you have. Of course, the concept metastasized. This was inevitable, as it is almost impossible to point out someone else’s race-based privileges without making a whole host of assumptions about them on the basis of their race—which, surprise, many people consider to be racist! Recalling that I’d claimed “impact matters more than intent” and realizing people were genuinely hurt by these assumptions led me to abandon the term almost entirely.

However, one bit of cognitive dissonance continued to nag at me. The people most likely to challenge other people to “check their privilege” were often themselves quite privileged, in the universal sense of the word. Middle or upper class, highly educated professionals who were natural-born or naturalized citizens of the United States in the 21st century—does it get much better than that? Of course, the standard caveats that came with white privilege discussions still apply here. “Privilege doesn’t mean your life has been easy, it just means [trait X] is not one of the things making it harder.” When I try to reflect in a universal sense on all of my personal attributes that make my life easier (and there are many!!), there is one that quickly rises to the top: being born American in the 20th century.

So this Fourth of July, I want to unpack my invisible “red, white, and blue knapsack” and reflect on some of the perks I can sometimes take for granted.

1. Through no effort of my own, I was born on American soil, which makes me a full-fledged citizen of the United States, with all the rights and privileges associated with it

2. I am a citizen of the first nation in the history of mankind that was founded on the (then radical) Enlightenment ideal that all men were created equal

3. We were the first country that was founded as a representative democracy; a model that inspired most of the rest of the world to follow our lead

4. Over the past 245 years, the citizens of this nation have pushed to make our national reality come closer and closer to our founding ideals—a legacy I get to participate in, too

5. I never had to file for a green card or work through immigration applications to be a citizen

6. I am allowed to say almost anything in almost any venue without fear of being jailed, including harsh criticism of my own government. I can do this online, at a protest, in a book, on television, in a classroom, or any other venue

7. I have unrestricted access to a wide range of media sources of information, whose right to free speech is protected by law

8. If I want to, I can own a gun and, in most jurisdictions, can be licensed to carry it with me in public (but, no thanks!)

9. If a business discriminates against me due to my race, gender, religious beliefs, or other protected classification, I can press criminal charges and sue them for damages in civil court

10. If I am accused of a crime and I cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for me (not necessarily a great one, but better than nothing!)

11. If I am accused of a crime, my verdict will be decided publicly by a jury of my peers that my lawyer helps to select

12. If I’m interacting with a government agent, I can be reasonably sure I won’t be asked for a bribe, and if I am, there are channels available for me to report it as a crime

13. If I lose my job, I have access to unemployment assistance

14. If I cannot feed my family, I have access to SNAP; if I cannot afford housing, I have access to housing assistance

15. If I experience the devastating effects of a natural disaster, I usually have access to relief funds

16. Once I am retirement age, I can access Social Security support and Medicare, intended to keep me from living in poverty

17. My children automatically get to be American citizens without any kind of application process on my part

18. I can follow (or ignore) whatever religious beliefs I wish so long as I do not infringe on the rights of others

19. I have legally protected access to birth control and other reproductive services

20. I can marry whomever I wish (so long as we are both unmarried adults of sound mind), regardless of our genders

21. I can vote for representatives at multiple levels of government who I believe reflect my wishes for how the country should be run (assuming I do not have a criminal record… an injustice in need of redress, IMHO)

22. I can contact my elected representatives and advocate for them to vote for legislation I support

23. My ethnicity or religious beliefs cannot be used as grounds to jail or “re-educate” me by the government

24. I can start a business in the U.S. and keep most of the profit

25. If I create or invent something, my intellectual property can be protected

26. No extra visas, sponsorships, or other legal requirements are needed for me to initiate employment with a company that wants to employ me

27. I can access export controlled technology without needing a license from the government

28. I can run for publicly elected office

29. The government cannot search or seize my property “unreasonably”

30. My kids have access to free schooling starting in Kindergarten continuing all the way through 12th grade

31. If I do not make enough money to afford health care, I can enroll in Medicaid

32. If I am disabled and cannot work, Social Security helps to prevent me from sinking into poverty

33. If I do not like where I live, no law prevents me from moving to another city or state

34. I can visit any corner of our nation, from the skyscrapers of New York City, to the grandeur of our National Parks, to the beaches of Puerto Rico, without a visa or passport

35. I am allowed to leave the country and can visit most other countries without overly cumbersome visa requirements

36. If I want to attend any of our colleges or universities, I can do so without a student visa

37. If I can’t afford tuition at the university I want to attend, I can access federal grants or loans

38. If my house is on fire, I’m experiencing an emergency, or I’ve been the victim of a crime, I can call 911 for relatively quick publicly-provided assistance

39. Our legal system attempts to prevent me from being abused by my employer and guarantees me a minimum wage (IMHO, not high enough)

40. Our legal system attempts to protect me from police abuse (IMHO, not thoroughly enough)

41. Our legal system attempts to protect me from being physically abused or raped, even by my spouse

42. Our legal system attempts to protect me from being murdered or assaulted, even by powerful figures (a battle that has tragically been losing ground in recent years)

43. If I am in desperate need of health care, hospitals are not allowed to turn me away even if I can’t pay for their services (IMHO, I’d prefer universal healthcare)

44. If my personal debts ever reach a point where I cannot pay them back, I will not be jailed, and I can file for bankruptcy protection

45. My state-funded school system likely did not teach me a blindly nationalistic version of my country’s history, but instead attempted to teach both the good and the bad

46. Thanks to a minimally regulated capitalist free market, there are very few restrictions on what I can buy or sell, low barriers to entry for new products, and shortages are rare (pandemics and natural disasters aside)

47. I can be reasonably sure the food and medical products I purchase won’t hurt me, thanks to government oversight

48. Thanks to our (IMHO, oversized) military complex, I live without fear that our country could be invaded by a hostile foreign power. (Also, I can reasonably live without fear of a military coup or oppression of civilians.)

49. If one branch of government overreaches its constitutional powers, one of the other two branches has methods to keep it in check

50. I get to live in America without fear of being deported

In the 21st century, these privileges apply to almost every human lucky enough to be born on American soil, regardless of their race, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, or political ideology. As with any list of privileges, there are caveats and counter-examples. Certainly, many of these privileges are curtailed for those with a criminal record. Many live in fear that some of these privileges could be denied to them by a bad actor or a change in laws. Many will read this list and justifiably want these privileges to go further or be more robust (me too!), and look to other nations for aspirational examples. In fact, most of these privileges are not unique to Americans, but each of them does highlight an advantage Americans have over citizens of too many nations around the world—theocracies like Iran, authoritarian communist states like China or Venezuela, kleptocracies like Russia, war-torn nations like Syria, or any number of failed states around the globe.

All that being said, the initial intent of the idea of white privilege was to spotlight what some people might be taking for granted. In these hyper-polarized times, progressives seem to have ceded patriotism to the right, now seeing it as dirty, racist or jingoistic after four years of seeing American flags waved alongside Trump flags and Confederate flags. By rejecting patriotism outright, we’ve made cynicism the norm, and national pride tacky. As progressives fight for the ability for refugees and immigrants to live here, I hope we can recognize all the privileges we take for granted that others are often willing to risk their lives to access. America is something special; something worth being proud of, of protecting and improving upon. Patriotism reminds us we’re all in it together. Patriotism is for all Americans.

So what did I miss (or flub)? What are you grateful for this Independence Day?