Hmm... I'm not sure I agree that the actual/perceived ethnicity difference is only valid for the US and Canada. Or that the term "white privilege" has no meaning in Europe -- that part I strongly disagree with, because I've spoken to enough European PoC to know it's not true. It may be rooted in ethnic differences, but color is a major factor in determining those ethnic differences. But I don't want to derail the convo, so I won't go into this.
I think what brings your point home is this: Europeans don't think white ethnic groups look alike.
OK, I get this, and now I see how the statement in your OP can be insulting. USians do notice the difference between white ethnic groups too (and black ethnic groups, for that matter); it's human nature to notice such differences. They just don't matter here as much as skin color, for most interactions that involve privilege. To apply US-centric language to a world where nuance matters is definitely a privilege thing, not to mention ignorance. Thanks for clarifying that.
That said, though... it cannot be denied that there is privilege in coming from lighter-skinned ethnic groups in most of Europe. Seen and experienced that for myself, particularly in southern Italy (Sicily). So what does one call that, if not white privilege? I've heard some people use "light skin privilege", but I always find that confusing because it's also used to refer to intra-PoC issues of colorism.
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Date: 2009-12-19 04:15 pm (UTC)I think what brings your point home is this: Europeans don't think white ethnic groups look alike.
OK, I get this, and now I see how the statement in your OP can be insulting. USians do notice the difference between white ethnic groups too (and black ethnic groups, for that matter); it's human nature to notice such differences. They just don't matter here as much as skin color, for most interactions that involve privilege. To apply US-centric language to a world where nuance matters is definitely a privilege thing, not to mention ignorance. Thanks for clarifying that.
That said, though... it cannot be denied that there is privilege in coming from lighter-skinned ethnic groups in most of Europe. Seen and experienced that for myself, particularly in southern Italy (Sicily). So what does one call that, if not white privilege? I've heard some people use "light skin privilege", but I always find that confusing because it's also used to refer to intra-PoC issues of colorism.