Personal Account of Life as a White Male in America

In our country it is very well known that individuals that fall into different categories have drastically different life experiences. As a white male in the United States I have never been in situation where I was in any way discriminated against based on my race or my gender. I personally cannot say that I identify with any specific ethnic background. My family has been in the United States for over 200 years so we have lost any ties to European countries where my ancestors may have come from. I am the epitome of the stereotypical “white American male.” The only experiences that I have had where my race has been a factor can be attributed to idea of white privilege.

So far in my life things have come incredibly easy to me. Being a white male has significant benefits in our nation. I have never once been profiled for any reason in any situation; nor have I ever felt that I was being watched closer than other customers in a store. Never in my life has a person on the street given me a look as if they were scared of me. I was once pulled over for speeding in my hometown and the white police officer that pulled me over seemed very comfortable with me. I was let go without a speeding ticket after approximately five minutes. I personally believe that if I were a different race my experience in that situation would have been different in some way. With confidence I can attribute all of these aspects of my life to white privilege. I am very proud of who I am, but it make me sad to know that I do have advantages over other people in my nation strictly based on the color of skin. White privilege is a problem in our country that I believe will not be fixed for many years to come. Prejudices and stereotypes are deeply imbedded in our society and in the minds of the American people without any justification or significant truth to them.

My national identity is definitely American. I was born and raised in this country so I can easily identity as an American. My ethnic identity is American as well. Because my family has been in this country for so I cannot identify with any other ethnicity. My last name, Cathcart, comes from Scotland however I do not identify as Scottish in any way. My mother’s side of the family has an English last name, however I do not identify with England in any way at all. When I think about the fact that I cannot identify with a foreign ethnic group of any kind I feel sad in a way. I am somewhat jealous of my friends who can be proud of their heritage as a Mexican or an Indian-American. I feel that individuals who can identify with an ethnic group often have a great sense of pride in their ethnic identities and I often wish I could feel that. Saying this does not mean that I am not proud to be an American, I just wish that I could take pride in my heritage as a European or South American.

Going back to my identity as a white American male, I feel that in the future I will have a greater opportunity for power than some other people may have. After I graduate college I can confidently say that I will have a better chance of getting a job over someone of a different race or gender. Studies have shown that individuals with “white” names or more likely to get a job interview than those with “non-white” names. In many cases, an employer looking at an application with the name Sam Cathcart will be more likely to give me a call for an interview than someone with a more ethnic name. Hopefully in the future this truth will change for the benefit of other members of our great nation because it is simply not fair for a person to be judged strictly based on their name and no other aspect of their character or qualifications. The fact that I am more likely to get a job over a person of another race easily gives me the possibility of higher power in our society.

The fact that I come from a white American middle class family has greatly helped me in my life. Growing up I was more or less able to have anything that I wanted within reason. My family always had everything we needed and never had to worry about things such as clothes or food. I believe this great fortune can also be in some ways attributed to white privilege. Both of my parents grew up in middle class homes with ample access to education and opportunities for success. Growing up in a home such as mine has greatly helped to shape my identity as a white American. I feel very connected to the American middle class culture, and it is definitely how I identify myself. Although I have friends from ethnic backgrounds and have spent a lot of time in ethnic homes I will never truly know what it is like to be an ethnic minority in this country. I feel very fortunate that I was born into the situation that I am in. However, I feel sad when I think about the fact I have these advantages over people simply because I was born into a white family.

Overall it is easy for me to say that my ethnic background does not shape my identity in any way. On the other hand my national identity, my gender and my race help to define my identity in many ways. I am happy and proud of who I am but I am hopeful that one day white privilege will be a thing of the past and all Americans will be truly equal no matter their race or ethnicity.