A common “progressive” put-down of ordinary people in this country is to scold us for being confident and not self-effacing in situations involving non-white people. “Check your privilege” is the sharp reproof, followed by a moralizing criticism of the relevant aspect of our normal way of life.
Jacinda Ardern said that the term “white privilege” was not mentioned in the school curriculum, but it is included in the instructional materials prepared under the curriculum – probably under the $42 million Te Hurihanganui program introduced in 2019 to “address racism”, and by the Teaching Council to “unteach racism”.
Peggy McIntosh an American feminist and radical activist scholar invented (she said discovered) white privilege in 1988. The following year she published an article about how every white person carries a metaphorical invisible “knapsack” of an invisible kit of unearned assets – maps passports credit cards tools clothes codebooks and other things – that gives them an invisible unearned and unfair continual advantage throughout life over non-white people. In one place she lists 26 of these advantages from everyday life. The list is mostly unlikely – many advantages she lists relate more to her own Ivy-League-brahmin life or are market economy related in a country in which most people are white. Even so, I think it is fair to say that in the USA and New Zealand, being white skinned does give you a slight head start in life and in any interaction with people you do not know. A slight inside track or step ahead you might say.
But these small advantages of a white skin while unearned by their lucky holders (us), are not privileges, they are part of our intangible cultural inheritance, and were earned by our forbears and gifted to us. And explicitly so.
The ancestors of the majority, mostly from the British Isles, came to this country in the 19th century, and by agreement with the earlier settlers set up their systems of formal government and laws and institutions here. Infused as they were with their habits and thoughts acquired over centuries including the scientific method and Christianity. Subsequent generations continued nation-building.
Readers who are baby boomers will have actual memory of this. When Progress was spelled with a capital “P”; our fathers and grandfathers built the post war civic institutions – many of them as war memorials; when we had to sit through long windy speeches with elaborate protocol as to order of precedence – your Excellency …. worship …. etc…ladies and gentlemen boys and girls. How we squirmed while waiting for a dignitary’s wife to cut the ribbon. How we longed to go and play.
These interminable speeches were about tons of concrete and steel …. etc, and thanks to the Ministry of Works. About tangible materials, raising the money, and the instrumental people. And always building for future generations – the only nod to the likes of us – to drive over, or read the books in, or swim in, or whatever.
These speeches were in physical measurable terms. They did not mention cultural capital – tangible or intangible, although “raising the standard of living” might be said. But that is part of what they meant. A better life for us and further generations. Which is why people have always come to this country.
We should not hesitate to claim our collective inheritance – physical and intangible. It is not a “privilege” it is our property. And by all means welcome in those who wish to join us – both the descendants of the earlier migrants and those coming in more recently. And even go to some trouble to fit them in, as our forbears amended institutions to suit the earlier settlers from Polynesia, and we acculturate refugees at considerable expense. (It cost $100,000 per refugee last time I saw, but it would be a lot more than that now). But it is New Zealand they are being welcomed into, not anything else.White privilege is part of the subset of “privilege” slurs made by people who do not believe in property or inheritance – cultural or physical. I suggest readers tell their children and grandchildren not to accept any such remarks and why not.
