What I mean by that is, if a person has a German last name, we usually think that person is a white-skinned, blonde-haired person.
I got a German last name, but I'm only 1/8 German, and that is coming from my mom's side of the family. And her father, who was Portuguese-German died months before I was born. My mother's mom, is Puerto Rican.
As mentioned in previous blog posts, my dad is from Mexico with a mix of Native Mexican & Spanish ancestry, but with mostly Native Mexican features physically visible.
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But with a German last name, all that gets ignored when participating in online debates.
On a facebook post for a Huffington Post article, a person by the name of Marvin Warlingfod Hansle said "nobody chooses a life of crime", and a whole debate broke out about that statement. I just jumped by saying that no matter the circumstances we came from, we all make choices.
That guy must've seen my last German last name and accused me of having "white privilege"! I told that guy if I'm "white", then so is Barack Obama who happens to be from the same island I'm from, and it's Obama that went to Punahou, not me!
Here are some screenshots
(note: in online debates, sometimes, your opponents be posting something while you're still typing, making yourself unaware of what posts under his/her name comes right before yours@
Afterwards nothing from Marvin Warlingford Hansle!
If
"privilege" means I have the ability to defeat useless cliches by using
my rapid "all out" responses filled with logic & facts in an online
debate, then I'll be happy to claim it! #YouGotServed
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PS: yeah, I know some people are in circumstances that makes them more vulnerable to temptations to commit crimes. But still, people have choices.
If Marvin Warlingford Hansle just sticked with examples of people selling drugs to pay the rent, or shoplifting because they can't afford to do basic grocery shopping, then he would've scored major points!
But no, he had to assume I'm "white" due to my last name, and therefore assume I have "privilege". There are consequences for using such extra-ordinarily WEAK debate strategies like that!
