The Idea Of Privilege And Discrimination - 1015 Words

The idea of privilege and discrimination plays a pivotal part in humanity. In my own definition, privilege is the freedom and immunity that one occupies based on certain characteristics. Some of the privilege factors in my social life are my race/ethnicity, class, and religion. On the other hand, I define discrimination as a form of social injustice in which one is at a disadvantage solely based on his features. For example, because of the pigment of my skin, my middle school teacher treated me in an unfavorable fashion. Furthermore, Race plays an important role in obtaining a privileged status. Dan Pence, a professor in Southern Utah University, argued that â€Å"once white students recognize their advantages, they acknowledge that†¦show more content†¦My background and cultures differ from many people because I come from another part of the world. One of the reason why I have a privilege status is from my upbringings. Ever since I was a little boy, my parents encouraged a nd strived for me to grow up as a well-educated man. It has been tested that at the age of 4, a child living in the United States has the ability to count to 15, while the same age child from Eastern Asian countries has the ability to count to 40 (Sun, 2012). Many Asian parents are stereotyped as being harsh on their kids; however, this has led to many advantages for me personally. Another advantage of being a different race is the ability to speak a different language. Many employers are searching for employees who are diverse and versatile. Employers like to see multiple languages on rà ©sumà ©s. In contrary, some employers do not hire anyone who is not a United States citizen. Succinctly, having a different ethnicity has its own advantages, but it also comes with many disadvantages. Both of my parents hold a steady job. Even though they do not receive huge paychecks, we get by enough to be happy. I would categorized our family as middle class. Being middle class is a privilege because it could be worse. We are just thankful that we are not out in the streets – we have a roof over our heads and dinner on the table. Because of our class, my parents are able to hold a position in the society. However, the social class