PME 811 Blog e-Journal: Who Am I? White Privilege? Entry #2

I believe that before I can move on to a deep and critical inquiry process related to my question, I first need to establish an understanding of myself and how I fit into the larger context of reconciliation. 

In this blog post I would like to help situate myself through my cultural heritage and educational context.

I am Canadian born, of Italian descent, putting me in a place of privilege. 

I can honestly say that this reference makes me uncomfortable and continues to be the cause of personal pause and reflection. When I have been referred to as “White privilege", I feel an overwhelming sense of shame and also wonder sometimes if it is misplaced? 

As I continue to move along in my journey, I am beginning to understand the true meaning of “White privilege”. My initial understanding of this label was that it referred to the material things, objects and money, in my possession but now I understand that the true meaning of white privilege relates to the opportunities and access that I have had an continue to have due to my “whiteness.” I have not truly understood that there are people in my own community, both personal and professional, that have not had access to  these same privileges due to the color of their skin or their family name and heritage.

I am a female, that identifies with the pronouns she/her, who grew up in a middle-class, blue-collar working family. Both my mother and father emigrated from a poor little town in Italy called Reggio Calabria. My parents were raised in a farming village, with very little food and no shortage of hard laborious work. When they were able to emigrate to Canada, my mother was 5 years old and my father was 11 years old. My father was only able to access education up to grade 6 in Italy, defining the end point in his formal educational journey.

The values that my parents lived were deeply impacted by their own experiences and were held close to their hearts. The Canadian-Italian community maintained several inherited traditions including, foods, culture and objects. I was fortunate to grow up and experience this culture, but only in my home. My father did not believe that he should maintain his Italian ways of knowing and doing outside of the home as he believed that to become a true Canadian he should "do and act as they do".

As a more knowledgeable and aware adult, I understand now that in comparison to other people and their challenges, I did experience privilege that allowed me to fulfill my basic needs and to pursue a good future with limited obstacles. Through this deeper understanding for the meaning of White privilege, and becoming less 'offended' by such a label, I continue to stretch myself and my thinking towards how the system needs to create more equitable learning opportunities and environments for all children in our schools. This work and action rests with the adults, and I continue the work of determining my place, contributions, and how to be a good ally.