White Rights

Being a white male in the US has its privileges. When the words “white pride” are uttered, people immediately relate that to the thoughts of white supremacy. But where does this superiority complex come from? Ever since the days of “Manifest Destiny”, Anglo men in the US felt that it was not only entitlement but their God given right to expand across the North American continent. Manifest Destiny served as a justification the war with Mexico. This pattern of “entitled justification” of white men has occurred throughout US history. During the height of slavery in the early to mid 1860’s, some Southern white men were plantation owners and overseers. They profited very well off of the oppressive slave labor.

During the 19th century, scores of Irish and Italian immigrants came to the US in search for a better life. These immigrants were also treated like second class citizens by the white Americans that were already here. The immigrants were called “Micks” and “Niggers” and were made to live and work in some of the worst conditions in US history. They weren't “entitled” to be considered white yet. This practice of “entitled justification” still occurs today. Many corporations, which have predominantly white board members, are making billions off a new type of cheap labor. In Eric Schlosser’s “Fast Food Nation”, chapter 8 entitled “The Most Dangerous Job”; the reader visits the High Plains More specifically Greeley, CO. Greeley is a major meatpacking town in rural America. Many of the workers in the plants featured in this chapter are low skilled immigrants mainly from Mexico and Central American countries such as Guatemala. Some are even illegal immigrants. This chapter documents the many atrocities that occur in these plants. Instead of receiving benefits, these workers are exploited because of their status in this country. “Some are considered second class and expendable.” They lose limbs, their lives and are raped all while performing such a hazardous job. The supervisors of these plants are mostly “Anglos” who don’t speak Spanish. Some of the supervisors are often harsh and belittling to the workers. While reading about these supervisors I got a mental image of the overseer 200 years ago. They’re purpose may not seem as deliberate as it was during slavery in the US but its intentions and end results are often the same. Even in the cases of the rapes and sexual harassment of female plant workers discussed in “The Most Dangerous Job.” On pg. 176, Schlosser discusses how many women were being sexually harassed, groped and even raped by their supervisors. Some of the women view these “assignations” as a means of moving ahead in the plant or possibly even in life. This also gave me a mental picture of the slave owners inviting themselves into the slave quarters and raping and/or sexually abusing the female slaves they owned. Some of the slaves bear the child of their master. There goes that sense of entitlement.