I see one major problem. The people who keep trying to make Critical Whiteness a native to our culture, are sitting on an obscenely high horse, from where they judge the stupid peasants who just won't learn about their privilege.
I summarize what I have gathered and place my doubts and observations and here.
Here is a copy paste of what racism is, taken from Wikipedia.
I agree on the following statements I have encountered so far:
1. Race is a social construct, it is not the same as ethnicity. Ethnicity does nothing on it's own, culture does.
2. "White" is a social construct that had been invented for a set of specific, non-altruistic purposes.
3. "White" may also refer to aesthetics of various groups, which are gathered under the term "Europiden" in my language, in English "Caucasian race".
4. White Privilege exists, and is in action, whether we want it or not.
I do not agree with the idea, that the very concept of racism is designed for the profit of Whites, and that anyone who can be identified as White, needs people of Colour to self-identify as such.
The concept of racism has been used as a tool all around the world and still is.
Angry racist Japanese do not need a single white person to hate possibly equally racist Chinese, and possibly equally racist Koreans.
These folks have been hating on each other before Europeans were allowed to set a foot on Japanese territory, with the help of quite elaborate racism.
Maasai, and they are by far not the only Sub-Saharan culture when it comes to that, consider themselves practically demi-gods and have their own idea of a proper hierarchy.
Tribalism, good luck with outlawing that, I will however abstain from pointing my finger at any group which engages in such an activity, because, I do it, too.
I am alright with the Mexica Movement's racism.
Yes, it is scary if someone jumps in your face just because, but I understand the importance of culture when it comes to collective identity and a positive self-image.
On to needing others to self-identify as White, it is rather a catch22 than anything else. We learn about history, we learn that there is "whiteness", and we will be identified as such by our teacher. We accept it and pay no further attention, particularly if we live in a geographic area that brought forth Celtic and Germanic culture. Now I don't self identify as "White", when I can be a native, an Austrian, a Middle European.
See what I did there, I used culture as my signifier. I would not self-identify as "white" because I find it increasingly difficult to associate with others who fit the same category. It is impossible for me to speak for a Russian, an US American, a Dutch, and even a German (I do have issues with Germans because of their sometimes annoying mentality, or to be more precise, their idea that German speakers have lost the right to have fun and be occasionally irresponsible at some point in time. Yes, I know. It's a not very nice judgment, from sharing a flat with Germans only, and from living in Germany. It does not mean I hate them, or wish them ill. They can blame Austrians for lacking seriousness and discipline. Both is true and false).
And if we are talking about Critical Whiteness, I will, or would have to be able to be "fluent" in any culture that has been labeled "White". Visit any on-line community and look at all the people who call themselves white, you could not associate more randomly.
That does not mean that White Privilege is not in action, and does not harm those who are not identified as "White". I am not questioning this fact. What I am questioning is how to even operate with "Whiteness" because it is so random and includes so many cultures, of which a few of them I have a hard time to recognise as such - still, I would have to consider them, and every detail about them.
I am fully aware of the tendency to make people responsible for anything anyone who shares their religion, or ethnicity, did, or does. So no, this is not only happening to me, but, I actively avoid annoying people with such trollery. I do try to explain all the phenomena I have knowledge about. I do not flinch from my own responsibilities that came with me associating with my 'heritage', but I do not accept being made responsible for historical events that took place somewhere else. I am ready to answer for Catholicism, because it is a part of my culture, even though I do not identify as such for lack of belief.
I am not ready to answer for post-Slavery crimes in the US Deep South, BUT I am ready to answer for the German Fascist regime. Practically, and also theoretical. It is not unreasonable to ask for this, for myself and anyone else, regardless of colour and culture.
The differences between a place like Central Europe, where so called Caucasians are actually the norm, and the privilege is Native peoples' privilege - like it or not! - and the rest of the world will need separate exploration.
I live with the idea, that if I leave my country, I will lose this privilege (which is not White, since people will at some point detect non native Whites and Other them), and depending on my destination, then, and only then, my White Privilege will ignite.
It is unfair that I have this privilege, and someone of obviously non local origin, who was born here, just like me, does not have it. But it is even more unfair in a country like the USA, Australia, etc.
However, this unfairness is in action for the aforementioned South East Asians, for many African peoples, and for just as many Eurasians and Asians.
This bears plenty of controversy, but I will stick up for it, the principle, not each and every crazy tribe on the planet, mind you. I do not subscribe to cultural differences, and the accentuation of such, leading to hostility, per se.
I frown at US Americans who call themselves White, and then keep asking, "why is there no White History Month?" Without even recognising that BHM is a cultural event, or, after having read Freeman's rather critical comment, has the potential to be a cultural event, for everyone, but with focus on a specific group, one does not have to be a part of, to enjoy and learn. I also frown at them for having invented "Hispanic" but after thinking about how stupid one occasionally looks as an US American White person, I better accept Hispanic as a reality, in order not to insult anyone. But I don't understand it.
Further, US Americans, as a collective, don't group with the help of culture first, but instead by appearance first, and now that must be the most atavistic and chaotic thing I have ever encountered, from my Euro-centric perspective. I don't want to play this game for the sake of a humanism that eludes me, the way it is communicated.
This makes them, among other things, entitled to anyone else on this planet, if they just share the same ethnic appearance, and no one is safe, not Africans, not Europeans, not Asians.
They have "Austrian/[Enter your] heritage", too? RUN, RUN AWAY AS FAST AS YOU CAN, because you owe them something now, in their mind! It is a cultural phenomenon, which is seen as perfectly okay within the US, in order to find one's place.
There is a suspicion growing with me, that this might have to do with US America being so stuck when it comes to racism. We are not less stuck, but stuck in a slightly different swamp.
Side note: I appreciate my associates from the USA, who are happy being US Americans, and recognise US American culture, who recognise that IE Italian American is not Euro Italian.
Critical Whiteness came to us, from the USA, and while I understand Whiteness to be a tool to make better "use" of everyone not "white", the concept needs a lot of adjustment to fit a European, regardless of ethnicity. I am speaking about culture.
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