Asian Privilege Walk

Whiteness can camouflage in ways unimaginable

From Wikimedia Commons: Transfer-left right, by RRZE

Professor Lancelot Smith, after years of administering the White Privilege Walk on campus, recently realized that the exercise does not properly detect the white adjacent. In order to correct for this omission, he designed, on the spot, a pilot project: the Asian Privilege Walk. We are sharing its draft below. 

 

Instructions:

• Have participants form a single line, standing shoulder to shoulder.

• Tell participants that you are going to read off a series of statements.

• Tell participants that if the statement is true for them, they should take a step forward. And if the statement is not true for them, they should take a step backwards. If a statement is not relevant or they do not wish to respond, they may stand still.

Statements:

• I learnt how to do integrals before I learnt how to walk.

• One hour a day of violin is not hard; three are harder though. 

• In high school, I was a member of a chess club (but not The Glee Club), competing regularly.

• I had been getting no less than an honorable mention at math Olympiads, starting from the Math Kangaroo, at the age of six. I received a few medals on the way.  

• I wish there were 26 hours in a day, so I could study more.

• My SAT, SHSAT, and GRE results are 2-3 points above the maximum score.

• I always achieve and excel, but people of other races think that it comes to people of my race with no effort.

• 60% of people of my race who meet the criteria of merit-based admission will not be admitted to a university.

• I can be denied employment in an establishment that practices Affirmative Action, knowing that I did not get the job because of my race. This happens often. Roughly, every time.

• I can’t make mistakes: a single mistake will give the employer who wants to get rid of my race a pretext to get rid of my race.

• I am always paid less because of my race.

• My primary ethnic identity is “this Asian”: East Asia or the Himalayas, regardless.

• My parents’ accent is so strong that I do not understand them… never have.

• My ancestors came to the United States with no English and no money.

After the activity:

• Ask the participants to note where they are standing on the floor versus other members of the group.

• Ask the participants to think about what they learned about the impact of privilege.