First Draft

Tom Michalk

ENG 3060J

Constructing my Identity

            Masculinity is described as the traditional qualities and traits of the average man. Here in the United States, being a white male is perceived as being an advantage over other races and genders. I agree that it has definitely left me with certain advantages, but there are also disadvantages that many people overlook. I believe that being a minority in some cases in the USA is a positive thing, and you are given certain advantages white people are not. I plan to discuss the advantages of disadvantages of being white, being a male, and how that has been perceived throughout all the experiences within my personal life living across different areas of the US.

The US Census Bureau has predicted previously that whites will lose their minority status by as soon as 2043, which means minority populations are growing rapidly within America. I personally don’t believe being a minority is a bad thing, I view it as an advantage that you are different. I believe that being white has given me certain advantages, but it has also left out of opportunities like minority scholarships for school. I also feel like companies are searching for minorities to make their companies appear more diverse, so when looking for jobs, I almost feel uncomfortable disclosing my race.

On the contrary to race, being a male in society I feel has given me more advantages than being white. I hate to say it like that, but this is the society we live in. Most recently I remember being in a job interview in Memphis, Tennessee and there was 12 guys and 1 girl interviewing. Before interviews the company took us to a country club for a happy hour and encouraged us to, “grab a beer”. But, someone quickly commented, “Or a glass wine Andrea!” I think this was unfair to imply that just because she was a woman she couldn’t have a beer with the men and therefore kind of left her out. In instances like these, being a man is definitely easier. I always get the feeling when applying for corporate sales positions that being a man gives me a better advantage. I by no means think this is right, but in a modern world as competitive as ours, I’ll take any advantage I can get.

Growing up and living across different parts of Ohio throughout my life really gives you a different perspective on people. Being from Cleveland in a predominantly white, Italian community, you don’t see much diversity. So being a male or a female is just normal, as long as you are white. I didn’t really see much gender disparity until later in life, and that’s a good thing. Race was always something brought up growing up though, by classmates or relatives. They always made another race seem so different, when in reality it is just a skin color. It’s crazy to me how adults instill these ideas in kids head about race before they make their own judgment on people. I saw this fire hand when I moved to Camden, South Carolina to attend boarding school my sophomore year of college, and when I got into the Deep South it was almost a culture shock. We are talking about South Carolina, a state that still fly’s the Rebel flag over the state house, and is damn proud of it. I recall one time being at a restaurant and the owner was blatantly ignoring our table because I was with a black friend. They didn’t refuse us service, but we were getting stared at and treated like we weren’t equal customers. In this situation, living somewhere where race is still an issue, being a white male is an amazing advantage. It’s like a cult down South, and all the white people have all the advantages. (add in source about race).