Honorary Whiteness - An Analytical Review

Honorary Whiteness

Whiteness is often viewed as a privilege, almost an assumed privilege. This is a discourse our society is under. White, is powerful and the race and of all races. One would argue that the minorities are trying to obtain this `honorary whiteness`. This article outlines the struggles of individuals and countries on their journey on obtaining honorary whiteness. These individuals are from different parts of the world and all have a struggle with their racial identity. Robert Miles, Michel Foucault and John Locke`s theories are demonstrated in this article.

The first individual mentioned in this article is Anin Young, a Chinese man who immigrated to Hawaii in 1872. He was a servant on a rice plantation to business owners and property owners. He had two wives and ten children, he referred to his marriage as a ``blessed marriage` (Valdez Young, 2009). During his life span he had many business accomplishments. He died in 1931 and these accomplishments were clearly outlined in his obituary. The article states ``his face was a white one` (Valdez Young, 2009). Due to his many business accomplishments and embracement of all business

opportunities, he earned his `honorary whiteness`. He gained access to social acknowledgment and economic benefits that white Americans had access too. His privilege was somewhat on temporary grounds. If he mismanaged his business or sent his children to school in China he would have lost his honorary whiteness because he would have broken the social norm of the white American. Robert Miles states that racism is ideological that it`s an embodied set of practices. This holds true in Young’s experience. He had to break those practices to be seen as good enough for society or as the article states, seen as a white American. Miles also states that racism can only be changed by changing the economic and political relations. This is also demonstrated in Young`s struggle to honorary whiteness.  If economic situations were not so poor in certain countries we as a society would not have certain stereotypes of certain races. Young felt the need to obtain this honorary whiteness from societal pressures.

The next individual introduced in this article is Krishnadhan, an Indian from Bengal. He wanted his son to have nothing to do with the Indian culture. He wanted him to be non-Indian, even though his appearance told differently. His son was not allowed to speak Bengali, practice any Hinduism or eat any traditional Indian foods. He was sent away to a school in England where he began to learn about the European curriculum and Christianity. He achieved academic and social success by becoming British. He wanted to overcome the `biological otherness`` (Valdez Young, 2009) and strive to succeed in the boundaries he had set from society. It seems as if Krishnadhan followed Michel Foucault`s theory of, power is knowledge. He strived for his son to have as much power (knowledge) as possible to separate him from the other Indians so he would not be seen in the same light but as a white man. His accomplishments blind society and take away from his racial identity as Indian and would now be viewed as equal to the white man. Father and son were killing the Indian within them and glorifying the British. Foucault also states that beliefs and practices are regimes of truth. I would say this is true in Krishnadhan`s case due to the fact that he wanted his son to have the beliefs and practices of the British. He wanted his son to obtain this honorary whiteness, these privileges of being white.

Malaysia grants certain citizens `preferred status` (Valdez Young, 2009), including better access to education and business opportunities. This is put in place so they can join the middle to upper class. When these preferred individuals obtain degrees from the United States, they can come back to Malaysia or stay in the United States to apply their skills. This is securing their privilege status of honorary whiteness. This essentially de-ethicizes them and allows them to accumulate wealth and white status (Valdez Young, 2009). They adapt to the world around them and once again their accomplishments are what steer society away from their racial appearance. Women are mainly not accepted for this kind of privilege and stay in Malaysia working for very little money and have very little protection from their governments. But this article argues that with these social and economic gains does it actually detach the Malay`s from their cultural background. We are driven by a Western-based market, where everyone is treated as an economic value.  John Locke states that one of the key points of liberalism is that we as a society need to accept the idea of an equal playing field or we as people are equal in general. These individuals and countries mentioned in this article are working so hard to achieve this ideal type of whiteness. One may argue we will never be equal due to politics, states and religion.

In conclusion, social acceptance is what society strives for daily. In this article honorary whiteness is the key to social acceptance. The individuals outlined in this article have made it their mission in life to become the ``white American`` (Valdez Young, 2009). Countries like Malaysia have put programs in place to get their citizens closer to this whiteness so they can have access to social and economic privileges. This view on whiteness as a privilege is a social issue that one would hope one day will subside.