White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack

[grantcart]

40. 27. Blend in

Implied in the above but not explicitly stated is the simple act of sitting in a room of other people and just blend in without calling attention to your self.

I was a hyperactive kid and was in constant trouble as a kid for talking in class a lot of the time. I guess I was trying to get attention.

When I lived in another country and spent extended periods as the only white person in the crowd I became aware that when you look different, even when there is zero animus, you are always on display. Some people are always noticing you.

Now this was Thailand and the Thais are very kind to outsiders so it doesn't appoximate the kind of pressure someone would experience when the attention is either hostile or potentially hostile, but simply realizing that you are always on display and that you must always be cognizant of your posture, your speech, your dress, and so on is really exhausting.