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As an asian, I've already been told by a colleague to check my privilege...nevermind my skin color is darker than most blacks in the US.

olliej 6y ago
I mean the systemic racism against black people in America is far worse than Asian people for a long time - Ivy leagues didn’t have blanket bans on Asian students, so they started getting the legacy admission benefits a long time ago. This isn’t to say that Asian Americans don’t experience a ton of discrimination, but rather that the penalties for being black are systemic and reach out a long way.
- 8f2ab37a-ed6c 6y ago
  This seems to me an example of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oppression_Olympics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oppression_Olympics
ggggtez 6y ago
To be fair, privilege isn't only based on skin color. Only you can decide if your colleague was out of line in that instance, of course. Consider that most people here on HN have some level of privilege simply by being in the tech field, which is highly paid and respected right now.
- bnjms 6y ago
  Asians experience a lot of racism too. It’s not always the clear cut racism other groups experience but it is reliable enough to have a definite impact. Sometimes it’s country club style “I have an Asian friend” or “not you though”. And then admissions turns around and lumps Asia all together with negative quotas even though there are rather meaningful differences between south, SEA, and east Asian countries and cultures. So someone saying check your privilege to someone who’s parents may very well have earned them that privilege the hard way sounds hollow.
- manjalyc 6y ago
  > Consider that most people here on HN have some level of privilege simply by being in the tech field. I have to disagree with this statement. My view on "privilege" in its contemporary usage is that it is any advantage which comes "naturally" without any (or at the very least a relative minimal amount of) effort. Being in the tech field is something you have to work for, develop your skills for, etc. That isn't what privilege is, that is the result of your own work and ambitions.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]

olliej 6y ago

I mean the systemic racism against black people in America is far worse than Asian people for a long time - Ivy leagues didn’t have blanket bans on Asian students, so they started getting the legacy admission benefits a long time ago. This isn’t to say that Asian Americans don’t experience a ton of discrimination, but rather that the penalties for being black are systemic and reach out a long way.

8f2ab37a-ed6c 6y ago
This seems to me an example of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oppression_Olympics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oppression_Olympics

ggggtez 6y ago

To be fair, privilege isn't only based on skin color. Only you can decide if your colleague was out of line in that instance, of course. Consider that most people here on HN have some level of privilege simply by being in the tech field, which is highly paid and respected right now.

bnjms 6y ago
Asians experience a lot of racism too. It’s not always the clear cut racism other groups experience but it is reliable enough to have a definite impact. Sometimes it’s country club style “I have an Asian friend” or “not you though”. And then admissions turns around and lumps Asia all together with negative quotas even though there are rather meaningful differences between south, SEA, and east Asian countries and cultures. So someone saying check your privilege to someone who’s parents may very well have earned them that privilege the hard way sounds hollow.
manjalyc 6y ago
> Consider that most people here on HN have some level of privilege simply by being in the tech field. I have to disagree with this statement. My view on "privilege" in its contemporary usage is that it is any advantage which comes "naturally" without any (or at the very least a relative minimal amount of) effort. Being in the tech field is something you have to work for, develop your skills for, etc. That isn't what privilege is, that is the result of your own work and ambitions.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]