Talks explore 'whiteness' in diverse world

About 20 people discussed racial identity in the first of a series of talks at the Greenfield Intercultural Center. Respect, patience and sensitivity set the tone last night as over 20 Penn students, staff and area residents attended the first in a series of workshops about white American racism at the Greenfield Intercultural Center. The first of three workshops sponsored by the GIC and and Programs for Awareness in Cultural Education, last night's workshop focused on what it means to be a white person. "A lot of us have talked about the issue of whiteness," said GIC Associate Director Karlene Burrell-McRae, one of the evening's moderators. "[But] we never really have conversations about what it means to be white." Before beginning the discussion on "whiteness," participants in the workshop were required to do an exercise designed to have them learn about the history of others' family and cultural backgrounds. Each person had to talk with the other members of the diverse group present to find a person who could could pass certain criteria, such as being able to trace over 200 years of family history or naming five Native American tribes. Knowing one's family history is important in understanding one's identity, Burrell-McRae explained. She added that many white people "don't think it's necessarily significant or important to know [their] history" but that knowing it can "empower the person" in understanding who they are. Divided into smaller groups, participants were asked to share their personal experiences and opinions on a variety of questions, including when they first realized they were or were not white, what they feel "white American culture" is and how they define themselves by a particular ethnic group. College junior Judy Chao, one of the participants, said that she was one of few students of Asian descent in predominantly white elementary and middle schools. "I was aware of the fact that physically I was different [from white people]" through looking at photos and other people, Chao said. She added, however, that she did not feel different since she was not treated differently by other children. After discussing people's answers to the questions, Burrell-McRae stressed, above all, that "individual experiences dictate" how a person views whiteness. The other workshops in the series will be held on March 22 and April 12 and will focus on "white privilege" and "white responsibility." PACE was started at Penn five years ago by a student dissertation on cultural issues in higher education. The organization offers a joint course by the GIC and the Graduate School of Education in the spring for 15 to 20 students that focuses on racism, poverty and other sensitive issues that are relevant to the Penn community.