The word privilege, which means a benefit experienced by a person or class that is greater than what is available to others, is derived from the Latin word privilegium. While I am significantly more fortunate than I give myself credit for, watching the film on “What is Privilege?” made me aware of how privileged I do feel in some respects that I take for granted. I have some advantages, such as coming from a second generation of immigrants. Due to the fact that my parents spoke both English and Spanish when I was growing up, I was lucky enough to be able to speak, write, and read both languages before starting grade school. I never knew poverty or lacked the resources I required to grow up because both of my parents were able to pursue careers. Oppression, on the other hand, is leading a life that is not just constrained but also shaped by forces and barriers. In all honesty, the readings and video from this week made it quite clear to me that I do not live under oppression—far from it. However, I have witnessed events that I believe only ever occur as a result of the privilege that those in positions of authority have. An older man made inappropriate comments to me at a previous job , for instance, and it was really uncomfortable for me. After complaining to a supervisor, I learned that he had not been fired, and my coworkers indicated that they had overheard the older man complaining that I was flirtatious, often smiling at him, and sending him mixed signals. The way it was handled made me feel absolutely barricaded. The supervisor had the power to handle the situation correctly, so I was most shocked that she chose not to. 

I came to the conclusion that my privilege is genuine in both microscopic and macrocosmic ways as I watched the video and studied the literature. “Some people are born into families where they have to walk miles just to get water,” the girl says at the beginning of the video. It’s a blessing that all I have to do is turn on the faucet. Even if that remark should go without saying, many people’s lives lack even these basic essentials. The movie was eye-opening because I could see how each person would advance or retreat, growing more apart from one another as the female read the statements. One African American woman was the only one there in the video at the very end, and she did acknowledge how uncomfortable it was for her. The emotions that were pushed to the surface made the experience for those in the film seem uncomfortable overall, especially as the distance between the participants grew larger. Although it absolutely saddens me to see how that privilege divides us from one another, it is crucial because the first step in correcting an issue is accepting that there is one. I believe that in order for oppression to disappear, individuals who are privileged should be aware of it and make use of it to benefit others who don’t.