I’m White; You Can Trust Me

I went on an errand today with a couple of acquaintances. One is a white Canadian, and the other, a relatively light-skinned Dominicana; like so many other Dominicans, she’s somewhere between a mulatta and a mestiza.

The Dominicana was the one driving, and we decided to use the parking lot of a supermarket near our destination. The parking attendant approached her as she left the car, and asked if we would be shopping there. Otherwise, we’re not supposed to use the lot. She told him that we’d be back in a little while – and that he can trust her, because she’s white. He laughed and let us carry on.

We had never discussed anything racial before, so this incident was completely out of the blue. Haitians are the darkest people in Dominican Republic, and (so I’m told) the least trust-worthy and the poorest. Light skin does actually have benefits here. It’s a status symbol, just as it is in much of Africa.

So yes, there is “white (light)-privilege,” but it seems to exist mainly in non-white-majority countries.

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4 Responses to I’m White; You Can Trust Me

  1. Lon Spector says:

    I heard that Dominicans are distrustful of Haiti. There’s a wall between the
    two countries and plenty of military on the Dominican side least the Haitians
    try to get in.
    The stylistic Jamacian look is a darker male with a lighter skinned female.
    BTW, did you see the studies that say black children prefer white dolls over
    black dolls? This occurs even in black countries. The children need adults to
    talk up the good traits of the black doll to change the children’s minds.
    A white teacher read children a story about “nappy hair.” She got tons of threats
    and barely escaped with her life.

  2. Pingback: Word from the Dark Side – Maybe Baby, Poland says ‘Crazy!’, the dollar’s got rabies and yes, a lady | SovietMen

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