"Men as Gendered Beings"

I agree with Kimmel and Messner's view on gender, race, and class. People, in general, only identify with the cultural factors which cause them oppression. White, middle-class males are the 'norm' of society and, therefore, do not experience cultural oppression. I liked the story about the black woman, the white woman, and the white man looking into the mirror. The white woman looks into the mirror and sees a woman. The black woman looks into the mirror and sees a black woman. The white man looks into the mirror and sees a human being. Both the white woman and the white man are blind to the features that avoid them oppression, because these features are the 'norm' to them.

Personally, I do not look at my race as a significant part of my identity. My gender, however, is very significant. The only time I truly identified with my race was in Ecuador. I felt angry, because I was given privileged treatment over others due to my race. In Ecuador, white is the 'ideal,' but it is not the 'norm.' It was definitely good for me to be put in a situation where my race had different significance, even though I sometimes felt guilt for the cultural repercussions of the 'white ideal' in Ecuador. The mestizo (half white, half indigenous- the majority of the Ecuadorian population) people often have identity issues, because they are neither white nor indigenous. They do not know how to classify themselves. They strive to be white, and they do not want to be indigenous, yet they are both. It is not uncommon to hear about couples breaking up, because she wasn't white enough for him, etc. Between the racial prejudice in Ecuador and me being the 'ideal' racial minority, I began to see my race as significant. Upon returning to the States, I re-adapted to the culture and no longer see my race as significant. I look into the mirror, and I see a woman. While I was in Ecuador, I looked into the mirror, and I saw a white woman.