This may come off as more of a vent, but I see white new grads, some with less nursing and healthcare education than myself, getting jobs, some of them highly coveted specialties. Yet here I am, with a BSN, magna cum laude, three years health care experience, new grad getting pushed aside. I interview well, but apparently not good enough. I am starting to feel bitter and can't help but wonder if my race might play a role. Other black new grads (BSNs too) are having a much harder time getting a job than white new grads.
Any black nurses want to comment on this phenomenon?
I am starting to look outside of my state, but I am not sure where to start. Preferably a place that is diverse.
Specializes in Management, Med/Surg, Clinical Trainer.
White women benefit the most from affirmative action so I don't know where you were going with that. (Please look it up--a simple google search will lead you gov. statistics) Second, you're white, regardless of how you identify. You were not ever nor will you ever be a minority, regardless of where you grew up. The fact that you can recall being the only white face in a room and having it never bother you is irrelevant and does not speak at all for the black experience.
I went to the gov site attempted to verify that statement. I was not able to find it, however, upon reflection I can guess it is true. Overall, the white population is 65%, so it stands to reason that the sheer numbers of those benefiting would be more, however, I wonder % wise how it pans out?
Actually, where she grew up would determine if she was a minority. There are many cities in Texas, San Antonio, and some along the border where Latino is the majority and white is the minority.
We could also talk about DC, black is the majority.
Neither I nor any of my own have ever had a door closed to us, they were all our opportunities to lose.
Not only that, we got do overs. We could screw up and still turn things around as soon as we were ready to do the work.
And that's without money, coming from two depression era kids whose kids and grandkids had it all laid out for them.
I can't think of any of us that experienced rejection.
My mom always told me I had the world at my feet. And it was true. And easy. I had to work hard as we all did, but that was all I had to do. There were no obstacles other than doing the same work required of anyone else.
However, what people are reacting to is the term used.
The words 'white privilege' suggests EVERY white person is guilty of creating the racial inequality that exists. The stray white male or female on the street did not create racial inequality however, the term 'white privilege' pins it squarely on their backs.
Essentially they are being held accountable for 'privilege' that many- on this thread- say they did not even realize that they had.....
Truly, it does not. White privilege is not a conscious, intentional act. I mean, maybe sometimes it is, but it exists without intentional effort so often that many people fail to even recognize it.
Look at the posts on this thread. People are considering name changes simply because a white-sounding name gives them a better chance of getting in the door. Why? Because even a name of all things comes with it a connotation of race. A name on top of a page can distract from what is written below it.
That is the epitome of white privilege. You didn't do that. Neither did I. Acknowledging it doesn't mean you're part of the problem. Acknowledging it means you can consciously make an effort to break that cycle if ever you're in a position to. As a previous poster stated, being racially aware isn't racist. In fact, if you approach it in the right way, being racially aware can help you be an advocate of change. As you can see here, that is needed.
Given that white privilege most definitely exists, as does being thin and white, I say set your quotas then make it merit based from there.
Does it ever occur to you that the black kid who had respectable if not stellar grades/extra curricular record is actually the badass here and the middle class white kid isn't much above ordinary?
Make it merit based and stop worrying about color. Low income? Same assistance across the board. Test scores without color. Etc.
I personally think the only time skin color should be included in anything is medically related (different races do differently with different meds etc.) and regarding ID type things such as drivers license etc.
Color remains a big deal because people continue to make it one.
White women benefit the most from affirmative action so I don't know where you were going with that. (Please look it up--a simple google search will lead you gov. statistics) Second, you're white, regardless of how you identify. You were not ever nor will you ever be a minority, regardless of where you grew up. The fact that you can recall being the only white face in a room and having it never bother you is irrelevant and does not speak at all for the black experience.
Oh, I get it. I can't be against whites getting unfair advantages, because I'm white? I was going Everywhere! with it. DO. AWAY. WITH. AA.
simple as that. In every form.
people insist through this whole thread on refusing to be color blind while at the same time begging 100% sameness in treatment. One....or the other.
Also, I would ask. ..how can being the minority represented race in my area make me not a minority simply because I am White? How does that work? Does this mean to you that Mexicans in Mexico are minorities there too? It boggles my mind what you meant. I don't understand it.
Why do you, a complete stranger require so much proof? Do you regularly grill people who have different perceptions/experiences, etc?
I am disheartened to see a nurse with this level of empathy.
Empathy implies understanding. OP feels that I'm too white to understand.
Anyway...I simply dislike what I call "the race card". Through zero evidence presented, OP blames her inability to get hired they have automatically fallen on "well...im Black. It's racist!"
So...if it is racist...that's not okay...but tell us how you arrived at that conclusion with more than "suspicions". OP has reduced herself to "Black" and her cohorts to "not black". Blaming the entire disparity on color and racism while ignoring personal attributes. With no specific reason. That is what I took issue with.
Trying not to violate TOS here, I apologize in advance:
This poster has tried to minimize my experiences on another thread about gun control; he attempted to minimize my experience as a gun violence survivor; so I'm not surprised of how he derives his belief system.
I just keep it moving.
I don't devalue your experience. I simply don't accept it as a reason to devalue hundreds of thousands of lives lost defending that which you devalued. Ie. The US Constitution/Bill of rights. This is why we are under rule of law and not a democracy. That said, yes, I value and expressed such your horrible experience and fully support your personal choices and right to protest or lobby against me and my rights and our Constitution. However. ..I have the same.
I'm sorry that we're in 2015 and still dealing with race issues. I am so grateful to live in California when it comes to matters like this. I'm sorry to the OP and hope she can find employment soon. Don't give up!
Ha ha!!! I live in SoCal and have a VERY ethnic name and believe me.....you can't escape it in CA either. I have some kind of racist garbage happen to me at least once a week.
I don't devalue your experience. I simply don't accept it as a reason to devalue hundreds of thousands of lives lost defending that which you devalued. Ie. The US Constitution/Bill of rights. This is why we are under rule of law and not a democracy. That said, yes, I value and expressed such your horrible experience and fully support your personal choices and right to protest or lobby against me and my rights and our Constitution. However. ..I have the same.
I don't need to lobby against you.
You DID devalue my response in that thread, especially when you speculated that I wouldn't have been shot "if I had a gun"-you Monday morning quarterbacked a situation that I came out ALIVE and decided to deride my experience; whether you realized or not doesn't give you the right to say otherwise-you still did it; I called you out on that thread and dropped it, and I am calling you out again on this thread, as well as other posters on your delivery of a sensitive subject-you are not even able seek to understand and "put yourself in someone else's shoes"- that the epitome of empathy.
I don't mind calling out people who like to stick their head on the sand when someone is unwilling and unable to have an intelligent conversation about uncomfortable issues.
The fact remains, you choose to strongly debate, instead of ATTEMPT to understand what you DON'T understand; as circular as that may sound-the fact remains you still chose words that devalue; and you did that on my post, and I did what was right by NOT responding to someone who has NO idea on the challenges I endure and continue to ensure as a gun violence survivor; hence you bring that same ignorance into this discussion and continue to spout indignance while proving posters points OVER and OVER again.
Interesting post! Well my name is straight from Africa! I'm a new grad looking for jobs now. I love in the north east.. So we will see who gets hired first.. My classmates. All with no experience, same grades, I have better references and internship, only difference is I'm black and they are white... Waiting game. I will def follow up! Hope all works out for you OP !
You DID devalue my response in that thread, especially when you speculated that I wouldn't have been shot "if I had a gun"-you Monday morning quarterbacked a situation that I came out ALIVE and decided to deride my experience; whether you realized or not doesn't give you the right to say otherwise-you still did it; I called you out on that thread and dropped it, and I am calling you out again on this thread, as well as other posters on your delivery of a sensitive subject-you are not even able seek to understand and "put yourself in someone else's shoes"- that the epitome of empathy.
I don't mind calling out people who like to stick their head on the sand when someone is unwilling and unable to have an intelligent conversation about uncomfortable issues.
The fact remains, you choose to strongly debate, instead of ATTEMPT to understand what you DON'T understand; as circular as that may sound-the fact remains you still chose words that devalue; and you did that on my post, and I did what was right by NOT responding to someone who has NO idea on the challenges I endure and continue to ensure as a gun violence survivor; hence you bring that same ignorance into this discussion and continue to spout indignance while proving posters points OVER and OVER again.
You have NO CLUE.
I don't know what thread you are talking about, but I'm sorry that happened to you with the gun.
I've always liked you. Stop putting the bag over your head. You say GOOD THINGS. Often.
You DID devalue my response in that thread, especially when you speculated that I wouldn't have been shot "if I had a gun"-you Monday morning quarterbacked a situation that I came out ALIVE and decided to deride my experience; whether you realized or not doesn't give you the right to say otherwise-you still did it; I called you out on that thread and dropped it, and I am calling you out again on this thread, as well as other posters on your delivery of a sensitive subject-you are not even able seek to understand and "put yourself in someone else's shoes"- that the epitome of empathy.
I don't mind calling out people who like to stick their head on the sand when someone is unwilling and unable to have an intelligent conversation about uncomfortable issues.
The fact remains, you choose to strongly debate, instead of ATTEMPT to understand what you DON'T understand; as circular as that may sound-the fact remains you still chose words that devalue; and you did that on my post, and I did what was right by NOT responding to someone who has NO idea on the challenges I endure and continue to ensure as a gun violence survivor; hence you bring that same ignorance into this discussion and continue to spout indignance while proving posters points OVER and OVER again.
You have NO CLUE.
I never said you would not have been shot. I asked if you thought you would have been shot multiple times while you fought back, had you had a gun. I never even opined. I simply asked. Then you got upset and refused to talk about the experience that you had brought up to substantiate your position, as I recall.
Well, you may not lobby against me, per se, but I write my senators and ATF agents to keep bills of the ilk you showed support for from being passed. So I guess round about ways we lobby "against each other".
And as to understanding...if you're not Black, you never could. That's the message, right? Because I've been a minority in an area before. I just haven't been a Black minority. So I'm sorry if I wandered into the "Black or those who wish to pat OP on the back only" thread.
The whole thread into have been asking why the heck people want to drag race into things. Why everything must be racist. Etc. People have provided excuse after excuse to make issues racial. So I guess that's how they will stay. Color continues and will continue to matter because people want it to. Sad. This whole thread I've been told that Blacks must be treated different because they are. Here I've tried to treat people like people, while avoiding typing them based on how they grew up etc. But I digress. It seems people wish to be stereotyped?
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MatrixRn
448 Posts
I went to the gov site attempted to verify that statement. I was not able to find it, however, upon reflection I can guess it is true. Overall, the white population is 65%, so it stands to reason that the sheer numbers of those benefiting would be more, however, I wonder % wise how it pans out?
Actually, where she grew up would determine if she was a minority. There are many cities in Texas, San Antonio, and some along the border where Latino is the majority and white is the minority.
We could also talk about DC, black is the majority.