Whiteness is...

For me if one refers to "whiteness" it just means someone's skin is light. I suppose a textbook example of "whiteness" is the WASP, white Anglo-Saxon Protestant. In "The Concept of Whiteness and American Film," I think the author has a much different view of what "whiteness" truely is. For example, the author uses the example of Irish immigrants in America in the early 20th century. Irish were refered to as "white niggers" because like the blacks they were impoverished and discriminated against. In response to this, the Irish tried to disassociate themselves from the blacks and asert thier "whiteness," in other words, asert thier superiority. This is exaclty what Derek does in American History X. He is a working class white male, angry about his social status. So he tries to elevate himself with his hatred of not just blacks, but all non-whites. There is a scene where Danny says he hates everyone who is not white Protestant. In other words, "whiteness" for Derek, Danny, and the author of "In Concept of Whiteness" is not just a racial issue. "Whiteness" is not just the color of one's skin or even one's economic class because Derek and Danny are working class, and the Irish were able to assert thier whiteness despite thier poverty.