Questions worth asking
Reflection on our privileges, biases and responsibilities can often come out of asking hard questions and confronting the often uncomfortable answers. You could use these questions as journalling prompts, and read Me and White Supremacy for more awesome and challenging questions to reflect on.
Privilege
- How does being Pākehā advantage you? How do the same things disadvantage people of colour? Have a look at the essay Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack for a list of examples
- How do you personally and systemically benefit from colonisation?
- What do people assume/not assume about you because of your skin colour?
- How have you been able to distance yourself from confronting racism and white supremacy?How have you been able to distance yourself from people of colour?
- How are people of your race represented across society and especially in media? How is this different to the representation of people of colour? How does this affect you?
History and Te Tiriti
- What were you taught about the history of Aotearoa and by who? Is what were you taught true? If you were taught about Te Tiriti, which version were you told was 'correct'?
- What would Aotearoa be like if we all honoured Te Tiriti o Waitangi?
- What is the history of where you live before and after colonisation? If there is a settlement deed from local iwi/hapū have you read it? Did a local rangatira sign Te Tiriti?
- How does Te Tiriti o Waitangi impact your life? If it doesn't, why? What actions can you take to be a Tangata Tiriti?
Identity
- Where are you from? Where do you call home and why?
- How do you describe your race, culture, ethnicity and nationality? How are they different? Why do you identify in the way that you do?
- What is your genealogy? Where are your ancestors from and why did they come here?
If your family has been here a long time, what where your ancestors interactions with Māori like?
- How has being Pākehā impacted your identity and sense of self? What does Pākehā culture mean to you?
Racism and white fragility
- What conscious or unconscious biases do you hold against people of colour? How do those biases impact the people of colour around you?
- Do you call people out for being racist? Why or why not?
- Do you use stories like 'it's worse in Australia' or 'we have the best race relations in the world' to minimise or deny the racism that exists here?
- How comfortable are you talking about race and racism? Can you admit to your own racism? Why or why not?