morrigirl | Privilege Meme

Bold the ones that are true for you.

(The list is based on an exercise developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at Illinois State University. The exercise developers ask that if you participate in this blog game, you acknowledge their copyright.)

Father went to college

Father finished college

Mother went to college

Mother finished college

Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor

Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers (This one is actually pretty tricky considering that most teachers in NYC do not earn enough to fit into the middle class. Young teachers, like the ones who taught at my schools, usually live in low rent, high crime areas with about ten roommates. So, yes, they were getting by about as well as my mother who worked retail at the time.)

Had more than 50 books in your childhood home

Had more than 500 books in your childhood home

Were read children's books by a parent (Not regularly, but it happened.)

Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18

Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18

The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively (Depends on which aspect of my identity you're referring to - the Italian aspect, the bisexual aspect, the working/middle class aspect, the urban aspect etc. etc. ad nauseum)

Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18

Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs (Generous grants from the institution I attended paid for most of it.)

Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs

Went to a private high school

Went to summer camp

Had a private tutor before you turned 18

Family vacations involved staying at hotels

Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18

Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them

There was original art in your house when you were a child

Had a phone in your room before you turned 18

You and your family lived in a single family house

Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home

You had your own room as a child (As a child, I shared a room with my brother. As a teenager, I had my own room.)

Participated in an SAT/ACT prep course (All the seniors at my high school were required to take a free SAT prep course.)

Had your own TV in your room in High School (In high school? No. In middle school? Yes.)

Owned a mutual fund or IRA in High School or College

Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16

Went on a cruise with your family

Went on more than one cruise with your family

Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up

You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family (Not for lack of trying though. Mom refused to tell me because she said it was none of my business even though she was constantly screaming that we were moments away from the poor house.)