As a white man in America, Adam B. Ellick has many advantages and privileges that immigrants can only dream of. On all platforms of media, white people are never under represented, and this is the case for high management positions in large corporation as well. When renting a co-op, Ellick did not run into any problems with being approved, which can be argued as a white male privilege. Also, in history, white men were notoriously known for conquering land and trying to force their own culture onto others. Even to this day, even if unintentional, the increasing number of white people in prominently immigrant communities often lead to gentrification, in which rent prices hike and the small local businesses are replaced by franchises. Ellick fails to become part of the diverse community in Jackson Heights, and I feel this is mainly a result being white in combination with expecting to be accepted by the community without putting extra effort to reach out to people.
Although many did seem to give Ellick a cold shoulder, it is extremely important to understand where the community in Jackson Heights is coming from. Yes, Ellick cannot change his skin color, and he probably cannot change others’ negative preconceived notions about the general white male population; however, Ellick could have taken initiative to show his eagerness to learn about the various cultures that make up Jackson Heights and changed their perspective about him, as a person. If he really took the time to try learn other people’s stories as well as their culture, he would have eventually been accepted. But, Ellick’s final decision to move to Manhattan is an understandable decision because who knows how much extra time he would have had to put into building connections and gaining the trust of the people in Jackson Heights.
