In the final installment of our series Teens in America, what it sounds like for the family of one 17-year-old to confront White privilege and racism.

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With Thanksgiving coming up this week, a lot of us might be feeling anxious about seeing relatives we may not have seen in a while, especially if we don’t always see eye to eye with them. We might be bracing for some awkward conversations or even some intense debates around politics or what we’ve been seeing on the news.

Iris Santalucia can relate to that. In the final installment of our series Teens in America, we listen in as the 17-year-old New York City native has a tough conversation with her parents about the role White privilege plays in their family. 

Iris’s mother is White. Her father is Latino and has often felt targeted by police because of his race. Although her mother says she knows people of color are sometimes profiled, she doesn’t believe her husband is among them. Iris sees White privilege as one element in her parents’ dynamic and confronts her mother about it on tape. 

This series is produced in collaboration with YR Media, a nonprofit media, music and technology incubator. For more stories in this series, visit wapo.st/teens. 

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