White people are a touchy subject. Their pigment, and the legacy that comes with it, has benefited them in ways that many of them are unwilling or unable to admit. As a result, confronting white privilege has become an exercise fraught with melodrama, defensiveness and some occasional vindictiveness. Given the state of race relations in the US at the moment, MTV tracked down some of that country's most alabaster citizens to find out what it means to be young and white in America. The result was White People.Hosted by journalist Jose Antonio Vargas, the documentary opens with him approaching random Caucasians on the street and telling them he's doing a documentary for MTV about what it means to be young and white in America. The various giggles each person emits mask a discomfort with the subject matter."This is a conversation that young people are having, whether at home or at the coffee shop or wherever. The documentary maker basically wanted to go to young white people and say here's a mirror," said MTV Africa channel head Dillon Khan.In the documentary Vargas challenges white people to reflect on their whiteness by asking questions like "Are you being made to feel guilty because you're white?" and "Are you having a problem with race on social media?".In a particularly interesting scene he speaks to students from a school that has a predominantly white teaching staff but whose student population is overwhelmingly Native American about their feelings towards white people. The picture that emerges is one that's familiar to South Africans, resentment. Even though they are not yet old enough to drive and have grown up in a world that says things have changed, the students recognise the fact that the lily-shaded people teaching them enjoy privileges that they, despite being indigenous to the land, never will."From a global perspective, we all share issues. For a South African audience, there will be certain things that are relatable to and some that aren't. There are certain similarities and more than that it's the starting point for a conversation," said Khan.In general, the white people on the show react with an awkward, politically correct grace. There is much nodding, smiling and pious acknowledgement that being white is advantageous. Whether or not that translates into a change in attitude remains to be seen.The documentary is not likely to engender significant change in the South African discourse around white privilege but it does fulfil the useful function of getting white people, especially young ones, to at least acknowledge that privilege is not just a figment of Twitter's imagination.White People airs this Sunday on DStv channel 130 at 18:15What others sayThe documentary aims to find out what young, white Americans think about race but doesn't confront them with the hard truths they need to hear. Rebecca Carroll, theguardian.comVargas explores racial identity on the cusp of a new era in America, one in which whites are no longer the majority. As one young white guy in the film says of the change: "It's cool and not cool at the same time."Justin Rocket Silverman, nydailynews.comBy shining a spotlight on whiteness, the show encourages audiences to address racial bias through honest, judgment-free dialogue. Wills Robinson, Dailymail.com..