I write this post because a reader via the contact form asked my opinion on why racism persists in modern society. Well, I think it's all about labeling, directing opinion and hate. There are five pillars that contribute to these circumstance.
- Family. What is talked in a family, including casual chat, indirectly shapes the child's opinion (consciously or not). Early education in family plays the most important role in forming the mindset of our children. I am pessimistic if their parents also racist. So watch your mouth!
- Religious leaders. Some religious leaders are fanatical and then simply articulate verses in the holy book literally (verbatim) without understanding the context of the circumstances when the verse was written, or just quoting a snippet by ignoring the context as a whole. So watch your understanding!
- Politicians or public figure. One example is the deliberate use of the term "Chinese virus" to provoke discrimination, also for political interests. So watch your mouth!
- Mass media. Media companies are aware that sensitive news relating to the privacy of public figures, ethnicity, religion, race, and skin color, potentially will generate money and readers attentions. So watch your pen!
- EGO. The nature of human EGO is tends to want to be seen "MORE" than others and reluctant to be rivaled. So watch your EGO!
I purposely only write the points in this post because I'm sure you can understand it from what you have known, read and hear so far. The matters is how you stop it, at least to people around you. Maybe I'm missed something essential, so please ponder and describe it by yourself, or add your thoughts in the comment form. Thanks for reading.
Keluarga dan lingkungan pergaulan. Itu sangat memengaruhi. Saya pernah mengalami berpikir dan bersikap rasis karena pengaruh lingkungan.
ReplyDeleteAnda benar. Lingkungan pergaulan juga berpengaruh terhadap mindset anak.
DeleteApakah Anda bersedia berbagi pengalaman Anda sendiri seperti yang Anda sebutkan di atas? Lalu apa yang membuat Anda bisa berubah?
As someone with reason to believe in God, I honestly think prayer for a more open outlook can help us overcome any of the cultural/historical/ancestral biases you mention. Such prayer to the God who created us all should instantly reveal the folly of prejudice. That doesn't mean pretending to like people on the basis of skin color. It just means liking people on the basis of their character regardless of skin color, as MLK so rightly put it.
Delete@Earthpages,
Deletei also hope religion can play a role. The sad news was the decline of church in line with the advancement of human's logic in science. More smart, tend to more logical in thinking.
Racism, the fear of the other in other words, will never go away no matter what well meaning people like you try to do something about it.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what you mean by "the fear of the other" in relation to racism. I think, fear of strangers might be some kind of phobia.
DeleteIt doesn't mean we just keep silence and do nothing.
DeleteHey!! Thanks for sharing this link -- I came over from the comment you left on my blog Crispy Confessions.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your points that racism -- or rather racist and prejudice beliefs -- come about from the people you mentioned. I would also add that it can come about from your peers & their families & the society that you grew up in. We aren't born as racists. We didn't distinguish between "race" as kids. In fact, as a half Korean half white, I never even realized that my own parents were different races until society told me they were & how my Korean mother was treated different as a result from my white American father.
So, if these things are responsible for racism... then what do you think we should do combat that? Should we simply work on eliminating race entirely? Should we create new racial terms and boundaries which is probably necessary considering the rise of the multiracial population and families? Or should we just focus on reeducating people, creating more tolerant & multiracial communities, and stop focusing on the color of the skin and race? But if we cease to focus on the color of the skin and problems that people face as a result... then wouldn't that also mean that we are ignoring the race problem in America?
I don't know.. there is sooo much more to race..
Hi Helen, thanks for adding another good point. You are right that peers and society milieu in which we grew up also have an effect.
DeleteComments from Ramana Rajgopaul above may be true, considering the fact that racism still exists until today. Or like the commnent from Ellen Hawley below : "All you need to do is spew venom".
We as ordinary people may not have much influence to answer your global questions (and I think rather imaginary), like eliminating race entirely or create new racial terms. But it doesn't mean that we don't need to do anything. Within my own family, I instilled the awareness to children that human babies absolutely have NO choice to be born into the desired race, nor into a wealthy family. That choice is in the hand of God. It's not their fault if they were born as black, white or yellow. Shall we blame to God?
This is a small thing that I do and hope readers will do the same for their children. End of words, a garden filled with various species of flowers is more beautiful than just one species.
I've lived long enough now to have seen shifts in the levels of racism in the two countries I know, the US and Britain. I think increasing numbers of whites are shocked by overt racism (that's not to say they're free of prejudice, but it's still progress, and important), but a small number are becoming openly, horrifyingly racist. My best guess is that the second change is partly in response to seeing demographic changes. Whites in the US won't be the majority for ever. And part of it is inflamed by politicians and parts of the media--they've been given permission, and they love it. It's a cheap way for a politician to gather followers. It doesn't cost money and it doesn't involve solving complex problems. All you need to do is spew venom.
ReplyDeleteHi Ellen Hawley, I think the fear of demographic changes is primitive scariness as nowadays the intercontinental mobility is very fast. Modern technology in transportation and communication has slowly brought humans to the age of communal world. The virtual world is the first sign where humans have been connected without borders.
DeleteBtw, I'm impressed by your words : "All you need to do is spew venom".
That's right!
Setuju dengan artikel ini. Salah satu pilar yang berkontribusi terhadap rasisme itu adalah rumah tangga. Karena anak2 cendrung meniru apa yang mereka saksikan dalam rumah tangga. selamat malam, Mas. Terima kasih telah berbagi.
ReplyDeleteTerimakasih. Salam buat Anda.
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