If I am not a racist, why should I care?
Manifestations of racism across cultures and why education and conversations are key
Racial issues have come to the forefront of the national psyche due to the recent Black Lives Matter protests. Many people deflect blame from themselves because they have not engaged in any overt racist acts themselves — “I am not a racist, so why should I care?”. Others believe racism to be in the Black people’s imagination because slavery is in the past. Asian and Indian immigrants are usually at a loss and cannot comprehend what the hullabaloo is about because they faced discrimination themselves and arrived in the United States when slavery was officially over. Some people take the moral high ground and play the shame game by uploading Karen/Kevin/Ken videos of “so-called racists” on Youtube and Tiktok.
I realized that while the videos were entertaining and the protests were exhilarating, none of these actions could bring about any real change that would be intrinsic and durable. These measures while important to generate attention were in the end temporary “feel good” solutions.
Instead, we must change the conversation and ask the right questions.
The BLM movement has brought our country to a crossroads where race and culture have become a huge point of contention. Yet, most people (including me), do not have a solid understanding of either count, despite all our good intentions and our various demonstrations of anger.
While interning for the San Jose Youth Commission during summer, I started exploring the importance of educating people on the concept of racism and in the process, educated myself.
I came up with a few fundamental questions to explore some of the nuances of racism.
- What is racism and why are people racists?
- Are only white people racist?
- How can racism manifest itself?
- Who has the burden to educate on matters of racism?
What is racism and why are people racists?
According to the Mirriam Webster dictionary, racism is defined as “a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race”.
Usually, people are racists because they tend to learn from the company of people around them. This may include family, friends, and peers with whom we feel comfortable due to a similarity in culture, beliefs, background, and interests. We tend to judge people using stereotypes because it is comforting to blame others for our problems.
Are only white people racist?
Racism is not merely a Black versus White phenomenon. The history of slavery in the United States and media portrayals have reduced racism to showcase the tensions between these two communities. Examples of racism prevail in almost all ethnic communities and sometimes take the form of subconscious bias and at other times, more overt modes of aggression.
Consider, for example, the preference for fairer skin tones in India’s bridal market (as shown in the recent Netflix show “Indian Matchmaking”), the treatment of people from the Northeast in India because of their “foreign” appearance and stereotypes of sexual laxity or drug dependency, and the assault on students from Africa in Indian educational institutions. See article.
In 2019, when Indian celebrity Esha Gupta referred to a Black football player as “gorilla face” it generated some negative publicity, yet when she apologized saying that it was a mere reflection of her frustration with the result of the game, most fans were happy to dismiss it as an honest mistake. I take no pride in calling out these biases in my own culture or community. What is ironic is that India prides itself as a diverse country of many languages, cultures, and ethnicities.
But, if racism only refers to prejudices on the basis of race, how do we explain the biases grounded in variations of color within the same race. For example, a preference for white skin prevails in the Latino community. In Mexico, dark-skinned people are often referred to as “negritos” or “little Black people”, yet it is not seen as racially offensive, but rather as a term of endearment.
Asian countries like Korea or Japan are not exempt either. Ill-treatment and abuse of dark-skinned migrants are well-documented, yet neither country has any formal legal recourse in case of racial discrimination. See article.
Thus, racism is not just an American problem. It exists everywhere and many of us are racists without even realizing it. Of course, that does not make it OK. I believe the realization and awareness of what constitutes racism is the first step towards being an “anti-racist” when we engage with people who are different from us. The goal is not to declare “I am not a racist”, but work towards being an “anti-racist” by educating ourselves on the nuances of racism and its numerous manifestations in our daily lives.
How can racism manifest itself?
It is so common to have instances of racism manifested in our everyday language that it does not often register as objectionable. See article. The tech industry uses terms like “master-slave” “blacklist-whitelist”, and it is only recently that some companies have taken the initiative to switch to more neutral language. Thus, racial bias may be systemic over time and the more entrenched it gets, the harder it is to eliminate it.
Gen Z across the world may not have exposure to overt racism because of shared cultural experiences irrespective of ethnic origins, like Kpop, RAP, Bollywood, and access to consumer products from different countries. Their classroom experiences are more universal and there is hope that they are less racist than their predecessors.
Yet, irresponsible use of language can cause severe harm even when used as a joke or to express frustration or rage. In the post 9/11, terms like “terrorist” targeted anyone with a Middle Eastern appearance and branded them as unpatriotic. Many of the words used in Presidential tweets recently may seem racist by most reasonable standards, yet isn’t it ironic that a large part of the country is divided in their opinion of the intentions behind the use of language? Even Communists who claim to be anti-racist because they place no value on individual human beings can also be racists. In fact, the term “racism” was invented by a Communist, Leon Trotsky, as a smear against opponents because it obstructed achieving Communist goals for society.
To conclude, it is not merely burning the cross or lynching that exhibit racist bias. Racism may take many forms and we may not even be aware of it. The unfamiliarity of the “other” or “foreign”, history, hearsay, and peer pressure may all be perpetrators of racism.
So who has the burden to educate?
The education system? Our peers? Self-reading? Black people? Families?
The responsibility lies with everyone. The fear of upsetting young children, lack of time in the curriculum, the sense of being unqualified to talk about race are just excuses. The need of the hour is to “be uncomfortable” and initiate conversations so that there is hope for change and a truly post-racial society.
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Currently, there are several petitions online to make a class on racism mandatory for educational institutions. Maybe we all need to be educated. https://www.change.org/p/place-mandatory-education-on-institutional-racism-and-how-to-prevent-it-in-schools-across-us
