Overcoming Racism and Cultural Differences

Posted by Julia Gomes on June 21st, 2017

One of the most discussed global issue today is the issue of racism. Today, the world is at its most sensitive state and is becoming even more sensitive together with the growth of social media. Though frequently talked about, there are complexities about racism that are rarely brought up. Most of the time, people tend to stay within the ambiguity of the word “racism.”

As sensitivity increases, so does our misusage of the term, to the point that some use it to pertain to anything discriminative, may it be gender, social class, physical appearance etc. However, in order to create continuous and effective efforts to combat racism, there should be a clear definition to be used as common reference.

Racism is defined as the belief that a particular race is better than another.

If it is a “belief,” it should then be manifested by words, actions or both. There are ways where one can be directly racist with what he says. There are also other ways where one chooses to be subtle in fear of being called racist. Sometimes, this fear is even greater than the fear of actually acting racist. Because of this, today, one should be more cautious than ever. As an example, in Trump administration news, US president Trump was criticized for implying that a judge with a Mexican heritage gave an unfair ruling to his case. This created even more tension between Trump and the Hispanic Community, and even citizens who found that his statement meant that: “The judge cannot do his job the right way because he is of Mexican Heritage”.  However, even if one does not actually say explicitly that another person is inferior because of his race, it does not necessarily mean he is not a racist. His actions may determine that as well, as he keeps his bag away from an African American he just met on the street.

There is so much information and incident shown in the media, but it is also important to understand what to do with this knowledge. Yes, racism is there and have been dwelling amongst us for a long time. And though knowing is a good start, it should be accompanied be several other things to see racism as it really is today and make it a little bit better every day.

As per mix-raced individuals, this is a group of people that is mostly left in a gray area, torn between to culture. This is most common for individuals living in the US. Racism applies to them in a subtle way – in the form of double consciousness.  Even if one is pure blooded Asian, if he lived in the states for all his life, he is still exposed to this double consciousness that creates a double standard where one is constantly pressured to choose from. Hence, seeking belongingness has to reject some part of himself to either conform to his surroundings or be the odd one out.

As per the oppressor, if racism is a belief, then oversensitivity (towards not being called racist) is not the answer to this social conflict. It is a change of heart. Instead of fearing to be called “racist,” there is an even grave issue of why a person feels this way towards another race, and what he can do to change the stigma.

 As per the victim, it’s not that they portray over oversensitivity because victims of racism have every reason to take offense on the act. What makes the issue so complex is how the victims respond either with hate towards the oppressor or with self-assurance, as choosing the former leads to even more damage.