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Disclaimer: There is some sensitive language that is used in this post, but it’s solely for the sake of analysis and is not intended to offend anyone. 

Have you ever been treated unfairly because of your race?

If your answer is yes, then it’s proof that racism still exists. Even if you haven’t experienced racism personally, it’s not too hard to hear stories in the media, in the workplace, in schools and so on. Despite the extreme cases in history where countless people with enslaved, abused or outright killed because of their race, it seems like racism is still a relevant issue in modern day society. The next logical question would then be: why? Why does this type of mindset still exist? Where does it originate from? Can a world without racism be possible?

Don’t judge a book by its cover?

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Don’t judge a book by its cover is something I’ve heard quite a lot growing up. While it has good intentions behind it, I’ve recently realized that the phrase isn’t quite complete. We do judge a book by its cover and we do judge people by their appearances. However, judging and discrimination are different. It’s important to make this distinction because it’s part of human nature to judge things with our five senses, it’s what helps us distinguish from a fierce grizzly bear and a harmless kitten. In other words, prejudice is something built into us and despite its negative connotation, it’s something that we use on a day-to-day basis.

Don’t judge a book only by its cover, take the time to read what’s inside. I find this way of phrasing it to be more accurate, because it doesn’t deny the fact that we do judge things by their exterior. What’s key is that we take the time to see beyond the cover and examine the contents inside. Otherwise, we run the risk of stereotyping – an overgeneralized belief about a particular group of people. When prejudice and stereotyping combine, that’s when discrimination happens.

Racism is a form of discrimination based on race. Examples include denying someone a job because of their skin color even though they have the sufficient qualifications. It’s seeing a Muslim and automatically assuming that they are a terrorist. It’s a store clerk following around a black person in case they steal anything, but not giving a second glance to people of other color. Although large-scale racism has in my opinion, decreased over the years, it is these more subtle examples that are still pervasive within society.

Where do racist attitudes originate from?

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No one is born racist. I’m a strong believer that when babies come into this world, they’re don’t naturally harbor hate for certain groups. They’re the epitome of innocence and purity, but that also means that they are easily molded by their surroundings. Like soft clay, babies are gradually shaped by the beliefs and values that the parents want to instill into them. Throughout childhood, they will continue be shaped by what they see in the media, by what their friends think and by what their teachers tell them. It’s through this process that an individual starts having assumptions about certain groups, even if they’re not consciously aware of it.

Children do have a sense of what’s right and wrong, but they are also influenced by those around them. I always think back to the young protagonist, Scout, in Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird.  Scout has been raised in a society where black people are treated as inferiors. So when people learn that her father, Atticus, is defending Tom Robinson, a black man, in court, she experiences backlash from the community. People at her school criticize Atticus for being a “nigger lover” and some of the adults even organize into a mob to attack him. Scout does exhibit racism herself, but her perspective begins to broaden as her father explains to her why he’s defending him.

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Atticus teaches Scout the important lesson of empathy. Although they are surrounded by racism, she realizes that it’s no excuse to act that way themselves. She later says, “I think there’s just one kind of folks. Folks.” This quote resonates with me because it shows an understanding that every individual has something in common, they are all humans. Regardless of skin color, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, socioeconomic background, in spite of all these factors, we are all the same on the inside.

However, it’s just as easy for an individual’s beliefs to be shaped towards racism. Mayella Ewell, the alleged victim of rape from Tom Robinson, has grown up a family with a long history of racism, openly expressing that they black people are lower than them. Furthermore, their family is notorious for being lazy and abusive, with the father being a drunkard and the children refusing to go to school. Even though Atticus presents surefire evidence that Tom Robinson didn’t actually rape Mayella, she still denies it.

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She says: “That nigger yonder took advantage of me an‘ if you fine fancy gentlemen don’t wanta do nothin’ about it then you’re all yellow stinkin‘ cowards, stinkin’ cowards, the lot of you.”

She has an expectation that because she is white, they’ll take her word over a black person. Moreover, it’s important to note that she calls the people in the court “cowards” if they were to side with Tom Robinson. On the contrary, I believe Atticus is being courageous by being different and opposing the status quo, while to be a coward would mean to perpetuate the racism that is so ingrained in their society. When you contrast how Mayella and Scout see the world, it demonstrates how upbringing has a significant effect on an individual’s attitude towards racism.

Even the softest clay will harden over time. Similarly, as an individual grows up, they will become set in their ways and it is more difficult to change their beliefs. That means that whatever morals has been instilled into them as a young child will have a large influence when they are an adult. It is difference between being open-minded and empathetic vs. being ignorant and discriminatory. It’s not in a child’s nature to be racist, it’s an attitude that is nurtured.

Are there such things as positive stereotypes?

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Stereotypes can be dangerous and offensive, but are there such things as positive stereotypes? Stereotypes are generally frowned upon because they overgeneralize a group of people and assume that all their members act the same way. For example, saying that people with blond hair are unintelligent. I’ve often heard this said jokingly, but in fact, it can be hurtful when someone is naturally blond and people have the preconceived notion that they’re less smart than other people.

Consider this: All Canadians are polite. I wouldn’t immediately consider this to be offensive, because it’s shaped in the form of a compliment. However, is it true that all Canadians are polite? The simple answer is no. The truth is, within any group of people, there are exceptions. Similarly, is it fair to say that all Americans are racist and violent? No.

How about: All Asians are smart and play piano. Again, this does not immediately come off as racist, but after thinking about it more, it is just as harmful as any other stereotype. What if an Asian doesn’t fit into that image? It’s an expectation that all Asians are like that way, when they’re not. Even if they do fit that image, it can discredit the hard work that they do put in. Say for example someone is great at playing piano, some people might just say: “Oh, they’re Asian. No wonder.” No, they put in hours and hours of practicing to get that way, not because they’re Asian. 

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My conclusion is that there are no such things as positive stereotypes. It’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Some stereotypes can be disguised as being positive, but in the end, it’s still dangerous. Instead of getting to know people on a personal level, they are labelled by their race and the corresponding assumptions about how they all act. Each individual is unique. They are not defined by their skin color.

Is a world without racism possible?

With what has been discussed so far, it seems like eliminating racism is an impossible task. However, this was the central question that a group of youth and I tackled. Back in May, I attended a 3-day leadership camp in Canmore (link here for anyone interested). While there were plenty of team-building activities, the main objective of the weekend was for us to propose our solutions to some important issues. These issues included mental health, self-esteem, environmentalism, dependence on technology, and so on. Our group was called A World Without Racism.

When we started, we all recounted our personal experiences with racism. At that time, I couldn’t recall any specific events, but after having some time to reflect, I can remember some. One time, I was volunteering at a Latin festival  and a lady stood in front of the stage, chanting: “Go back to your country!” Another time, I was walking around downtown and two strangers came up to me suddenly and said “Konichiwa” in the most mocking tone ever. They even did clapped their hands together and did a half-bow. The thing is, they weren’t even Asian and they assumed that I was Japanese.

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We all had our own experiences with racism, but one thing was for sure, we wanted to see a world without it. After much brainstorming, we came up with the idea to host a multilcultural festival in one of our high schools. Students and staff would be encouraged to bring in some food from their cultural background (who doesn’t love food?) and share it with others. Another thing we recognized was that sports and music were universal languages that everyone could understand and enjoy together. We also wanted to set up a socializing area where people could have a cue card with a list of questions to get to know each other better: Where do you come from? What’s something unique about your culture? How do you say “Hello” in your language?

Through our multicultural festival, our goal was to celebrate our cultural diversity and break down the barriers of stereotyping and ignorance. I would say we have good ideas, but of course, it would be overly idealistic to claim that racism would be completely eliminated just by hosting this event. I still hope that we can one day bring our ideas to fruition because it would certainly have some sort of impact, even if it’s just a small one. Throwing a pebble into a pond causes ripples, and with enough momentum, those ripples become a wave of change.

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Just the beginning

Is it a world without racism possible? I’ll have to say that the realistic answer is no. However, that does mean then we shouldn’t always be striving towards a society where everyone is free to be themselves. I want to live in a community where differences are celebrated, not criticized. Education at a young age would be valuable in preventing racism at later ages. Not just saying “racism is bad” but rather explaining how to identify racism and what you should do when you see it happening. At the core of it all, it’s being able to see past outward appearances and realize that everyone is connected as a human.

Racism, among many other issues, are problems that humanity has been tackling for centuries and it still has not been resolved. Although there have been steps towards a more equal world, there’s still a long road ahead. Hopefully this post has gotten you thinking though. It can be argued that I should be taking action rather than just talking about it, but I believe writing about this issue is taking an action in of itself. It helps you to reflect on your current behaviors and to be more aware of racism in the future, at least that’s my goal.

Help me to spread this ripple of change.

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Additional Reading

What is racism? Definitions of relevant vocabulary when it comes to racism: discrimination, prejudice, race, and stereotypes.

Don’t Cash Crop My Cornrows: A Lesson On Cultural Appropriation by YAA writer Emily Donville. A look at the harmful effects of cultural appropriation, that is, adopting cultural elements because they’re trendy but avoiding the deeper issues associated with that culture.

Meant to Be Different by YAA writer Liv Lopez. She touches on the important point that people can be more than one thing at once and that things like gender, race, age, and so on, doesn’t define who a person is. Each person is meant to be different.

Prejudice & Discrimination by Youtube channel Crash Course. Part of their “Psychology” series, Hank Green discusses the how and why of racism. He breaks racism down into its components and gives examples to back them up.

3 minutes that will change how you think by Youtube channel Prank Nation. A social experiment to see how one woman reacts to a black person versus a white person asking them for money.

What Do Blind People Find Attractive? by Youtube channel Tommy Edison. I find this video interesting because it makes me wonder if there would be any racism if we were born blind. Tommy Edison was born blind and his channel recounts his experiences. Instead of appearances, he finds other traits about people more attractive.