We split up in tribes. To live, we dominated other people that had the same goal. Then, the reason for fighting was life. Then, we realized that there are people different from us. This was the beginning of the question: “Still a racist?”
What did we do? We allied with those that are similar to us for the sake of fighting the others. When we stopped the fights, we started others
These fights have some changed characteristics: the reasons why we create hate.
Before, we had one reason only – life. Being a racist was something normal back then. But, now, it was replaced by the idea of a better life, full of luxury. And to realize that, we searched the weakest. Oftentimes we chose, because of the ease and because of society, to fish them from far seas, leaving the puddle on the other block untouched.
We saw something similar with slaves and owners.
From them, the psychological need for splitting into categories. How else would we feel special, important and appreciated? The first classifications are regarding our wallets, but that doesn’t count now. The differences found in our mirror, our habits, traditions, language and history, cultural stereotypes – this interests us.
Why do cultural stereotypes exist today? Well, aside from what we discussed before, we need to add the fear of the unknown. These are the two main concerns.
The first is spinning around our self: “What am I? What am I supposed to be?”
The second concerns the latter “How are they, in comparison to me? How should I behave with them?”
We ask ourselves, but we have nothing to start with, so from the beginning, without finding an answer, we will invent one. That, with time, will become a stereotype.
For example, I will present the story of a Romanian girl that met during her life two Romani people, not having any link to their culture directly. The first guy is a little chicken owner with 5 grades.
The existence of the second is in completely different circumstances. Bethany, not knowing anything about him aside from ethnicity. She would, of course, be tempted to compare him in her mind with the first one.
Maybe our guy doesn’t know the other one. Maybe they have completely different interests, but… their ancestors lived close to each other (though it’s not completely factual… Eh, who knows?)
THERE MUST BE SOMETHING, RIGHT?
Anyways, the first was too predictable, so I will avoid him. Let him be the reincarnation of Hawking, our girl will never find out, and no one will try and change her opinion. This is her right.
Things change, though, when her rights hinder the rights of another person. Thus, it becomes immoral from the moment the boy is excluded just because of his ethnicity. And sadly, no one can guarantee that things won’t get worse. (Disclaimer! This story can represent any other ethnicity or region.)
Similar ideas can be inspired by other sources, like a foreign political situation that would usually not affect the way to look at another being.
What does this all mean? What is racism – why did we choose to hate?
RACISM – Reactionary bourgeois theory of the inequality of races, emitted with the purpose of becoming a justification for the domination and subjugation of some nations.
At a first look, racism is just a simple word, something totally harmless. What is interesting though, is that everyone heard it. Why? Oh, well, let’s think about what kind of words we find in our vocabulary. Practically, we know only the ones that are necessary. We need them to survive.
But we don’t eat racism! So go away, you racist potato!
No, but it also is part of our lives. Even worse, it’s part of something else: the class of words that represent i’m-big-cool-and-unhappy-let’s-fight
History is, essentially, blood red.
Though racism isn’t only blood and bruises, but traumas and complexes. It represents an old problem, implanted deep in our minds – one that needs to be confronted. Being a racist has no relevance in this world.
Author: Aderov Sofia
