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Does racism result in more racism?

Posted by Robert, 20 Sep

Wouldn’t it be great if we can do away racism among ourselves? Sadly, as long as certain racial groups and ethnicities believe that their race is above others, discrimination will always be there. It goes both ways. So long as there is a group that feels the other race is superior, prejudices will never be wiped out entirely. Does it result in more racism?

Read this article and see how much racism affects interracial couples, mixed race children and the society as a whole.

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How Explicit and Implicit Racism Affect Our Society

Without a doubt, it's clear that any form of racism is bad for our society. There is more open and conscious kind of racism which a person can actively direct at someone. This is called explicit racism. For instance, hurling racist remarks at someone with the intention of hurting them. How many times have we heard of people torching other people’s houses just because they are from a different race living in a neighborhood that is dominated by another race?

Now at least when a person does that, you are sure that they really meant to be offensive.

However, there is this kind of called implicit racism. This isn’t intentional. You might say something prejudicial that might hurt the other person and not even be aware that you were being racist. And more often than not, when the victim says you were being prejudicial, you find yourself defending yourself.

Children are not born racist. So we cannot say that we were wired to be discriminatory. But how and where we grew up can influence our formed opinions about a particular race.

For instance, if your parents constantly hammered in you that light-skinned people enjoy certain privileges over darker skinned individuals, chances are, you will always believe that life comes easy for all of them. Even if someone at work says they genuinely got a promotion, you might find yourself insinuating that it’s because they are light skinned.

Whatever we choose to call it, whether its conscious or subconscious, someone is bound to get hurt. None of the above is less harmful.

For instance, people higher levels of implicit racism engage in different acts of discrimination including lack of racial inclusion, lower levels of friendliness, and lower evaluations of presentation in the workplace. Implicit racism affects us all nowadays because most of our decisions are taken based on our racial perceptions due to how we have been made to believe over the years.

Why is racism wrong

Let me open your eyes and mind to the many wrong things about racism.

Racism breeds more racism. As I mentioned earlier if you were discriminated against by a particular community growing up, would you be warmer to them just because you are grown up and wiser?

Chances are NOT. Some things scar us for life. And one thing likely to happen is you will always have negative formed opinions about anyone from that race. And if you ask me, generalizations against a race is racism. This is because you will never give anyone a chance to show you their true personality just because they are from that race. That in itself is discrimination.

We have always seen that people who have been victims of racism become worse when they are retaliating. Slavery, for instance, has made people form certain opinions about other races. And this is why until today, there are people who won't consider interracial dating no matter how drawn they are to another person.

Sadly, it’s not just an individual thing. Some world leaders are directly and indirectly part of this wrong school of thought that advocates discrimination against people of other colors. Sometimes they might be of the same race but discriminate based on the region they come from.

This always leads to ejecting people from races that are not discriminated against out of their settlements causing a seemingly unending cycle of racism. One wouldn't be wrong to say racism results in more racism.

Now imagine what some interracial couples have to deal with

What some interracial couples deal with

Yes. We have become more tolerant than we were years back. But there are still hate incidents that interracial couples face. Generally, we are at a better place. But there are those few individuals who still find interracial disgusting.

If you follow the link you will see how this couple had to endure interracial dating racism. You are not going to believe the mouth on that guy that hurled racially insulting slurs against them.

It usually gets worse when it turns violent. There was an incident where a man stabbed an interracial couple just for kissing in public. Parents have cut off their children completely just because of interracial dating. Houses have been torched. There was a judge who refused to marry a mixed couple.

Then there is the family factor.

Now there are times that implicit racism happens. Some families might find it uncomfortable. They might be against your relationship because they feel they are protecting you. Or maybe it could be because they had a bad experience with someone from your partner’s race. And then they probably just hate your race…

Whatever it is, it never ends well. You might be forced to choose between your interracial partner and family. If you are not solid enough or you are the kind of person that values the opinion of their parents, then it means you will have to break up.

How will your partner feel knowing that you broke up because of your parent’s prejudice? He or she will also start bearing formed opinions about your race. And chances are, they will never date your race.

All these vile acts are not just directed at ordinary people. Celebrities get their fair share of interracial racism too. I remember once, Tamera Mowry broke down in tears on Oprah when she was explaining how racist trolls are now calling her a “white man’s wh*re”. And Tamera is “mixed race” … So what is to happen to a full-on black woman? Or man for that matter?

Now try bringing a mixed child into the mix…

Challenges Faced by Mixed Race Children

Raising children in a society centered on hatred and division can be quite a hassle. The most difficulty comes when one is trying to raise mixed race children in a society that was built on inferiority and inadequacy.

Many mixed race children are always dealing with identity issues. The first challenge they meet is at school when they notice a racial difference between their classmates. And the identity crisis happens because they ‘don’t quite fit’. Can imagine being tossed around for being ‘not-Asian-enough’ and ‘not-white-enough’?

These kids grow up lonely. It’s like people force them to choose. They have self-esteem issues. And some don’t normally embrace their mixed identity. They try to alter their bodies through plastic surgery so they can look more like the race they prefer.

The thing is, biracial kids are a target of discrimination by their peers. Parents need to pay a big role and ask their kids to be open about any form of bullying or discrimination they might face in school. This will help in nipping it in the bud before it escalates and scars them for life.

Would we be better in a one-race world?

Without a doubt, the world probably MIGHT have been a much better place if everyone one had the same color. But I highlighted MIGHT. This is because, even in places where people are predominantly of a particular race, we humans find a way to discriminate. It could be ethnicities, skin tone, hair color, eye color…

In as much as we all have different skin color, it shouldn't give the room for discrimination.

One thing I have realized with our society is our obsession with skin color. This has made the cosmetic industry a booming one.

Get this, all men and women are created equal, and everyone should be treated equally. It does not matter who you are; whether African, American, White, or Mexican - we all have red blood running in our veins; there is no difference.

It is not that Asian people have yellow blood and Black people have black blood. The fact that we have different skin color should not differentiate between us, and it does not make us different from another human being. So no race is superior or inferior to the other.

The thing is, there is even more racism when trying to solve racism using outside sources – it may lead to conflict. In other words, if we don't handle racism well, we make the situation worse. We have seen instances where one racial group forms a movement against another, only for the other group to come up with a counter movement.

It’s a vicious cycle. It is therefore not possible to resolve racism using racism.

For more articles on racism, hate crimes and what interracial couples face, visit love is all colors.