LEARNING RACISM

How do we learn about race? How do we learn not to point at someone who is pale, whose eyes are narrow, or whose skin gets ashy? How do we learn to understand and respect differences, and how do we learn what these differences are? We have to learn both racism and racial tolerance, which are not distinct topics.

Asian-Americans often live in relation to the common impression that they all want to be doctors, know kung-fu, are good with numbers, or have a special connection to laundry. To understand Indian people it would help to know something about what is commonly called their traditional family structure and gender roles.

When you learn that most Chinese people have straight, black hair most of the time, you’ve learned a stereotype and begun to learn how to be sensitive about the whole hair thing. When you learn not to insult white people openly for their careless disrespect (but indefatigable curiosity) for other languages and cultures, you’ve learned how to do your part in the continuation of racism.

The two tend to overlap. But one can learn racism without learning how to be nice about it. The reverse, however, is not really possible.