How To Respond To Racism
I recently watched a video floating around the internet. The video shows a Sikh boy being called a terrorist, while riding home on his school bus. He responds by recording the event. A little warning, he decides to call them a mother f$&@ker. I'm sorry, but I can't say I'd stay calm in a situation like that either! This brings light to a bigger issue. Why was the girl in the video using a word as colorful as terrorist? She must have heard this before from someone in her life. Children imitate behavior they have seen. Racism is all around us. It may not be as prevalent where you live, but it happens every day. It's happening in grocery stores, at work, and on school buses full of children.
Stories like this infuriate me and my anger stares the ignorant person right in the face. If I were in this situation, I would be yelling and showing another "great" example. So, what should we do in response to racism?
Stay calm
Don't respond in your anger. As hard as it is to not let your anger fuel your words, you need to take a deep breath. Separate your emotions from the situation as much as you possibly can and remember this is an opportunity to fight racism.
Don't laugh
I've heard advice from people, saying you should laugh it off. Don't worry about it and just laugh so they stop talking about it. No. Laughter at racism only reinforces racist behavior. Whether it's a joke or a derogative comment, don't laugh. Racism is not funny.
Ignore it or confront the issue.
This is a tricky decision. You can either ignore it and walk away or confront the situation. Think about the situation. Are you in a state where you can respond in a constructive manner? If not, walk away from the situation. You can confront it later when you've calmed down. There's no need to get into a screaming match. Chances are the person won't hear a word you're saying anyways. When you are calm or if you are ready to confront the situation in the moment, take a deep breath and respond.
Confront the issue, not the person
Confront the issue at hand, racism. It goes beyond one ignorant person and brings us to the culprit. Racism is fueled by ignorance. If the racism is in the form of a joke, ask them why they think that's funny. Or simple say, you don't think comments like that are appropriate.
It's easy for us to ignore a situation so we don't stand out. Maybe, we want to fade into the background.. Maybe, we don't want the drama.. Regardless, racism is a global issue. Its victims are adults and children, children trying to ride home on a school bus. Stand up against racism.
What Do We Do About Bullying?
As an adult, you start to take pride in what sets you apart. You want to stand out and be different, one of a kind. As a child, you want to blend in. You do everything you can to avoid being different. You want to be just like your friends.
Growing up, I had one thing that set me apart from most of my friends, my freckles. As you can see, I don’t just have a few. They’re everywhere. During the summer, they multiply like bunnies and take over. I would even try staying in the shade to avoid the inevitable.
Now, I love my freckles. They make me unique. I even prayed my little Indian babies would be born with beautiful freckles. I’m still praying for them to come every summer.
If only our children could bypass the shame and go straight to being proud of their differences.
I was talking to one of my husband’s cousins recently. She was talking to me about school and shared something with me. She told me she would never bring Indian food to school for lunch. I thought she was kidding, but the look on her face said there was a story behind this declaration.
She told me she brought a curry dish to school one day. Her mom is constantly making Indian food, so it would be like you bringing leftover spaghetti. As soon as she opened the tupperware, her friends noses went straight up. They instantly started making fun of the “gross Indian smell.” They ganged up on her asking how she could like something that gross.
My heart broke for her. She brought one of her favorite meals to school. She wanted to show it off and share it with her friends. Instead, she was mocked and ridiculed. Now, she has declared to never repeat the situation again.
How can kids be so mean? It makes me want to hide my children away forever in a little house in the middle of nowhere. I guess I can’t really do that. Instead, I’m going to do everything I can to teach my children to be proud of who they are.
If they can remember to celebrate their differences, they won’t be so caught up in covering them up from everyone. I want them to remember that God has made us all different.
Often times, society tries to tell us we’re all the same. Buy the same clothes, do your hair the same way, get it cut the same way, say the same things, but we can’t ever be exactly the same. We need to challenge our society and remind children their differences make up who they are.