During the past week, we had been discussing
the American modernist writer William Faulkner’s pieces of writing. Somehow, we
ended up talking about the former President of the USA, Barack Obama, and that
was the moment in which something caught my eye.
Many years have to pass as well as social changes, as to let an African American man sit on the presidential chair of one of the most powerful nations of the world. Our society claims to wave the flag of rights equality, and flatly reject any kind of racial discrimination. However, social segregation is still taking place in daily life experiences.
My question is up to what extent we (society) have overcome this racial segregation issue? (If we have overcome it already…)
Many years have to pass as well as social changes, as to let an African American man sit on the presidential chair of one of the most powerful nations of the world. Our society claims to wave the flag of rights equality, and flatly reject any kind of racial discrimination. However, social segregation is still taking place in daily life experiences.
My question is up to what extent we (society) have overcome this racial segregation issue? (If we have overcome it already…)
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Despite the fact that our society is supposed to be a vociferous opponent of ethnic segregation, it took a life-time to finally get rid of it.
It comes as a surprise to me that even though the world was aware of the rights violation that both wars made, situations which violated dignity and democracy continued thriving
For instance, what is a turning point in history was the parliamentary election in South Africa in 1948, in which apartheid was introduced as an official policy that classified citizens in racial groups. What is more surprising is that it wasn’t until 1994 that there was an attempt to broker the end of this policy when Frederik Willem de Klerk, the last president of the apartheid-era in South Africa, introduced a new policy that made this country a multi-racial democracy. In the same year, the politician Nelson Mandela became President chosen in a democratic election. He had to overcome different shortcoming, but they are nothing compared to the magnificent goal that he could achieve at the end of his fight , as he could finally dismantle what he was always adamantly opposed to. And we are getting almost to the 21th century…
Another situation that caught my eye is the election
of the first African-American President in the United States. He was chosen in
a full democratic election and won by an overwhelming majority. This is the
moment in which we can realize how society has changed. But I insist, why did
it take so long? 21th century…Really?
In the following video we can see the impact of
the President Barack Obama being chosen, as he represents an array of cultural implications.
Find
attached the Barack Obama’s speech when he was elected President.
It seems
that ethnic prejudices have been left behind.
Up to what extent?
Up to what extent?
In
the video, we can see society making fun of themselves, they make jokes
regarding the racial differences between black and white people.
Have we overcome the racial segregation issue as to make fun of it and not be serious about it? Or do we keep on making differences regarding skin color?
What is your point of view?
Have we overcome the racial segregation issue as to make fun of it and not be serious about it? Or do we keep on making differences regarding skin color?
What is your point of view?
Macarena, regarding your question I have thought about it and I come up with the following answer .
ResponderEliminarI must say that nowdays discrimination is not an issue that has overcome as to make fun of it. As we know, many people still discriminating people because of the simple reason that has a different skin color. What´s more, if we think in our context( chilean context) when there is someone of color or is not like us call the attention instantaneously and people tend to make fun of it . I believe that happens due to the lack of culture and education in our socity . Moreover, I should also add that, although today there is no slaves, there is too much discrmination with regards of color but also in relation to gender, religion and so on.
As a final thought, I believe that when we say black or white , it is a form of discrimination. We need to stop saying that , since we are making a difference which it should not exist. Therefore, if we want a change , only depen on us :)
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ResponderEliminarI believe discrimination and segregation light never be overcome. As humans we are naturally driven by a thirst of power and feeling of superiority. We´ll even unconsciously will do things to outshine our neighbors and to sit in the spotlight. I think the important thing is to keep this debate constantly on sight in order to waken our conscience, fight our nature and deliberately make changes in the way we act and react towards people who is different to us.I agree with Carolina, and I think it can be summarize in the known saying: "Be the change you want to see in the world"
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ResponderEliminarIm in two minds regarding if we have really overcome discrimination in our society. Legally speaking, politicians have taken the bull by the horns regarding this issue. Lots of policies have been accepted in order to outlaw discrimination. What's more, Campaigns such as the '' Speak out against discrimination that takes place in Europe and aims at erradicating discrimonation from european countries are flourishing worldwide. However, there's still a lot to do on this issue. If we have a look at our country, we could easily spot discrimination. Bunches of immigrants from surrouding countries such as Peru and Bolivia have come to Chile looking for a better future. Sadly, they are mistreated, people do not respect them whatsoever, thwe make utterly harmful jokes about them and employers make them work on dreadful shifts and so on and so forth. By the same token, we discriminate people of different social class. We are becoming a class-conscious society, we base who we are on our belongings, the more you have, the better you are.
ResponderEliminarAs to round off, I firmly believe that there's still a lot to do in order to eradicate discrimination! Policies and Campaigns are useful, but we cannot used them as the panacea for this problem. We must produce a shift in thinking as to really overcome this worldwide issue.
Macarena, regarding the last point you referred in your entry I must say that a possible way to fight against racism could be adopting "progressive racism". For example: If you tell a racist joke, you are making it no longer racist because a joke has no ideological purpose, which in the case of racism is to hurt and segregate . A joke has only one goal: make people laugh. You can't use a joke to explicitly hurt somebody because it will make it no longer funny.
ResponderEliminarIn conclusion, I would say that making fun of racial differences is not necesarily racial discrimination or banalization of this issue. But is undermining racism from within.
I'll conclude thisresponse by adding a Slavoj Zizek speech about racism where he fully develop this topic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4YJAs6Cv9I
Macarena, although we do keep on making differences regarding skin color and social ethnicities, from my point of view, there is a way to overcome this problem, which is to educate without prejudices our children and people around us.
ResponderEliminarTolerance needs to become a permanent value in our life and the best way to teach that is through acting, with our behavior we need to reflect that we are not better than someone else, we are just different. If we want respect we need to learn how to respect, it might be difficult to visualize a future like that, because we care more about others's lives than about our own problems.
I would like to share this rap with you, which widdely discuss some ideas about racism that reflect exactly my perspective.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl8W6ddWfM8&hd=1
"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." Martin Luther King, Jr.