For centuries racism and xenophobia were "diseases" that began to take over increasingly more people. Before we think of ways to fight against it we should actually know what racism and xenophobia mean.
Racism has existed throughout human history. It may be defined as the hatred of one person by another or the belief that another person is less than human because of skin color, language, customs, place of birth or any factor that supposedly reveals the basic nature of that person. It has influenced wars, slavery, the formation of nations, and legal codes.
Most people don't know what xenophobia is and how this mental illness destroys an individual’s capacity to behave rationally. Xenophobia is an excessive and irrational fear of anything foreign. This fear is most often of foreign people, places or objects. People who are xenophobic may display fear or even anger toward others who are foreign.
There is one question that we ask ourselves…..”How to fight against racism and xenophobia?” The answer is actually easier than the question.
Racism seems part of our natural tendency as humans. That is the fear of what we don’t understand, what is different from us. And if you ask yourself “What racism is”? Which is the first thought that comes to your mind? Well, I think that….Racism is really nothing more than Xenophobia taken to a harmful and frequently to a more violent conclusion.
What are the causes of racism? I have to admit even if I don’t like it that the strongest cause is the fear, the simple fear of unknown. And then is Ignorance….we focus on differences and attach negative attributes to them because we simply do not understand. We do not understand strange food, strange rituals and strange beliefs.
Have you ever thought about that before? You say you try to fight against racism to combat xenophobia, but, have you ever thought that you, yourself are a racist? You are a racist when you judge your classmate because of his clothes. You are a racist when you don’t talk with your roommate because he dyed his hair is pink. You are a racist just because you look at those around you and judge them by their appearances.
So how then do I think we should go about fighting about racism and xenophobia? My answer is one that you’ve heard so many times before: Education.
We are not born with our prejudices. We acquire them. As children we are surrounded by millions of people, and, imitating, we get to do the same things as they do. Parents think that their children learn to respect when, in fact, they only learn to judge people around them by their defects, and never look at themselves.
Racism has existed throughout human history. It may be defined as the hatred of one person by another or the belief that another person is less than human because of skin color, language, customs, place of birth or any factor that supposedly reveals the basic nature of that person. It has influenced wars, slavery, the formation of nations, and legal codes.
Most people don't know what xenophobia is and how this mental illness destroys an individual’s capacity to behave rationally. Xenophobia is an excessive and irrational fear of anything foreign. This fear is most often of foreign people, places or objects. People who are xenophobic may display fear or even anger toward others who are foreign.
There is one question that we ask ourselves…..”How to fight against racism and xenophobia?” The answer is actually easier than the question.
Racism seems part of our natural tendency as humans. That is the fear of what we don’t understand, what is different from us. And if you ask yourself “What racism is”? Which is the first thought that comes to your mind? Well, I think that….Racism is really nothing more than Xenophobia taken to a harmful and frequently to a more violent conclusion.
What are the causes of racism? I have to admit even if I don’t like it that the strongest cause is the fear, the simple fear of unknown. And then is Ignorance….we focus on differences and attach negative attributes to them because we simply do not understand. We do not understand strange food, strange rituals and strange beliefs.
Have you ever thought about that before? You say you try to fight against racism to combat xenophobia, but, have you ever thought that you, yourself are a racist? You are a racist when you judge your classmate because of his clothes. You are a racist when you don’t talk with your roommate because he dyed his hair is pink. You are a racist just because you look at those around you and judge them by their appearances.
So how then do I think we should go about fighting about racism and xenophobia? My answer is one that you’ve heard so many times before: Education.
We are not born with our prejudices. We acquire them. As children we are surrounded by millions of people, and, imitating, we get to do the same things as they do. Parents think that their children learn to respect when, in fact, they only learn to judge people around them by their defects, and never look at themselves.
PIELESTEANU MIHAELA - STUDENT
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