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Paulinenjoy
Joined: Aug 31, 2001
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Institutional Racism
October 28, 2002 - 07:00 AM
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Racism is not just what is whispered under the breaths of people who live in society. Racism can cause people to be prejudice or priveleged power structures to take this prejudice to help them gain more power. Our immigration institutions favor certain immigrants over others, and it is still hard for most immigrants to access the proper papers to become a part of our society.
It's not that racism isn't important... and should be brushed aside with the happenings of September 11th, if anything they should be more important because of the attitudes that people program into their own minds when they are feeling as fearful, or unwelcoming to certain cultures or views, like they are right now.
It is important that young people especially take on this issue of racism and prejudice and dispell some of the myths about what happens to people when they feel this way, and how people can learn to appreciate everyone for who they are, not what they look like, act like, or what values they were brought up with. We are all a product of our various experience, so to say that one person's biological roots are superior is terrible, but we do it everyday in our education system, curriculum content, our government decisions making processes and in the ways that we put instiutions and employment before welcoming people with diverse beliefs, talents, skills or training to offer.
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Andrew Lauman
Joined: Oct 18, 2002
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Re: Institutional Racism
November 6, 2002 - 11:33 AM
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Why do you think we do this?? Where does racism come from??
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Cimarron
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Re: Institutional Racism
December 19, 2002 - 09:17 AM
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Originally posted by Pauline
Racism is not just what is whispered under the breaths of people who live in society. Racism can cause people to be prejudice or priveleged power structures to take this prejudice to help them gain more power. Our immigration institutions favor certain immigrants over others, and it is still hard for most immigrants to access the proper papers to become a part of our society.
It's not that racism isn't important... and should be brushed aside with the happenings of September 11th, if anything they should be more important because of the attitudes that people program into their own minds when they are feeling as fearful, or unwelcoming to certain cultures or views, like they are right now.
It is important that young people especially take on this issue of racism and prejudice and dispell some of the myths about what happens to people when they feel this way, and how people can learn to appreciate everyone for who they are, not what they look like, act like, or what values they were brought up with. We are all a product of our various experience, so to say that one person's biological roots are superior is terrible, but we do it everyday in our education system, curriculum content, our government decisions making processes and in the ways that we put instiutions and employment before welcoming people with diverse beliefs, talents, skills or training to offer.
Greetings!
I understand what you are saying about insitiutional racism and I think it is something that youth and young adults are not aware of. By the time they might get faced with having to explore and discuss the issue, they wil have most likely become perpetrators of the insitutionalization without their awareness. The task tehn becomes harder because one can't always get people to own colelctive guilt or complicity. They move right into denial.
I think this is why we must deal with prejudice (hatred and prejudgment) and racism (hatred and prejudgment + the societal/cultural and political power to enforce the hatred and prejudgment), at an early age.
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Simiso
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colour
December 19, 2002 - 11:47 AM
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where does it come from?? it seems that race has to be one of the first things we notice about a person, it's sad but true. i don't think there are people out there who can claim that racisim doesn't exist coz i don't think the problem was ever fully addressed. we all tried to seep it under the rug but it's not so easy coz we're faced with it everyday. I'm reading "stupid white men" right now and he's (michael moore) very un-p.c. (politically correct)but he's saying what's on his mind AND offering solutions. i think the way forward is to admit that there is a problem and then begin to make the changes at grass root levels. it's gone on for too long. and yes, YOU can make difference. it starts with one person. so start already!!
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Britt
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The solution
January 2, 2003 - 02:34 AM
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Greetings all!
Well, as far as solving racism for good, I hate to take a pessimistic approach. In this case, it's just one of those cases where you know its not going to work. We are most likely never going to live in a "Utopian Society", and good attempts to change that will always be perceived, by at least one person, as naive and impossible. That's the sad thing about this world, I think.
But, in regards to helping out small communities, and even making individuals better people by eliminating some of the racism, I think the first step is to help yourself. I'm not saying everyone is racist. Personally, I could care less about someone's race. (as you can obviously see, there are many people from different countries, of different races, cultures, and even moral standards on this forum. And as far as I see, most are highly intelligent, caring, and intelligible people)
There have been many attempts, in the past, to overcome racism (and I speak of racism in general, not necessarily of any category).. One example would be John Lennon's and Yoko Ono's idea for Bagism..(for those of you who don't know of this movement, Bagism was the idea that if people were to get in bags -such as potato sacks- and be heard, but not seen..racism could be overcome...Now, of course, there's more to this theory, and I, frankly, don't want to explain all of the details, so I'll leave you with that).. Other attempts included random protests of the sixties, seventies, and on up, rapidly becoming less popular. Most gave up, because they figured all of it was worth nothing in the entire scheme of things. It was just a waste of time, and the only thing it was doing was angering the public. That's another sad thing about this world: even those who are passionate about what they think is right, still hold pessimism and doubt, leading to overall execution of those beliefs. This doesn't always happen, but it's noteworthy, nonetheless.
There will always be racism. Thats a fact. And there will always be hatred. This cannot be stopped. It is up to our government, our media, our community, and -most of all- individuals like ourselves, to try and alter this just a little. And if it doesn't happen in our lifetime, we'll still have the satisfaction that it was a good attempt. If not this lifetime, maybe the next, or the next... it's about holding hope that, one day, people will look at racism as something that was frivolous, stupid, and overall- history. It's about holding the hope that future children will be happy to live in a world that has little hate...and a world that can focus on the big things, not skin colour, not others' morals, not background, nor any other minor detail. That's my two cents. Thanks.
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altaf
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how?
January 9, 2003 - 11:29 AM
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quote-"It is up to our government, our media, our community, and -most of all- individuals like ourselves, to try and alter this just a little" dragonchild.
How??? its easy for us all to sit here n talk about it n say we have to alter this a little but i think that the qestion we shoule be addresing here is what are the means and methods that we should adopt to help reduce racism how we as individuals can change other peoples view about the different races of people across the globe!is educating people about how all of us are eqauls or do we need to do sumthing else??
i myself have no answers to the questions i ask !!!
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Lauren
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Re: Institutional Racism
January 20, 2003 - 10:36 AM
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You are right, racism is a huge problem. And, in my opinion, it's a problem that was caused by something that doesn't exist! 'Races' are really just images, these so-called differences are created by the mind. I don't belive in 'race', the way I see it is that there is only one race: we are all humans. Racism is a social concept, it came from Social Dawinist beliefs, and so in order to get rid of it, we are going to have to throw out Social Darwinism. The belief that any one race is superior to any other is just plain stupid, and that's a cold, hard fact. We are all the same.
If you want to start making a difference and radically change the way things are around you, you need to start with yourself. If you haven't already, begin to understand that our differences are only in physical appearance -- one's 'race' has no effect whatsoever on their intelligence or their potential to contribute to society. We all have the same capabilities, no matter what colour our skin may be, how we were brought up, where we came from or where we are going. Racism is hate. And so you will have to learn not to hate others, because hate cannot solve the problem that it started. It just simply can't. What's more is how hard it can actually be to reject feelings of hate, because many are taught to hate, sadly enough. Many, many societies are harbouring the concepts of hate and fear, which are exactly the things were are trying to get rid of. A bit hypocritical, isn't it?
So how about yourself? What kinds of ideals do your socities promote; do you view them as positive or negative? I for one, always feel like a bit of a loner where I live. I was brought up being taught that racism was okay, however, I learned that it isn't. I have learned what is important in life, and what isn't, and that has radically changed my opinions about pretty much everything. I am basically living a different life than everyone else around me, because I fight against the rules that society teaches us. Do any of you ever feel the same? Hopefully by spreading my opinion, I can be a positive factor in reducing racism, is anyone with me?
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Lauren
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Re: Institutional Racism
January 25, 2003 - 02:40 AM
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Racism isn't something we were born with. We are taught by our societies to be racist. Saying it is just a 'self-defense tactic' isn't going to solve anything. If you know it's wrong, do something about it.
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