The Oxford dictionary defines racism as “prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism by an individual, community, or institution against a person or people on the basis of their membership of a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalized”.
Racism can be overt and obvious or subtle and implicit.
Image credits: https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/alarm-at-hate-crimes-targeting-asian-americans
Image credits: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jan/02/california-police-black-stops-force
An example of a subtle form of racial discrimination is when an individual makes a decision based on one’s racial biasness consciously or subconsciously. For example, a driver choosing not to pick up a person of a certain race or a boss choosing to promote a certain individual because of his or her race and not based on the individual’s performance at work.
Racism has a range of harmful effects on those targeted, including limiting access to employment, health services and education and reduced workplace productivity. Racism has been linked to mental and physical health problems, particularly depression and anxiety. It is unfair for any individuals to go through racial discrimination. There is no specific race, nationality, culture or language that is more superior than the other.
If racism is something known to be unfair and harmful to people, why is racism still happening in so many societies?
- Embedded in history
According to Dr Mathew Mathews, principal research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), he explains that historically, racism has been informed by other phenomena and discourses such as colonialism, slavery and white superiority. In the Singapore context, racist stereotypes are likely to stem from colonial times, when work was apportioned according to impressions of different races’ propensities. As prejudice is learned or inherited, which explains why racism continues until today. Misinformation and biased views about other races when uncorrected, will be reinforced by others and throughout generations.
- Perpetuation of prejudicial views from families, friends and media
Most impressionable children and teenagers tend to trust people whom they know. There might have been stereotypical remarks or comments made about groups of people that led them to develop unfair thoughts about others. In news reporting, if the nationality or race of people who are involved in an altercation, it might also reinforce racial stereotypes in the readers’ mind.
- Limited personal interactions and experiences with people from other ethnicities
Dr Mathews shared in a broad-ranging interview that “in the absence of opportunities to get to know people of other races well, people fall back on stereotype”.
- Lack of knowledge, understanding and sensitivity to others
Sadly, even in culturally diverse Singapore, racial discrimination has happened and can happen anywhere – schools, public transport or around the neighbourhood.
Image credits: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/racism-and-xenophobic-behaviour-will-become-normalised-if-spore-is-not-careful-warns
The photograph below was taken in Raffles Institution (RI) in 2016. However, the photo was being reposted on Twitter 4 years later. The picture depicted a group of friends celebrating their friend’s birthday (dressed in black) with an elaborate fanfare that reeked of inappropropriateness and insensitivity to their friend’s Indian ethnicity.
Image credits:
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10157529623742371&set=a.10151269765892371
The group of friends might have thought that it was funny and hilarious to celebrate someone’s birthday this way. First, the group had prepared a brown paper bag that has the words “Whitening kit” as a gift to the boy. Other students in the picture had deliberately put on black masks on their faces. This is an example of ‘blackface’. In the past, actors used dark make-up to make their skin look dark in performances. The practice of appearing in blackface is now considered offensive in any country.
Discuss: What do you think they were implying about their friend’s skin colour? How was he feeling at that moment? The friends might not have meant malicious harm then but what did that event suggest about ‘harmless jokes’, casual racism and microaggressions?
As the photo has re-emerged in recent years, the ten people in the photo were forced to confront their actions in the past. An email apology crafted by the group in the picture was subsequently published on Facebook:
“We (the ten people in the photo) wholeheartedly and unreservedly apologise, to our friend and the community. What we did was wrong, and in no way justifiable. It is no excuse that we were young, immature and ignorant. It is no excuse that we had no malicious intentions. It is no excuse that we were celebrating our friend’s birthday. With our insensitive, racist, and cruel celebration, we clearly failed him instead. We are deeply sorry to our friend, and to the many others whom we have caused distress. We know that our apology cannot undo years of microaggression and casual racism, but we hope it goes a small way towards making things right.
Race-based banter, like what we engaged in, is not funny, and never acceptable. Like other forms of racism, it marginalises minorities and perpetuates discrimination. Moving forward, we commit to unlearning these behaviours and will continue to reflect on our actions. We will work harder to amplify the voices of the minorities in Singapore and educate ourselves further. Once again, we are truly sorry for what we did.”
How can we be part of the solution to gradually root out racism?
The process of rooting out racism is definitely a long process. People need to be willing to change for the better and be involved in making things better for all.
First, what is the difference between tolerance and acceptance?
Image credits: https://pediaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Difference-Between-Tolerance-and-Acceptance-Comparison-Summary-768×920.jpg
Here are some suggestions to shift from a mindset of tolerance to acceptance:
- Acknowledge that racism happens in Singapore (regardless if you or your friends have personally experienced racial discrimination before) and it can happen to anyone and anywhere.
- Calling out casual racist remarks, ignorant comments and unfair treatment of people. Standing in solidarity with those who have been treated unfairly.
In a Facebook post, Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong was “disappointed and seriously concerned” about the allegedly racially-motivated incident. PM Lee highlighted the need for Singapore residents to “stand united against racism”. - Speak in English when you are in a multi-ethnic group setting English is the official language in Singapore and speaking in ‘mother tongue’ languages can cause someone to feel that they feel that they are an outcast.
- Widen your personal experiences/ interactions with people or friends from other race, cultures or nationalities whom you have not interacted with.
• Social interactions in ethnically inclusive settings to promote intercultural understanding. These could be in neighbourhoods, schools or workplaces. Research suggests that prejudice is reduced when people from different groups interact under certain conditions which include having equal status, common goals, intergroup cooperation, the support of authorities and opportunities for friendship.
• Empathy and perspective-taking: If you belong to the majority in Singapore (of the Chinese ethnicity), you might not have experienced racism. Try to put yourself in the shoes of the minority groups and reflect that position of privilege. - What are some examples of ‘casual racism’? Have you committed ‘casual racism’? Or have you been a victim of racial discrimination? How do you usually respond when you hear racist remarks?How do you usually respond when you hear racist remarks? How can we prevent racism from happening to others?What does racial colour-blindness means? Should we be racial ‘colour-blind’?Open dialogue on issues that affect different ethnic communities, especially for minorities.
• Race and religion remain sensitive topics but constructive discussion is needed, including in schools. We need to develop the vocabulary and sensitivity to engage in such discussions. For instance, neighbours knowing how to discuss concerns about a religious practice such as the burning of incense.
• As cultures are constantly evolving, it is important to have opportunities to be able to keep clarifying to better understand. Pease ask questions respectfully, with the purpose of genuine learning about the other person’s race, culture and ethnicity.
• Be open to change your perspectives or prejudices towards othersEvery individual deserves to be treated fairly, with kindness and without judgement. To make the world a better place, each of us need to reflect and evaluate ourselves honestly in order to uncover any subconscious bias and prejudice we have of others. Hopefully, through that process, it will result in the change in our mindsets and behaviours towards others, so that the people in the future generations can have more freedom to truly be who they are.
What else can we do to make Singapore a better place for everyone, “regardless of race, language or religion”?
Discussion questions and links for further reading:
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- Color Blindness is counterproductive
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/09/color-blindness-is-counterproductive/405037/
Sources:
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/622748/singapore-resident-population-by-ethnic-group/
- https://www.asiaone.com/digital/former-ri-student-apologises-after-getting-outed-group-blackface-photo-2016?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR0BRlB9XQcQJpTV0p8263tlpcBZ31mFtxii1f4inbiF9_itPfA7wCBdrOU#Echobox=1591188739
- https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10157529623742371&set=a.10151269765892371
- https://www.nhb.gov.sg/what-we-do/our-work/community-engagement/education/resources/national-symbols/national-pledge
- https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56270334
- https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-casual-racism-30464
- https://cityofgood.sg/articles/race-in-singapore/
