My Space: Your Space?
Jayran Mansouri
We are often unwilling to admit that racism exists in our communities. We like to believe that in New Zealand we are open, caring and accepting. However, we just have to look beneath the surface to realise that racism is much more prevalent than we think- it may not always be obvious, but it is racism nonetheless.
The term ‘racism’ is often misunderstood. When you think about ‘racism’, you might think about African slaves working in the cotton fields of southern America or Apartheid in South Africa. It seems so distant and you think, ‘none of that happens in New Zealand, it doesn’t have anything to do with me’. But in order to challenge racism we have to admit it is happening in New Zealand.
Why is there racism?
If we are to combat racism, we need to know why it is happening in the first place.
I see racial stereotypes as both a cause and a manifestation of racism. Stereotypes narrow our perceptions of those who are not exactly like us. Unfortunately, our brains are wired to stereotype. It is all down to human nature – we have an in-built natural instinct to classify, categorise, criticise and evaluate the unfamiliar. Most people, when faced with a culture that is unfamiliar, will want to classify, compare and contrast it with their own culture. Such a train of thought leads to an ‘us’ and ‘them’ mentality, which in turn can lead to fear of difference, or a sense of competition.
Imagine for a moment a New Zealand in which everyone is identical. Everyone looks the same, has the same thoughts, the same ideals, likes the same foods, the same movies, the same music, has the same personality and follows the same religion. This of course sounds like a sci-fi book; luckily, in the real world it isn’t like that – everyone is different. But do we celebrate each person’s unique identity or do we group up into cliques and fight?
Multiculturalism
New Zealand society is made of many different ethnicities and cultures so could be described as ‘multicultural’. Dictionary.com offers this definition of ‘multicultural’: Of, pertaining to, or representing several different cultures or cultural elements: a multicultural society. I see a positive multicultural society as one that actively supports different cultures and ethnic groups, and all can have their voices freely heard.
Before I started this article, I thought that multiculturalism was just the presence of many different ethnic groups. I never really thought about how well they were treated and represented. It is all very well and good to live in a society in which many cultures are visible, but I believe we must make a conscious effort to provide opportunities for ALL voices to be heard and respected. Multiculturalism has many benefits, but also brings new challenges and responsibilities.
What does all this mean for young people?
In an increasingly multicultural and globalised world, racism will be an especially important issue for our generation to tackle. We need a vision of how we want the future to be when it is our turn to lead society. We need to be informed – there will come a time when we are leading the world and setting the examples for the future generation.
The Internet has made our world much “smaller”. On the Internet, we can connect with people on the other side of the world at the click of a mouse. Future technology is likely to bring our world even closer together. Through technology, we have an opportunity to become a more open-minded and worldly society, but it is up to us to take that opportunity.
When will it end?
Personally, I am not one of the ‘there will always be racism’ people. It’s easy to say ‘why bother? It’s too big a problem.’ And I agree racism is a big problem, but with the right attitude, we can and should take steps towards an open and accepting society, where people are treated equally and difference is celebrated.
Take Action
- Join or start a cultural group in your community or school
- Hold an “International Day” at your school– get different cultural groups to do a presentation or performance and sell traditional food
- Learn about New Zealand history and the Treaty of Waitangi
More Info
The New Zealand Human Rights Commission website
Information about the Treaty of Waitangi
www.waitangi-tribunal.govt.nz/treaty
www.treatyofwaitangi.govt.nz
Statistics NZ features statistics and information about the 2006 Census
A version of this article was originally published in JET Magazine.
