Racism

Racism is the belief in the superiority of one race over another, which often results in discrimination and prejudice towards people based on their race or ethnicity. The use of the term “racism” does not easily fall under a single definition.[1]

The ideology underlying racism often includes the idea that humans can be subdivided into distinct groups that are different due to their social behavior and their innate capacities as well as the idea that they can be ranked as inferior or superior.[2]Historical examples of institutional racism include the Holocaust, the apartheid regime in South Africa, slavery and segregation in the United States, and slavery in Latin America. Racism was also an aspect of the social organization of many colonial states and empires.

While the concepts of race and ethnicity are considered to be separate in contemporary social science, the two terms have a long history of equivalence in both popular usage and older social science literature. “Ethnicity” is often used in a sense close to one traditionally attributed to “race”: the division of human groups based on qualities assumed to be essential or innate to the group (e.g. shared ancestry or shared behavior). Therefore, racism and racial discrimination are often used to describe discrimination on an ethnic or cultural basis, independent of whether these differences are described as racial. According to a United Nations convention on racial discrimination, there is no distinction between the terms “racial” and “ethnic” discrimination. The UN convention further concludes that superiority based on racial differentiation is scientifically false, morally condemnable, socially unjust and dangerous, and there is no justification for racial discrimination, anywhere, in theory or in practice.[3]

Racist ideology can manifest in many aspects of social life. Racism can be present in social actions, practices, or political systems (e.g., apartheid) that support the expression of prejudice or aversion in discriminatory practices. Associated social actions may include nativism, xenophobia, otherness, segregation, hierarchical ranking, supremacism, and related social phenomena

.links: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism

“If I wasn’t hearing bad things about myself, I wouldn’t think “oh, I’m a bad person, I can’t do this, I am not going to do it”. Whereas if no one said anything bad about me, I would push myself harder into doing things and knowing that I can do it, no matter what happens I will do it … but I just can’t.”
– Ekta, 15

Why is racism a problem?

Racism can cause a lot of damage to both individuals and communities.

Individuals

A study of over 800 Australian secondary school students found that racism had huge mental health impacts on young people who experience it, including:

  • ongoing feelings of sadness, anger, depression and being left out
  • headaches, increased heart rate, sweating, trembling and muscle tension
  • a constant fear of being verbally or physically attacked
  • not wanting to go to school
  • having little or no trust in anybody apart from family. 1

These impacts can reduce people’s ability to work or study, and to achieve their future goals.

Racism also affects people’s general wellbeing when they are denied equal access to jobs, services and education.“Racism makes me question myself and why things have to be this way … I wondered one day what it would be like to be white and how much better my life would probably be. That was a low point.”
– Andrew, 19

Communities

Australia is now a very culturally diverse country – about half of us were born overseas or had one or more parents born overseas. When racial tensions develop, they don’t just affect one or two of us – they affect us all… as neighbours, workmates, friends and fellow Australians.

Racism creates a society where people don’t trust and respect each other.

When it’s allowed to flourish, it lessens us as a people. Remember the Stolen Generations… the White Australia policy… these are the ugly times in our history. We need to be vigilant in making sure that these kinds of things are never allowed to happen again.

There are no reasons or excuses for racism. It’s just wrong. And in many cases, racism is against the law.

links: https://www.humanrights.gov.au/resources/what-you-say-matters/why-racism-problem