I read with dismay a letter from an Indian reader published in yesterday's edition of Today newspaper, concerning how her daughter has been ostracized in kindergarten because of her race. The name of the school was not disclosed but I think the facts stood out for themselves; little kids no older than 5 or 6 years of age, calling their Indian counterpart "smelly", refusing to let her participate in games, sit beside them on the schoolbus, etc etc...
In another article in the same paper, a 28-year old Indian NUS graduate laments how she still has no stable job despite having sent out thousands of job applications over the years. She has been told by friends that she has three things working against her; She's Indian, a female and an Arts & Social Sciences graduate. She also pointed out how most Classified ads that feature non-customer service oriented jobs still require applicants to be bilingual in English and Mandarin.
Two different situations yet very similar issues -- Racial discrimination has always been a sensitive topic of discussion here in Singapore. We are a melting pot of diverse cultures and religions and in the public eye, the gahmen keep promoting (very shamelessly) this aspect of our country in colorful tourist ads and the like. Yet when you dig deep beneath the flashy surface of things, petty acts of discrimination still run rampant everywhere, causing great unhappiness and discontent, whether the people who commit them do it consciously or subconsciously.
I must admit, I myself have been the perpetrator of many racist remarks when amongst certain close friends of mine, and I'm sure most people have heard and laughed over a racist joke or two in their lifetime, no matter how crude or cruel it might have been. My point is (and as seen in aforementioned examples), racial discrimination still exists even in these modern and progressive times and it is foolhardy to pretend that it doesn't. It is also, however, an unavoidable human affliction, so deeply ingrained within us, that it is almost impossible to eradicate.
Its causes and origins are various and manifold and it is beyond my limited abilities to even mention them in gist. But as a member of a minority race, I have experienced a number of race-related put-downs by people from the majority (a.k.a chinese) be it in school, at work, or everywhere else inbetween, and in retrospect they had been rather hurtful experiences. Ergo, how natural it had seemed for me on many occasions to disparage the cheenas in a string of malicious anecdotes, and with relish too, as if by doing so, I might have my "revenge" on those who had treated me so unjustly in the past.
The most effective solution is of course through education -- Racial harmony day, which celebrates Singapore's ethnic diversity once a year by students, is also a day when the dire consequences of the racial riots of the 1960s are remembered. Some schools even allow their students to attend classes in ethnic costumes and stage plays, performances, etc to commemorate the day. But is it enough that only one day out of 365 is set aside to promote racial harmony? And when national campaigns are put together by gahmen ministries to promote racial/religious tolerance, shouldn't a wider net be cast to involve and grab the attention of all levels of society, especially those busy, working adults, who are the real culprits of racism? For when a child commits acts of discrimination or makes insensitive comments, isn't it the adult members of his/her household (who has exposed her to such ideas) who are truly responsible?
Children, ignorant youngsters and uneducated members of society (who commit racist acts) may be excused, but thinking, mature and educated adults should make a conscious effort to not only behave graciously toward other races, but also refrain from all other forms of discrimination as well. With that said, I vow from now onwards to think twice before I crinkle my nose when a troop of Bangladeshi workers board the mrt at Outram Park, snigger at Ah Lians and Bengs who cannot pronounce the names of Hollywood celebrities properly, or sneer at Mats in tapered jeans and minahs wearing humongous loop earrings...
