As lot of discussion is going on regarding racial discrimination, thought of documenting my feelings and experiences and share it with you. This blog is dedicated to everyone who were discriminated in any form.
I am grateful for having a diverse experiences in life; my roots in Kerala (a state in India), childhood in Telangana (a state in India), education in Karnataka (a state in India), Germany and China, personal and professional trips across countries and cultures as well as being married to a partner from a different faith and region. All along, there were lot of incidents where I was treated differently; in a good way for eg. in Japan, China, South Africa. In some cases, I was treated differently in a bad, insulting way and intentionally too (across the world), for color, religion, region, food habits…DISCRIMINATION. A few examples are:
- During my high school & college days, I was called names because of my faith by fellow students and teachers
- My family was settled in a different state and were asked several times to go back to our home state and a few even challenged us for owning property
- In the UK following the July 7th bombing, I have experienced how all the Asian men were treated as potential terrorists by some of the Brits
- Being a foreigner in Germany, it was a challenge to get a fair deal while looking for a property to rent/buy
Most discrimination I have experienced is by Indians, in India and abroad. For those Indians who are feeling furious, please keep emotions aside and retrospect rationally.
When I look back, I did feel bad during a few incidents but never carried any hard feelings. However, what made me wonder was, how can one say or do something mean to other humans and be happy inside. I still don’t understand. Best part is that the same people who discriminate others expect a fair treatment, when they are in a similar situation.
Such behavior could be a result of beliefs, fears, prejudices, superiority complex, etc., It is normal to have such emotions/feelings, however it is the reactions based on those feelings, that needs to be checked. Most of the older generation (60+, I might be sounding discriminative here) were not exposed to globalization during their prime years, hence it might be challenging for them to overcome the cemented beliefs. But what is wrong with the younger generations? I do not have s solution, however from what I have seen, I believe such reactions are part of our human DNA, hence cannot be eradicated completely. However we can reduce the incidents and its impact. To achieve that education alone is not sufficient. Key is awareness and to create a fundamental and non-negotiable idea of humanity, thrive towards zero discrimination of any form and advocate fearlessly.
Talking about fearlessness. My daughter shares how some kids in her kindergarten talks about her brown skin and black hair, sometimes even making fun. I tell her that we all are the same but different and no one is superior. Have also asked her to respond back to the kids and say that they are “WHATEVERCOLOR” in the similar tone and make fun if required. Do not want any kid to feel inferior for any reason! Hope, as the kids grow, they will be more informed and will not repeat the mistakes of previous generations.
Apart from a few incidences, I am blessed to have met best of people across the world. Thank you for sticking along!! In case I have discriminated against someone, here is my unconditional apology.
Let us remember that we all are in the journey of LIFE with same destination. Why not we share all the ups and downs while enjoying the journey TOGETHER.
Bon Voyage!