“Does racism still exist today in our community”? Racism has many different forms, and it is a part of the history in every country. There are some dates that are prominently associated with racism that endure in our memory. For instance, in 1941 after the bombing of Pearl Harbor racism towards Japanese Americans increased, and in 2001, the attack on the “World Trade Center” in New York City increased racisms against Muslims. Racism is caused by people making hypothesis on racial stereotypes. It is also a kind of injustice upon a community of people for their religion or their race or their political idea or sexism. In anyway, racism is never helpful, and it never resolved any problem, instead it creates hatefulness. According to Tracy Matsue Loeffelhoiz, the author of the article “What Japanese internment taught us about standing up for our neighbors”, the US society has changed in a positive way after the Pearl Harbor attack and the internment of Japanese Americains at Manzanar. As she said, in our days, there are more support and marches against any kind of inequity in our community. Lots of supporters against racism are willing to “Let it not happen again” (3) and they are fighting every day for the right of every person in their community. If so, what would be my duty facing towards any kind of injustice in my neighborhood?
Racism is one of the most complex social issues in our community. It has affected many people and in today’s modern world, we can’t get rid of it. People who are victims of injustice and racism in their own community are vulnerable and they experience a kind of suffering in their existence which is not fair. Racism is caused by people making hypothesis on racial stereotypes. I personally know about and had experienced of some kind of injustice. As I am an immigrant who already have been lived in Europe and in the US, I sometimes had to interact with some people who were consider themselves superior than me and that was because of my middle east origin. I remember especially when I was living in Europe, sometimes, I had to face and passed through some people who considered themselves like responsible and queens of the world. One day, while I was looking for an address in a street, I approached to two couples who were walking in a walk side, to ask them my direction. When they saw me approaching them, the ladies just glanced over me and they passed without nothing to say. I saw in their eyes a kind of disdain and the disgusting smell of racial biases. They taught I want to rob them or to attack them. It was really ridiculous and especially a repugnant sentiment I never forget. That day, I understood why my auntie who was living already in that country changed her look so much. I am pretty sure that she transformed herself to be like other Europeans. Consequently, she didn’t have barriers and hostility at work or in her neighborhood and at that time, nobody didn’t know about her Middle East origin. This difficult racism experience has hurt me as It was the first time in my life, but I couldn’t change them, and I was powerless to change whatever happened for me.
The racist perceives others through eyes by their personal biases. After the bombing New York city and since Isis is in power, hysteria and fear against Muslim community increased everywhere specially in the US and Europe. I remember all the problems and injustice against the son of my neighbor about two years ago here in California. I know this family personally and we are friends. He is Persian, raised in the US and went to university in California and became a successful young person and could be useful in the city hall for helping his neighborhood. He cares for people and have any racism idea, however he experienced one of the terrible time in his life. He was one of the candidate to be a delegate in his city. While choosing a delegate for the city hall, some of his superiors at work made a lot of trouble and obstacle towards him. They shared false words against him in the public’s mind and some medias and they condemned him to have terrorist opinion and even have relation with terrorist sympathies. However, he never had any relationships with Iran government or any other terrorist group and he is an American citizen but because of his Middle east origin, he has suffered in his work from some of his coworkers and some superiors. The pressure at work was enough for him that forced him to leave his post at the city hall even though he loved what he did.
Racial discrimination (affects Or Provoke?) mental health, depression, anxiety, and psychological stress in the victims. The cost and damage of injustice and inequality towards those who experienced it, are enormous. People who are healthy and mature enough in their mind and their social relationships will distingue and will not mingle everybody in the same category of (enemies or terrorist?) After he quitted from his work he became sick and a depression seized him. He has suffered for committing nothing wrong and he is only a victim of some (racial hypothesis Or Opinion.) Later, his family and some of his close friends were solidary and tried to vote for his right. Some of his coworkers who were for his right started (raising OR Gathering) some signatures to support him, but he said, he can’t go back to work and collaborate anymore in that section. Some months later, he was hired in a new place but the memory and the injustice he beard will never wipe off from him. Unfortunately, I got the news lately. I wished I could at least support him, but it was too late to do something.
Social unfairness arises when justice is treated unequally. The anti-Muslim sentiment we have confronted in the US and even in worldwide since 2001 increased in some of our community. I think in American society, it’s like some people didn’t get a lesson of life from the past hostility and hate against Japanese Americans. I guess I know better the meaning of “Shikata Ga Nai” (10) FTM. which means “It cannot helped, It must be done). Sometimes, we just have to be patient and do what we have to do for supporting any victim of injustice. Regarding to my neighbor, in his case, I liked to stand up against this injustice towards him by (supporting OR bearing) him and his family. As I am new in the USA, I just heard recently about the American Civil Liberties Union. I was talking about some injustice towards my family with an American friend, and she told me about this center which is a kind of some human association who support and help people who are victim of any kind of unfairness in their community. I liked to go to the American Civil Liberties Union to consult someone to raising public awareness by gaining some signature from some of my Americans friends who are lawyers. I even could write a letter to his employer to say that he didn’t had to believe some talks from others without any real document. I wonder how some individual could let themselves to accuse and to condemn someone without having any sort of a real document. I hope a racist could understand how much the damage of his action and his biases are devastating and I hope that “Let it not happen again” be really a true slogan and some people will not judge others by unknowing the reality. Tracy Matsue Loeffelholz said” Public opinion affects political will and political will makes a difference.” (3) Therefor, she thinks that if people stand up against injustice by fighting for their right, they could force politicians to make an action to change their community in a right pat.
In the future, I would like to do public awareness and some activism. I am somehow someone who can’t be indifference towards injustice. I like to stand up for my neighbor in my community and be useful for them. I am willing to help and to be the mouth and voice of others who are more vulnerable in my community. I always will be for the truth in any situation and I will not anymore let others to judge me, my family and my neighbor with their personal biases racism. My desire is a discussion to know other opinions in a deeper nuance of how I can be useful and helpful to victim of injustice and where to go for the next step. I would encourage everyone in the conversation to be gentle and generous with each other. I would encourage people in that category to be a blessing to those who are willing to contribute by supporting anyone who needs protection and understanding. I want to say that all of us, we belong to a one world by suggest interacting with each other’s negative feelings, misunderstandings, and about race – instead of ignoring them. I hope to live in a world with no discrimination, oppression and racism. I need to learn to know how to act a right fight to support my neighbors because as Tracy states during world war nobody fought for the Japanese. Let it not happen again!
