Discrimination: A millennial perspective

"A white has no superiority over a black,
nor a black has any superiority over white,
except by piety and good action."

- Prophet Muhammad.



NO PLACE FOR BIGOTRY

First impressions lay the foundation for any potential relationship. Everyone is different, with a unique perspective on life. But if there's one trait that never fails to dampen my first impression of a person, it's racism and discrimination. From a millennial perspective, I am tired of bigotry and its detrimental drain on society. It feels outdated, like it should exist only in history, yet it continues to flourish more than ever, especially in social media today, which has given bigots a platform to spread hatred with guaranteed anonymity. Facebook and Twitter have become tools for discriminatory expression. The recent terror attacks in Belgium, Turkey, France, Burkina Faso and Pakistan – not to mention the endless horror inflicted on the people of Syria and Iraq on a daily basis – have spawned public anguish and become fuel for people to manifest their intolerance of those who are different or represent foreign values. Even a public figure like Katie Hopkins, columnist for The Daily Mail, couldn't hold back from expressing racial bigotry. She recently Tweeted: "Every one of you who said refugees are welcome, if you said 'let them in'. You are responsible for Brussels. And you still can't see." Has evidence been shared about refugee involvement in the Brussels attacks? No. Hopkins, like so many others, was blinded by bitterness, ignorance and her own sense of self-importance.

That very same bitterness, ignorance and self-importance is exactly what defines terror associations like I.S. Rather than mirror the discriminatory actions of these associations, wouldn't it make more sense to band together and support any individual, regardless of race, gender or religion, to show that we can be better? "We are all - French or Arab, Christian or Muslim, Belgian or Turk - identical victims of only one militant ideology that targets and kills us with identically vicious tenacity,” said Hamid Dabashi, Professor of Iranian Studies and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, in a recent article for Al Jazeera, stressing the importance of cultural and racial solidarity to counter terrorism – standing together as one. "There is no logical link between the crime and the declaration of innocence," he adds. "Even declaring 'this is not Islam', or 'Islam is peaceful', or 'most Muslims are peaceful', is an admission of guilt by association." The Muslim community shouldn't have to answer for the actions of a select group who continue use their name in vain.

For thousands of years, people have used discrimination as a tool to rally others to their cause. It's the act of making a distinction of a person based on the group, class, or category to which that person is perceived to belong to rather than on individual merit. Human history is fraught with violence towards those who look different or adhere to their own beliefs - standing out from the 'common' or 'elite' - so it's no wonder war continues to ravage many parts of the world today, because discrimination is still widely practiced. In World War II, during the Holocaust, the discriminated target group was Jews. Today, in the wake of so-called Islamic terrorist attacks, the discriminated target group is Muslims. A few years from now, it could be another group; a ceaseless cycle of hatred. When will it stop?

Turning a blind eye to wrongdoing is easy; the same way hatred is often easier to manifest than forgiveness. But when you follow hatred and intolerance through to conclusion, there is no beneficial outcome – just pain and dissatisfaction. The only logical route to prosperity is through cultural assimilation, understanding, and the ability to see past many of the damaging norms that society, as a result of history, clings to. Just because recent terror attacks are linked to Islam, doesn’t make all Muslims terrorists. Just because European colonialists of the past murdered their way to sovereign expansion, doesn’t make all westerners today ignorant and selfish. Just because Adolf Hitler coordinated the assassination of 6 million Jews in World War II, doesn't make all Germans evil. The same goes for Indian migrant workers today: just because they are often paid less than other nationalities, doesn’t make it okay. The world has been drowning in discrimination for too long. It is damaging and poisonous.

To inspire the next generation to change, we need more leaders like Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, who time and time again has used his influential voice to call for racial solidarity. Zuckerberg is an exemplary role model to millennials, the largest generation who have taken over the Baby Boomers in numbers. Millennials have the power to change social trends, influence the media, and establish a new world order of global solidarity. "I believe the only sustainable way to fight back against those who seek to divide us is to create a world where understanding and empathy can spread faster than hate, and where every single person in every country feels connected and cared for and loved," Zuckerberg shared on his Facebook page the day after the recent terror attack in Lahore, Pakistan. "That's the world we can and must build together."

"We are all one - and if we don't know it,
we will learn it the hard way."

- Bayard Rustin, Civil Rights Activist.

PROSPERITY OF THE ELITE

Racial injustice goes deep into the history of mankind, far further than I claim to know about. It’s become an unspoken covenant, written into the fabric of society, that having white skin is an essential stepping-stone to a better life. The tragedies of cultural discrimination litter human history, a shameful stain we are reminded of today every time an African or Asian refugee is shunned and turned away from European borders out of fear, and yet white individuals are welcomed into foreign countries as ‘expatriates’.

Racial bigotry and modern white-washed media has split the human race into categories, stirring raw bitterness, depression and self-loathing, all because the more we promote white skin and the Caucasian way of life as the key to freedom and prosperity, those who don’t embody this image continue to feel rejected by society, brewing anger and resentment. You don't have to search very far for proof: "Sometimes I wonder why I was born in Africa," said an African man called Michael Mills, commenting on Facebook. "I probably committed so many sins in my previous life and this has to be hell."

Over the last two centuries, there have been improvements to racial discrimination; from the abolishment of slavery in the United States in 1865, to the conclusion of Hitler's Holocaust in 1945, and also the end of the apartheid in South Africa in 1994. But the question remains: why was slavery ever accepted in society in the first place? How did Hitler ever gain so much support for his ethnic cleansing regime? The shadow of discrimination and prosperity of the elite will haunt us as a species forever. We still have a long way to go before every individual can feel valuable, regardless of their ethnicity or cultural heritage. It’s time to unravel the darkness of our segregated past thread by thread, starting with white and privileged millennials, like me, recognizing and admitting that there is still a major imbalance.

As a child, one of the first times I witnessed the effects of racial discrimination was at primary school, when a Pacific Island student often appeared to be lonely and bemused. At the time I didn’t understand why, because I couldn’t relate to how he must have felt, surrounded by other kids who, at a predominantly white school, represented prosperity, normality and success as it was depicted on television at home. Chinese students were often shunned and left out at school, and Maori students were always painted as trouble-makers, expected to be disruptive. That’s just the way it was – and nobody ever questioned it.

When I relocated to Dubai in 2015, I had no reservations about it. Sure, I was concerned about leaving my familiarities behind, and the possibility of struggling to adjust to a foreign culture, but deep down, I felt secure about the move. It was my choice, and not once did I ever consider that a young, white Kiwi male would be unwelcome in the UAE, especially since I hold what the media considers to be one of the "best" passports. Information from the 2016 Visa Restriction Index lists which countries have the most and least visa restrictions. Many news outlets shared the news, with titles such as: "The best and worst passports to own in 2016". New Zealand was listed as having the 7th "best passport" status, meanwhile countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan were referred to as having the "worst passport" status. As a New Zealander, I read the statistics with optimism, until it got me thinking: what about those at the bottom of the list? How are people from Afghanistan supposed to feel knowing that they have the "worst" passport"? Is it really necessary for the media to label such things as "best" and "worst"? Using terms such as "best" and "worst" categorizes people, making the "best" feel important, and the "worst" feel like shit.

Natalia, a former colleague of mine from India, unexpectedly opened my eyes to racial imbalance in the workplace. At work she was bubbly, vibrant and steadfast. She always brightened the mood - a great person to have around. Despite the fact that we were both hard workers, each with a tertiary education, I later discovered that Natalia was paid far less than I was. She also struggled to obtain a necessary work visa from the employer, which was terribly unfair. It was awful to witness her anguish and disappointment trying to sort out her visa issues. I think it’s safe to assume that Natalia's difficulties in the workplace were attributed to her race and gender. Sure it’s debatable, but deep down we all know that females, particularly non-white females, are paid far less than their white-male counterparts.

In fact, when I looked into my home country New Zealand, a report by the Human Rights Commission in June 2015 showed that middle-aged white men were paid a median hourly rate of $28.77, two-thirds more than Pasifika women of the same age, who were earning just $17.32. Meanwhile in the United States, blacks have been the most unemployed racial group over the last half century, with an unemployment rate almost double the national average, according to Urban Institute. “Discrimination is actually preventing New Zealand from fulfilling its full potential,” says Mai Chen, from the Superdiversity Centre for Law, who has spoken out about how racial discrimination will eventually hurt the country financially. “If we do not allow these people to fulfil their full potential, then we will start to lose financial capital as a country.”

"The best and most helpful mentors and advocates for colored women are actually white men."

- Mai Chen, Superdiversity Centre for Law.

At the time I was working with Natalia, she was sharing a bedroom in a flat with a large group of people; a situation I never considered because I felt I was above that and deserved better. Growing up I always had my own room and plenty of space to myself – a luxury majority of people around the world could only dream of. The more I got to know Natalia, the more I began to recognize racial imbalance not only in the workplace, but everywhere. The fact Natalia was able to stay strong and positive, even though she knew she had to work harder to prove her worth to society more than I did, inspired me. It certainly got me thinking about how unfair life can be.

After living in the Middle East for over a year now, I’ve slowly become accustom to the active social trends. Racism exists in every country, but in the Middle East, it’s unique. In most countries around the world, white people seem to be treated with the most respect. In the Middle East, native Arabs from the GCC region are treated with great respect, and then white people are sort of next in line. Meanwhile Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Filipinos, who, in the UAE for example, together make up 52.48 percent of the total population, are noticeably treated as lesser individuals.

On Quora, a website where individuals can post queries to the public, an interesting question is raised: ‘What is it like to be a non-white or non-Arab white-collar expat worker in Dubai?’ An anonymous female Indian expat, whose father has been working in Dubai for the past 27 years, replies to the question, first mentioning the good side of life for her family in Dubai, which includes: designated shopping areas, excellent eateries, tax-free salary, and the opportunity to live in a nice centralized AC apartment. That’s the positives. The negatives on the other hand are disheartening. She points out that Indian's aren't treated as well as they should be.

“There are two classes of Indians in Dubai: the blue-collar Indians and the white-collar Indians. There is absolutely no distinction in the way they are treated,” she writes. “When I fly to Dubai, at the airport I am treated just the way the Indian manual labourers are...like cattle.” She recounts being pushed and shoved to make way for whites and Arabs at the airport. “They have thrown passports back at me,” she adds. “My father is an extremely smart and hard-working person who has worked his way up to the top. And, a White/Arab guy in the same/lower position than him will get a higher salary. That's just how it is; Indians are paid lesser than Whites/Arabs for twice the effort, even though they have the same designation.”

The world would be a much better place if all privileged people were able to appreciate hard-working individuals of any racial background, and elevate them to the level of success that they deserve. There is so much potential out there, if only the opportunities were available to everyone. I don’t want to come across as hateful towards privileged whites or Arabs, because that would be contradictory. My best friend here in Dubai is an Emirati, and his family is one of the most friendly and welcoming I have ever come across. Good people exist in every culture and religion, willing to change detrimental trends of the past to make things better for the emerging generation. Basic respect for everyone, regardless of their gender, race, religion or sexuality, is the change I wish to see in this world. This brings me back to the issue of ‘expats’ and ‘refugees’.

"Europeans are expats because they can’t be at the same level as other ethnicities. They are superior. Immigrant is a term set aside for ‘inferior races’."

- Mawuna Remarque Koutonin, Social Activist.

In an article for The Guardian, Mawuna Remarque Koutonin, social activist for Africa Renaissance, highlights the prejudiced use of “hierarchical words” created for the purpose of placing white people in an esteemed category of their own when relocating to a foreign country. Wikipedia defines an expatriate as: “A person temporarily or permanently residing in a country other than that of the person’s upbringing.” From this description, one would expect that all people, regardless of where they come from, would be considered an ‘expatriate’ when living in a foreign country. Wrong.

To back his statements, Mawuna refers to The Wall Street Journal, which published a blog dedicated to defining an expatriate. The conclusion is eye-opening: “Some arrivals are described as expats; others as immigrants; and some simply as migrants. It depends on social class, country of origin and economic status. It’s strange to hear some people in Hong Kong described as expats, but not others. Anyone with roots in a western country is considered an expat.”

The text highlights the imbalanced supremacist ideology we live under. You’d think that sharing this embarrassing reality would inspire people to change. But listening to the racist rhetoric expressed by Donald Trump recently in the United States, calling for a ban on all Muslims from entering the U.S. because of the cruel actions of a select few, and considering the support he is rallying, it’s clear that the world still has a long way to go before equality is understood and appreciated in all aspects of society; including equality for women, equality for all races, religions, and the LGBT community.

There is certainly hope. I was impressed by the words of American Republican Presidential Candidate, Marco Rubio, who recently advised his followers on Twitter to vote for the Democratic party if Donald Trump emerges as the Republican front runner, to avoid Trump's discriminatory policies being implemented in the U.S. "If Ted Cruz, John Kasich, or I do not win the nomination, you should vote democrat," Rubio Tweeted. "It pains me to say this, but being pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, and pro-Obamacare is not as bad as unbridled hate and violence toward people who are different from us." Hatred is fueled by fear; therefore, the less we fear one another, the less hate there will be to distribute.



I am proud of my ‘expat’ status living in Dubai. From the moment I became an expat, I wanted to share my experience. But now that I know the truth behind the word 'expat' I feel ashamed that I am automatically given this encouraging title because of my "economic status", while other people in my community must live under a title that demeans them. I often wonder if I’d have been so eager to boast about my relocation if I were referred to as an ‘immigrant’ instead of an ‘expat’. The connotations connected to the words are clear: one paints a picture of adventure and optimism, while the other depicts exclusion and desperation.

There are two sides to every story. There will always be people out there who believe they deserve "better" in life because of their racial status or faith. This article is my attempt to make that group smaller, because it's ridiculous. Many people will read this article and roll their eyes, thinking: 'he's just another liberal idealist'. But I fail to see how society will change unless we become the change we want to see. I've only touched on a very large issue here, but I hope that it will inspire at least one person to open their eyes to the detrimental effects of discrimination and ditch the denial that so many people cling to. Because when it really comes down to it, we are all human, we are all sentient, and we all deserve an equal chance at life.