Post by Keith on May 23, 2007 17:12:55 GMT -8
Racism has been around for many centuries and will be around for centuries to come. One main factor is that it's easy to pin blame on at least one or more groups instead of taking the right and extremely more difficult path of understanding and tolerance. In a sense it's easier to destroy things or leave things behind than to build or repair things. Like a bridge for example, it's easier to leave a bridge be and let it deteriorate than to take the time and effort to repair a bridge or build a new bridge. Things may seem to be easy, however over time it gets much more difficult if one wants to repair a bridge.
There are various factors to how racism is caused and spread. One obvious event in the United States was at the end of the Civil War with the "Reconstruction" of the South. Financially, the South was damaged. Getting hurt financially hurts the most because it's something one can almost never recover from. You can recover from financial pains but it takes a long time. The plantation owners blamed the Blacks though they didn't have anything to do with the Reconstruction. The frustration of the damages led to the Whites oppressing the Blacks. It had given rise to the Ku Klux Klan which was a secret organization designed to oppress Blacks. This example shows how frustration is one vital component to how racism is caused.
Another most notable example of frustration which sparked World War II. This was something that Woodrow Wilson foresaw before he died. With the signing of the "Treaty of Versailles," Wilson wanted all countries to be free and to leave the Central Powers especially Germany be. However, the other Allies wanted to financially damage them. It was the European version of the Reconstruction. It was the post-World War I Reconstruction. Germany had suffered immense financial woes similar to those of the southern states after the United States Civil War. Instead of Blacks, they used the Jewish as the scapegoats. It was easier to use them as the scapegoats due to their religion not having many restrictions than the other Christian religions. Hilter and the Nazis had oppressed the Jewish by taking away their businesses and finances. Only difference is that it led to a mass genocide of the Jewish via the gas chambers in the Holocaust.
Hitler believed that non-whites and especially non-Protestants to be inferior to "White Aryan Christians." However, though they were not white, Hitler dubbed the Japanese as "Honorary Aryans."
After World War II, the Jewish were given a place in Israel. However, the land belonged to the Palestinians. Half the land was taken from the Palestinians and were given to the Jewish who became the Israelis. That was when the state of Israel was recognized. But since the land belonged to the Palestinians, it was like the Jewish were doing onto them what the Germans did to the Jewish. That sparked frustration and anger. Which is why there are still ongoing skirmishes between Israeli and Palestinian forces. It would be logical to be angry when you have your land and home taken away. It mirrors what happened after the US Civil War and World War I.
Another example of frustration that could go both ways is that of the Japanese concentration camps in Arizona during World War II. When Japan invaded Hawaii with the United States declaring war, many Americans were frightened, especially the government. The Japanese Americans whom most were fateful and loyal to the United States were sent to the concentration camps. Their lives were ruined. All they were allowed to carry was what they could carry in both hands. They had to sell off their homes and belongings at a loss because they were left with no choice. Frustration and the aftermath are pretty self-explanatory.
There is also the the Second Indochina War also known as the Vietnam War. The aftermaths have caused Americans to have a stigma about the Vietnamese. But long before, many Vietnamese were distrustful towards the Americans after World War II and just as distrustful towards the French. The reason stemming that in World War II, the United States "promised" that Vietnam would be independent if they helped fight against the Japanese. The war ended and the United States went back on their promise mainly due to France being a major ally during World War II. Vietnam was pretty much unified in the First Indochina War which was pretty much a revolution to kick the French out. My grandmother and my biological grandfather were some of many freedom fighters in that war. The Vietnamese were pretty much distrustful of the French. My great grandfather went to school in France but he had nothing to do with the French. Mainly because he went to school in France, the other Vietnamese had persecuted him. When the Vietnam War started, the Vietnamese were very much split. Vietnamese distrustful of the Americans and the French joined the Communists.
A current example of prejudice today is what's going on in the United States and the Middle East. Ever since 9/11 took place, many Arabs were persecuted and profiled. And the Bush administration's handling of Iraq caused many countries to be prejudicial to many Americans. In a nutshell, lots of alienation being spread around.
An article detailing of the causes of "racism" can go on for numerous pages. Frustration, fear, ignorance, and distrust are four leading factors of racism. However, the correct term should be "prejudicial." Racism means different races. There happens to be no genetic difference between Black, White, Asian, Latino, Native American, Arab, etc. While those are three strong factors of prejudice, it can be fought with tolerance, learning, and understanding. We just have to put in the time and effort. It takes time to understand things. Think of this as taking a school course. It's like investing an in endeavor with great returns. Keep in mind that prejudice is just about everywhere. The United States is the great melting pot of cultures with prejudice playing the role as a very harsh and hurtful counter-balance.
Keep in mind that prejudice is a very complex subject and a conversation revolving around prejudice can go on for numerous hours.
www.helium.com/tm/209583/racism-around-centuries-around
There are various factors to how racism is caused and spread. One obvious event in the United States was at the end of the Civil War with the "Reconstruction" of the South. Financially, the South was damaged. Getting hurt financially hurts the most because it's something one can almost never recover from. You can recover from financial pains but it takes a long time. The plantation owners blamed the Blacks though they didn't have anything to do with the Reconstruction. The frustration of the damages led to the Whites oppressing the Blacks. It had given rise to the Ku Klux Klan which was a secret organization designed to oppress Blacks. This example shows how frustration is one vital component to how racism is caused.
Another most notable example of frustration which sparked World War II. This was something that Woodrow Wilson foresaw before he died. With the signing of the "Treaty of Versailles," Wilson wanted all countries to be free and to leave the Central Powers especially Germany be. However, the other Allies wanted to financially damage them. It was the European version of the Reconstruction. It was the post-World War I Reconstruction. Germany had suffered immense financial woes similar to those of the southern states after the United States Civil War. Instead of Blacks, they used the Jewish as the scapegoats. It was easier to use them as the scapegoats due to their religion not having many restrictions than the other Christian religions. Hilter and the Nazis had oppressed the Jewish by taking away their businesses and finances. Only difference is that it led to a mass genocide of the Jewish via the gas chambers in the Holocaust.
Hitler believed that non-whites and especially non-Protestants to be inferior to "White Aryan Christians." However, though they were not white, Hitler dubbed the Japanese as "Honorary Aryans."
After World War II, the Jewish were given a place in Israel. However, the land belonged to the Palestinians. Half the land was taken from the Palestinians and were given to the Jewish who became the Israelis. That was when the state of Israel was recognized. But since the land belonged to the Palestinians, it was like the Jewish were doing onto them what the Germans did to the Jewish. That sparked frustration and anger. Which is why there are still ongoing skirmishes between Israeli and Palestinian forces. It would be logical to be angry when you have your land and home taken away. It mirrors what happened after the US Civil War and World War I.
Another example of frustration that could go both ways is that of the Japanese concentration camps in Arizona during World War II. When Japan invaded Hawaii with the United States declaring war, many Americans were frightened, especially the government. The Japanese Americans whom most were fateful and loyal to the United States were sent to the concentration camps. Their lives were ruined. All they were allowed to carry was what they could carry in both hands. They had to sell off their homes and belongings at a loss because they were left with no choice. Frustration and the aftermath are pretty self-explanatory.
There is also the the Second Indochina War also known as the Vietnam War. The aftermaths have caused Americans to have a stigma about the Vietnamese. But long before, many Vietnamese were distrustful towards the Americans after World War II and just as distrustful towards the French. The reason stemming that in World War II, the United States "promised" that Vietnam would be independent if they helped fight against the Japanese. The war ended and the United States went back on their promise mainly due to France being a major ally during World War II. Vietnam was pretty much unified in the First Indochina War which was pretty much a revolution to kick the French out. My grandmother and my biological grandfather were some of many freedom fighters in that war. The Vietnamese were pretty much distrustful of the French. My great grandfather went to school in France but he had nothing to do with the French. Mainly because he went to school in France, the other Vietnamese had persecuted him. When the Vietnam War started, the Vietnamese were very much split. Vietnamese distrustful of the Americans and the French joined the Communists.
A current example of prejudice today is what's going on in the United States and the Middle East. Ever since 9/11 took place, many Arabs were persecuted and profiled. And the Bush administration's handling of Iraq caused many countries to be prejudicial to many Americans. In a nutshell, lots of alienation being spread around.
An article detailing of the causes of "racism" can go on for numerous pages. Frustration, fear, ignorance, and distrust are four leading factors of racism. However, the correct term should be "prejudicial." Racism means different races. There happens to be no genetic difference between Black, White, Asian, Latino, Native American, Arab, etc. While those are three strong factors of prejudice, it can be fought with tolerance, learning, and understanding. We just have to put in the time and effort. It takes time to understand things. Think of this as taking a school course. It's like investing an in endeavor with great returns. Keep in mind that prejudice is just about everywhere. The United States is the great melting pot of cultures with prejudice playing the role as a very harsh and hurtful counter-balance.
Keep in mind that prejudice is a very complex subject and a conversation revolving around prejudice can go on for numerous hours.
www.helium.com/tm/209583/racism-around-centuries-around