Discrimination thrives amidst apathy and silence
London, June 15, 2020
The unfortunate events in the US over the past two weeks made me to spark a conversation amongst friends to discuss their opinion on the situation.
I was curious to know if they had ever been a victim of racism (in any capacity), and if so, how they dealt with it. We reflected on our past experiences and all agreed that racism is a prevalent and on-going issue.
However, there were differing views on how we can contribute towards the change.
I will start with myself.
Painful experience
Yes, I have been a victim of racism. Not just at primary school when my family moved from India to New Zealand but also more recently when I started working in Sydney.
I greeted a Caucasian couple when they entered the travel agency in which I was working and asked them how I could help. They stared at me from top to bottom and replied, “No, we don’t want to be helped by you.”
As painful as that was to hear, I knew I had to be professional and so I guided them to my colleague who took over. At that moment, I did not realise it was my skin colour that brought on that reaction.
I assumed it was because I looked too junior and inexperienced in their eyes to help with their enquiry despite informing them that I was one of the Assistant Managers in store.
As their luck would have it, they were travelling to New Zealand (which happened to be my area of expertise), and my colleague asked me to assist him with the itinerary, which I did… and the rest is history!
Do I wish I stood up for myself then? Maybe. I was in a work environment, and so I had to be professional, but when I look back, I wish I had said something in a polite manner to convey that my skin colour does not define my skill level or my knowledge.
Who is an Australian?
My husband was born in India and moved to Sydney when he was just over a year old.
He told me that he was once asked during a conversation, ‘How come you don’t look Australian?’
He did not think much of it, and responded with ‘I am an Indian-Australian,’ (two others in the discussion were asked a similar question while travelling overseas).
While the person asking may have intended it to be an innocuous question, but it caused a stir during our conversation.
Why is it okay to ask someone why they do not look like a certain nationality? What does an Australian (or any nationality for that matter) look like? Is there a mould by which we are identified? No. Questions like these which may be innocent, highlight the underlying issue.
Misconception and reality
I spent the first 10 years of my life in India and was exposed to many TV commercials with Bollywood celebrities endorsing fairness creams.
A large population of India is influenced by the Western world, and having lighter skin is perceived as being affluent or belonging to a higher class in society, whereas darker skin is generally looked down upon. Unfortunately, this misconception is the harsh reality.
The same celebrities are now posting pictures, quotes and petition links in support of anti-racism which makes me wonder; what are they doing behind the scenes to correctly influence the millions of followers they have on social media? Will they continue to endorse fairness creams going forward? Will they continue to post relevant information about charities/organisations that support these causes a month from now and positively influence their followers or will it die down because it is a temporary trend?
Blackout Tuesday
Last week, a lot of the people who I follow on Instagram posted a black square for ‘Blackout Tuesday,’ in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
I remember scrolling through and seeing a number of these squares and having mixed feelings.
I was happy knowing that I had the right type of friends who supported a movement like this, but it again made me wonder what they were doing behind the scenes to support the cause.
During our discussion, I learnt that one friend is making an effort to support local restaurants and businesses of colour, another is making an effort to read relevant literature to gain more knowledge, while a few others have donated money towards various anti- racism causes.
Baby steps forward
All of these might be baby steps, but they are steps in the right direction. As unfortunate and heart- breaking as the events in the last fortnight have been, it has opened my eyes and prompted me to reflect on my own experiences.
We need to stop turning a blind eye to such situations and questions, no matter how big or small. We need to make a change in our behaviour, and educate ourselves and others to the best of our ability.
My friends and I may not have been directly disadvantaged because of our ethnicity or colour, but that does not make these situations acceptable.
In today’s world, we have access to various resources as well as the power of social media and it is everyone’s responsibility to create awareness and make a change, now.
As Mahatma Gandhi said. “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
Shreya Paranjape was born in India and raised and education in Christchurch, New Zealand. She is now employed as a Corporate Travel Consultant in London, where she lives with her husband.
