Learned

by Eugene G.

Created on: October 14, 2008

According to Webster's dictionary, racism is defined as "a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race."

The foundation of racism begins at a very early age. Racial prejudice and discrimination has polluted the very fabric of society. The idea that some individuals believe one race is superior over another still exists today. Unfortunately, racism continues to survive because of the negative behaviors, beliefs and attitudes that are passed down from one generation to another.

Racism is both taught and learned to some degree. However, the key to whether racism is taught or learned is dependent upon the type of exposure a child has to the negativity that symbolizes hate. Children are typically raised based on how their parents were brought up. Racist beliefs and attitudes are "passed down" from generation to generation. This may be due to a past negative experience, or personal dislike for a different nationality, which has helped to form a sense of hatred for a particular group. If a child's parents and grandparents act or speak negatively in reference to certain ethnic groups, that child will begin to develop the same behavioral pattern. Although young, children learn quickly and will model their behavior based on what they see and hear. Children are exposed to negativity that is repetitive, which allows them to hear racial slurs and wrongful comments over and over again.

Over time, they will begin to utter the same racial slurs and develop an attitude of superiority - believing another race is stupid or inferior to them based on what their parental figures say in the home. They see pictures in the paper, or on the television, of the men, women, boys and girls who look different than them. That's when mommy or daddy says the "bad" words, which to a child is ok because they hear it at home. They don't know any better and it becomes ingrained into their thought process until one day the slurs begin to come out of their own mouths as easily as momma and dada.

Therefore, children learn racism from what they intentionally (or unintentionally) see and hear.

In certain situations, children grow up in an environment that breeds fear and tension. An entire community where a family lives may share similar racist views, which only makes matters worse. Parents may be afraid because if they don't "blend in" (or their child begins to associate with someone of a different race), they will feel threatened. However, the real threat is in the form of the other neighborhood kids who are just like them - attentive recipients of the same narrow-minded programming. If their child starts to play with another little boy or girl that is considered "different" because of the color of their skin, the child will learn another unfortunate racist lesson called segregation.

While it's a parent's responsibility to keep their children safe, using racism as a cover for the child's "protection" is careless and irresponsible. They start to poison the child's mind by telling them to "stay away from a certain group" or "I don't want you associating with their kind." When the child begins to ask why, the parent starts to poison their mind with fear - making false claims about another ethnic group that may be untrue. Children learn that you don't associate with "them" or something bad could happen to you. They are told to stay on their side of the fence and the other group will stay on their side. In this instance, the child is "taught" that you don't associate with another group, but "learn" the negative reasons why. Parents attempt to place them in situations where their own nationality or race predominantly exists to maintain a comfort level.

When children become young adults and start to interact with different cultures, they realize that the world is a melting pot of many nationalities. They may have trouble communicating with other cultures because their beliefs are so one-sided and narrow-minded. Once the young adult goes off to college and away from their comfort zone, they take the same racist habits with them. When they feel another nationality invades what they believe is their "territory" the racial slurs come out which can lead to violence. By now, they know that this type of behavior is wrong and cruel, but this is what they have learned - you stay on your side and I'll stay on mine. Therefore, they believe it's ok to call someone a slur or act negatively towards them. The cycle comes full circle when the adult has a family of their own. It's more than likely that the next generation will have the same negative upbringing (if the parents have not learned to change their clouded perspective).

Racism still has a negative impact in our society today. It impacts people everyday in the workplace, in our communities and on the college campus. We learn that it can influence our political choices when individuals may not vote for a candidate just because they are African American or female. We learn that sometimes you can still walk into some stores or restaurants and if you're a certain ethnic group, it can take a little longer for you to be served. Racism is like a plague and needs to be eliminated. Children should be educated to embrace learning about other cultures instead of hating them. Now that is a lesson that can be taught and learned.

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