Racial Transparency

Had a talk with a friend last week. Somehow, we touched on Racial harmony.
My friend asked, do we have racial harmony ? Or just racial tolerance ?

I immediately came up with the term "Racial Transparency". Of course, he laughed. But today, I have time to justify my theory of this term.

When we are young, when we go to primary and secondary schools, we are taught racial tolerance. We have classes of mixed race. But we are supposed to wear the same uniforms. We are not allowed to "dye" our hair. We are not allowed to wear religous articles (remember the recent incidents of the tudung ?) . We are taught that regardless of our skin colour, we are all the same, all equal. Thus, hoping to indoctrinate Racial Harmony.

Look around us today. I look at my group of friends around me. Yes, we have friends of other race. We know of army friends who are of different race. But, our close knit of friends, the people whom we call "buddies", "brothers", "sisters", etc. How many are of different race ?

I have to admit, my work environment 94.5% Chinese (other than the 2 temporary workers). My friends are all Chinese. My "buddies" and "brothers" are all Chinese. Do I know any Malays ? Of course ! I have a number in my phone book. Are they close friends ? No.

What is happening here ? Am I a closet racist ?
Of course, there are people who have close friends of different race. I do not deny that they exist. Just that they are not the majority.

My theory ? Very simple. By indoctrinating uniformity in school when young, it creates the idea of "non-diversity". We are taught that no matter what skin colour, we are still the same. Because we dress the same. We speak English (remember your Speak Good English campaign in school?) We are discouraged from speaking in "mother-tongue" (that is another term that I shall talk about another time) except for a few weeks of "Speak Mother-tongue Campaign".

So since young, we are taught to ignore differences. I was not taught how to accept Malay and Indians into my life. I am not taught about their religion. I am taught that "We are the SAME".

When we grow older, going into Tertiary education. We all wear what we like. No more uniforms. Suddenly, that was when I have to learn about "diversity". That they are different ; And I do not know how to accept that in my mind. They become strange. Because all these while, I have never taught about the meaning of wearing a tudung. I have never expected them to be so different. We are not the same anymore. (You can see that I only refer to tudung, because I still do not know what the Indians wear. See ? What do I know about the various races ? Nothing !)

And worse, in order not to be seen as a racial bigot, I do not ask why they do what they do. All I do is accept that they are like that. Without understanding. Without empathy.

And we are never taught how to accept diversity. We are taught how to BE the same. To behave in certain accepted way.

So am I surprised that our generation of Singaporeans cannot accept things that are different ? Different views, different beliefs, different ways of life, different car-park systems ?

Hence the term Racial Transparency. I was taught that these things are just transparent and to learn to ignore, rather than embrace differences.