Why are we asian adults so obsessed with race, colour and religion. We say we are not prejudiced but then use derogatory terms for other people. Do we realise that we are influencing our children and their outlook on life from the cradle?
Walking into schools and seeing children from different backgrounds, cultures, religion and colour working and playing in harmony is a sight to behold. Children are our futures and to have them create a community where there is no racial, cultural etc barriers are lessons for us adults to learn.
I hear people say young children don’t see colour , race etc in other children and that when they use racist language it is meaningless. This is not so. Children as young as six years understand racism. ‘ a six-year-old called another child “ghore” meaning white in Punjabi, as an insult because he was not allowed in a his gang. When asked what it meant he said it meant white but could be used as a bad word and he had used it as a bad word. Where did he get this from? The adults around him at home.
I am sure some people will say this is naïve and may also call me a ‘coconut’ but is not time that we begin to talk about this and put our house in order so that when we claim racism against us we are not prejudicial too.
