Anti-Racism for a Better World

Berita Lainnya - 21 September 2023

Article by Adriel Orlando Johan, XII MIPA 1
School : SMAK 1 Penabur Jakarta

Having a superpower is one of our childhood fantasies, whether it is flying, super speed or something. Unfortunately, this doesn’t exist in reality. However, were I given a superpower to adjust a matter, the first thing that came to my mind is to end racism by strengthening people’s empathy and creating a new universal language.

Racism has existed in the world for decades. It usually occurs when they see the other race from a general perspective, i.e., behavioral tendencies of such society. The way a typical group behaves or looks can create a pattern which leads to a conclusion that they are likely to act in that way. Therefore, their personality is often based on majority behavior, meaning developing a stereotype for them. For instance, black people were treated as inferior in the past because of how biased white people were. It all started when they believed that the color black referred to dirtiness, whereas white referred to purity. Ultimately, it turned into a belief where their race is supremacy over the other. This explained why from the moment of their birth until the end, they must be served by that race.

Eliminating racism throughout the world is difficult. Overcoming obstacles undoubtedly is part of the process. Stereotype is one of the main problems which causes it. As someone grows, he should be able to understand that stereotypes are detrimental to human rights. However, it’s apparently the opposite of the truth. If this keeps going on, it will turn into a loop where future generations might think that they should keep up with the habit.

Immense reports of crime and violence based on race are the second reason why racism must be completely removed. Misunderstandings between speakers from different cultures and countries tries are often the cause of the incident. Generally, educated adults should be able to talk it out and come to an understanding. Lacking the use of one’s native language can aggravate the situation they are in.

With the superpower given, there are many methods to sort out the issue which can contribute to the greater good of humanity. To begin with, having a stronger sense of feeling other people's emotions provides a superb opportunity to stop stereotypes against other races. By reinforcing humans’ emphatic ability, they can fathom what others are feeling. In addition, they will comprehend that putting someone at a disadvantage is absolutely wrong. For example, some Americans despise and disrespect Asian people because they consider that their race threatens their life. The particular reason why is because of their mindset. Not only are Asian assumed to make it more difficult to have better opportunities in life, but also slowly taking over their country. With this skill, they should now see them not as a nuisance, but as a supporter. Eventually, it will gradually break down discrimination against diverse races in the world.

Another crucial point to take note of is languages have an important role in communicating with other people. Humans all over the globe are using diverse languages by now. Studying their use of words, phrases and grammar will help the public understand better what the foreigner intends to do. However, people barely master all languages used in the world. Therefore, there has to be a universal language. Structure and words from one language to another are unlikely the same, thus it requires effort to comprehend their language. Giving everyone the ability to master that language will create an environment where everybody can understand each other. This will lead to harmonious relationships between communities. For example, Indonesia is known for their rich cultures, religions, tribes and so on. Each region in the country is likely to have its own local language. Clearly, this will limit communication with other tribes. Therefore, it’s crucial to have a single language that everyone understands.

Putting an end to racism can result in vast benefits for the world. Stopping it means that there will be less conflict which establishes a friendly environment. A peaceful environment certainly will form stronger bonds of brotherhood with people from different races. In addition, global peace and cooperation can now be reached easily, meaning there won't be such things as war, discrimination and violence based on race.

In conclusion, racism is a tough problem which is difficult to solve. Ending it will yield less crime based on race, creating a peaceful situation. If it were to be finished through the superpower I obtained, supplying people with abilities to understand others' emotions and mastering universal languages would be the best decision.

(This article won the essay competition held by Trinity College from University of Melbourne.)