#47: No More Discrimination (PART 9)

【Even if Within the Bounds】
Across the world, we find places that are called “ABC” Neighborhoods and “XYZ” Towns, emanating the unique energy of their colorful personalities and distinct identities. And more often than not, the minorities of the world, country, or city find ourselves in the temporary majority position within the bounds of such Place.
 
Such as Manhattan’s Harlem neighborhood and Chinatown in New York. Or the LGBTQ Towns in Tokyo’s Shinjuku 2-Chome neighborhood and the Castro district of San Francisco. Ordinarily a minority through day and night, we emerge as a temporary majority but only within the bounds of such unique place. For example, African Americans comprise a minority 12% of the total population in the US, however, a majority 61% in Harlem.
 
And these unique Places can sometimes be in denominations like small villages or even families. For instance, ordinarily a minority through day and night, we can emerge as a temporary majority only within our own small village or own family. That is, only within the bounds of our own place, a minority trait of the world, country, or city can emerge as a temporary majority trait.
 
Despite this limitation of the boundary, for the Temporary Majority to unreasonably demand that, While you’re here, follow our rules or else . . . Or to shove an ultimatum down the Temporary Minority’s throat by lashing out, If you don’t like it here, then leave. As if to vent our rage and grudges amassed from the daily discrimination suffered as a minority.
 
And such unjust demands and ultimatums – no matter how limited in boundary or how temporary as they may be – can escalate into a discrimination. That is, to hurt people through unjust exclusion or rejection based on a trait that they’re born with.    
 
Perhaps, it’s because we as a majority feel that we can decide the norm and common sense by the sheer force of numbers, no matter how limited in boundary or how temporary our majority position may be. And from time to time, we’re all guilty of this majority mentality even when it’s not at all the norm or common sense in a truly global sense.
 
Perhaps, it’s because of the smoldering rage and grudges amassed from the born-into discrimination. To understand discrimination, we must strive to develop an understanding for such background even when we’re the victims of that hate.
 
Nevertheless, the status quo will only lead us to lose sight of the deep sorrows and humiliation brought upon by discrimination. That is, despite our own personal agonies of injustices that we suffer outside our own place, to put others through the same agony as soon as we’re no longer the minority inside our own place. Double faced? – indeed. Hypocrite? – no doubt.
 
To flip like that as soon as we’re padded with the security of belonging to the majority even if it were only within the bounds of our own place. What’s more, this also serves as a twisted justification for discrimination: Discrimination isn’t a problem so long as we’re not the victim of such hate. In fact, we’ll even join the effort to inflict hate against others.
 
But the terrible truth is that the rage and grudges amassed from discrimination often follow us around like our own shadows, even as we step outside our own place. “Just wait and see. We’ll show ‘em hell the next time they set foot on our side of the town.” Such ugly emotions are brewed on both ends, breeding hatred and multiplying the wickedness of discrimination to eventually spin out of control.
 
Nonetheless, let us recognize that these Places of colorful personalities and distinct identities possess a unique and powerful potential. The potential to let us truly come to realize the beauty of our differences and to proudly celebrate our diversity. Surely, these are the building blocks for global peace.
 
And when we acknowledge as such, we understand that discrimination can’t be eliminated and global peace can’t be attained by merely having Those who discriminate and Those who are discriminated trade places, even if it were only within the bounds of our own place.

​When we truly come to realize that fact, we’re empowered to prevent discrimination.

Read Next: No More Discrimination (10)【Reverse Discrimination】
Read Previous: No More Discrimination (8)【Trading Places】

Complete Series: No More Discrimination (1)～(12)
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Read Theme: Discrimination