Complacency

"On an altar of prejudice we crucify our own, yet the blood of all children is the color of God.”
- Don Williams Jr.

Before I begin with a story that has brought a semi-permanent cloud over my normally sunny disposition, I must give you a bit of the back story. One of our dear teachers in Prathom (where they teach students from 1-6th grade) has to leave Bangkok at the end of October and so the department is trying to figure out who will take her classes at the beginning of next term.

Enter in Dwight - he's taught at Mattayom (where I teach) previously, he speaks Thai, he's got a great personality, all the kids love him here, and he's well-liked by both Mattayom AND Prathom teachers. Geoffrey, our British guardian, recommended Dwight to the head of the English department at Prathom and they both went over there yesterday morning to talk to the English head about Dwight taking over the class. The man looked at Geoffrey and, disregarding Dwight's obvious credentials and qualifications, told him that he would not take Dwight because he might scare the children.

Dwight is black.

Before I came to Thailand I had been warned that there is a thinly veiled current of prejudice that runs through its society. It comes as no surprise to me after being here since this is a society that worships an eerily pale complexion and where whitening ingredients are found in every bath and beauty product.

Nevertheless, this is a school. Schools are to be the fount of education not the swamps of ignorance. I teach in Mattayom, just steps away from Prathom, and my race has never been an issue. The students love me and some of the teachers here are almost like family. What makes the children in P6 (6th grade), that a person like me would not be able to teach, any different from a M1 (7th grade) student that I am?

Perhaps the department head's response simply sprung out of hundreds of years of social conditioning. It is not forgivable but is certainly more understandable BUT I cannot forgive nor understand the response of some of my fellow teachers.

Two of the seven Prathom teachers were righteously indignant over the prejudicial attitude that was exhibited that day. Unfortunately, when discussing the situation with some of their fellow teachers, they received comments like "Oh, that's just the way it is" and "It's Thailand" and even "Oh, we're from Texas we deal with racism."

Pardon me while I am ill.

No, YOU do not deal with racism. You are complacent and are part of a broken system that would deny a person's rights because of the color of their skin. The phrase "that's just their culture" is enough to send thoughts of violence streaming through my head. It is one thing to honor a culture by accepting their ways of doing things, using their greetings, speaking their language, and acting in a polite manner befitting your position. But NEVER can and will simple, universal, human ethics be bound by culture.

Child prostitution is wrong, forced female circumcision is wrong, sexual abuse of children is wrong, racism and prejudice ARE wrong. From New York to Bangkok, these things are wrong and inexcusable.

The attitude of culturally brainwashed people is understandable, the complacency of my fellow, educated Americans is unforgivable. To say that cultural racism is okay is to relegate my life - and the lives of any others that are faced with daily racism, prejudice, and discrimination - to one of inconsequence. A life where my happiness and freedom are whims of whatever society I may find myself in and one in which my feelings, hopes, dreams, and ideas have no bearing.

Perhaps this is not what they meant, but this is what they have said, and this is what they have done.