Racial Bullying is Everywhere: And It Shouldn't Be by Nicky

       For most people, racial bullying is just something that they hear about in the news. However, Sharon, an Indian citizen, has a different point of view; something much more personal. She describes one particular incident where a classmate refused to even look at her. “She was in my group for a project, but she never looked at me directly. I once overheard her talking to someone else, and she said ‘Her brown-ness is affecting me’”. Sharon felt like she was falling down, just like the towers in 9/11. Sharon was unable to understand how the colour of her skin was affecting the other girl’s ability to work. Unfortunately, this is only one of many examples of racial bullying that Sharon experienced.

       A similar example of racial discrimination and bullying happened to another student; let’s call her Judith. Judith was born and raised in Japan, but she was of Indian heritage. When she was living in Japan, she tried her best to fit in. Whenever she wore traditional Japanese dress, they laughed. Whenever she walked into a shop, she was labelled ‘foreigner’ and teased. No matter what she did, Judith just couldn’t fit in.

       Another example occurred on a class trip to Chiang Mai, though this incident was much scarier. One particular student was reportedly yelling at other classmates who were of Indian descent, cursing at them and telling them to go away. He was heard spitting out insults such as ‘black scum’ and ‘black dirt’, the words slicing through the air like knives. Similar to the first case, nobody said anything about the clear racial bullying and discrimination that was going on.

       With just three examples, there is one thing in common: nothing was done to prevent the bullying from happening again. In all cases, only the offender, victim and bystanders were aware of the current predicament. As the bystanders are the only people who are able to prevent these situations from continuing, why do they choose to not intervene? Is it because of peer pressure? Is it because they fear that they will be picked on? A 2004 poll indicates that although 86% of children between 9-13 have seen somebody being bullied, only 20% have tried to stop this. The fact that this number is so shockingly low shows us that one thing is clear: This needs to stop.

       This isn’t only a problem that is near to us. There have been several other cases elsewhere of teenagers being verbally and even physically bullied just because of their race. One such example is that of Japjee Singh, a Sikh who lives in the US. Peers were telling him to ‘go back to your country’. The abuse even went so far to extreme physical bullying, with Mr Singh having to undergo two surgeries after the beatings. This, too, is just another example of racial bullying, albeit in a different country.

       The fact that this needs to stop is obvious. The question, however, is how. If the children won’t try to change it, that leaves the adults. In most incidents, adults are either not there or they aren’t paying enough to notice the discrimination, however obvious it may seem to the teens. The first step to decreasing and eventually stopping racial discrimination is clear: Get adults to notice it.

       After looking at just three stories, it is clear now that racial discrimination and bullying is a threat that is still at large for the teens of today. If adults notice it, they will be more likely to step in and intervene. With teens naturally being afraid of authority, the intervention from an adult could teach them that this is morally wrong. So the next time you see a child getting
bullied, take action and take initiative. It’s our responsibility too.


Bibbillybobbly Bibbilyography:

"Calgary Family Resource Facilitation Program." Bullying Statistics. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2015.
Lee, Esther Yu-Hsi. "Sikh Family Takes On Racist Bullying After Teen Was Beaten And Sent To Hospital." ThinkProgress. N.p., 16 Oct. 2015. Web.