Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Today on class one of my favorite teachers brought to discussion a pretty peculiar and unexpected story. Or at least unknown to me.
She explained to us the origin of Nazi racism. How German men and women came to dispise Jews, and how not so much of it was due to Hitler. Yes, he was the promoter of the theory, yet, it has a biological foundation.
The theory that whites are superior to blacks comes from two main studies. First, there was a scientist at the time whose name I don't recall that said to have discovered that the white people were stronger and smarter than blacks. And then there was Darwin. He was the one to create 'survival of the fittest'. In another context, of course. He said that only the strong animals were meant to live, meaning that the weaks should die. Or disappear.
Combining these two not-so-pleasant-theories, we find what came to evolve as a Nazi slogan. No interracial marriages so that every race was 'pure' in its own way, and whites are above the blacks. Furthermore, we are not supposed to help the sick, since if they are weak, they are not supposed to survive.

I find it inmensely curious that everything has such an unexpected background. Who would've imagined that those racist theories came indeed from studied, intelligent scientists?. Is it because thay thought highly of themselves? And would this theories would actually work right now, as in, 2009?
Not so surprisingly I do believe that these scientists thought very highly of themselves and therefore tried to find biological or scientific proof for it. Nevertheless, maybe it was just a combination of things. Jews weren't just hated at those times because of their DNA, but because thousands of years before, people that called themselves jews killed Jesus; that's how racism towards them really started, and later, well, found more reasons to continue.
Honestly I don't know if an extreme racism like that would succeed in our society, at least not with such vague, self-centered arguments. I do think racism has increased, though. Not in amount, but in the way. Now a days, it is not merely about blacks and whites. It is about African-Americans, Latins, Chinese, Muslims, Conservatives, Republicans, Socialists, Liberals, Buddhists, etc.. It is not just about color, but about origin, beliefs, religion... And it is actually ironic than in the era of supposed 'open-minded, accepting people' such distinctions still exist.
We still live like we did thousands of years ago, the streets for 'white people', the streets for 'black people', the 'Jew part' of the building, the Chinese street, the malls for whites, for black and for Latins. And I just can't help but ask myself how come we haven't evolved? How come we still do these things? How can I, when asked to describe my African-American friend, am only able to respond 'black', just like that, as if it were an automatic response?
I am not saying any of these things are right. I believe we are equal, and that even when it has increased in form, we are taking steps towards a stop. Maybe not of racism, since I think it has a cultural basis. But we are reducing every day more the limitations some ethnic, racial, or whatever word you want to apply, had in daily and work life. Take Obama for an example. He is so much more than a 'black' person, and by electing him president, we have proved that much. Besides, I think most of us when asked to tag president Obama TODAY, most of us wouldn't think of saying black, perhaps not positive tags, but certantily not race-based. Take Sotomayor for another. A Latin that gets to Supreme Court. Who would've guessed that one? Specially when we americans are so racist with Latins.

All of those are steps forward. I hope evolution also. But we have yet to take the big steps ourselves. Like I've always said and emphasized, it is not about the big ones, but about the million littles through which every achievement or true change is done.
As we have seen in both history and current events, the greatest things come from whom we least expected it.

"Genious can come from anywhere and in any way".-Ratatouille (...)

WG

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