Racial Discrimination

Racism, when we talk about this word that is the first thing we think, yes, in the bad treatment towards people of color. this is a crisis that has been going on for a long time, people humiliate and mistreat other people for the simple fact of being of a different color, we even see this kind of treatment in children who from a very young age are traumatized with this kind of behavior towards them, which initially causes depression and leads them to make decisions that sometimes become deadly. It should be noted that we are not only talking about racism towards people of a different color than ours (although this is the most common case), there is racism towards other people for having different characteristics than ours, such as place of birth, religious ideology, language, among others; where these people are discriminated against and put aside for not being from the same place and / or think the same way. Next, one of these causes is the fear of the unknown and not having enough knowledge of the different races and cultures that inhabit our environment.

Next, in this blog we will talk about the social impact of this unfortunate fact in Colombia. 

First of all, we will talk about the political constitution of Colombia, about the laws it has on racial discrimination and what the government has done to enforce these rights.           

The Constitution explicitly recognizes in its article 13 the right to equality, by establishing that people are equal before the law and that they enjoy the same rights and opportunities. It also establishes criteria on the basis of which it is prohibited to make distinctions between persons based on race, sex, language, religion, national or family origin, public or philosophical opinion. Similarly, this same article recognizes the possibility for the state to promote measures for discriminated or marginalized groups to ensure that equality is real and effective. Similarly, in Article 7, the constitution emphasizes the recognition of and respect for the cultural diversity of the nation, making it known that we are not all the same, nor do we all come from a monocultural nation. 

Subsequently, the existence of these laws is not enough to combat racial discrimination. However, these are an axis that help us to guarantee equality and the principle of non-discrimination, and therefore it is necessary the intervention of people or programs that promote these ideals, because with the help of all people we can achieve our goal which is  reduce racial discrimination. 

Since Colombia is so big, we  locate in Córdoba for the development of our project, since it has been seen how the exclusion of classes, the distinction and collection for belonging to a "superior" social group is so privileged as to obtain employment, access to education among others.

In order to enter into our research topic on racial discrimination, we must first analyze certain causes that have brought this problem to our society throughout history, and how this has affected and violated the rights of certain populations.

Causes of racial discrimination

First of all, there are many causes behind racial discrimination. Some of the most common are fear, ignorance, prejudice, lack of information or socio-economic circumstances. On many occasions, these reasons intermingle, even unconsciously, and give rise to racist attitudes that violate human rights.

∆Fear:

Much research agrees that the main cause of racism is fear. In 1968, a study by psychologist Robert Zajonc proved that there is a close link between familiarity and our judgment: the more we know something or someone, the more we like them, and vice versa. This popular idea is what is now called the Mere Exposure Effect Theory.

We are not born with fear, we learn it. There is something called the Doll test. It is a famous psychological experiment conducted in the United States in the 1940s to test the level of marginalization perceived by African-American children due to discrimination, prejudice and racial segregation. It was repeated again in Italy in 2016 and the results showed that fear and prejudice towards other ethnicities are still very present in our society.

∆Socio-economic circumstances:

Social and economic crises are also a breeding ground for discrimination. One example is Nazism. Germany's disadvantageous outcome after World War I left a country marked by poverty, inequality and unemployment. One in four Germans was unemployed. The Nazi regime's promises of "bread and work," as well as propaganda aimed at blaming the Jewish people for all problems, united many Germans against a supposed common enemy to hate.

∆Ideology:

Another frequent cause of racial discrimination is ideology. Throughout history there have been currents of thought based on the segregation of people and the inferior treatment of certain groups. These ideologies are far from being eradicated today.

 

 

                       Next, we can witness the different ways to eradicate racial discrimination in our society...                       Possible ways to stop racism and discrimination

Raise awareness                                                                                                                                 

Share resources that you find helpful with members of your community to help them learn how they can help end racism and discrimination.                     

Report racist or discriminatory content online                                                                             

Many social networks want their platforms to be secure and empower people of all backgrounds. If you  see content that you think violates their guidelines, please report it to the platform.

Challenge everyday discrimination and racism                                                                            Racism and discrimination happens all around us all the time. It is often in the form of jokes, stereotypes, or insensitive comments and questions from our friends, family, or colleagues. If you witness a friend or family member expressing racist or discriminatory ideas, talk to them and let them know that their comments are racist and discriminatory.

Hidden camera captures people's reaction to racism 

link :  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxhKeOseu0c

Description: In today's world, racism and racial discrimination manifest themselves in complex and disturbing ways. The so-called “ethnic” segregation is the inscription on the space of communities defined in preferably cultural terms. Discrimination against a language or linguistic variant with which a specific ethno-racial group is identified usually leads to discrimination against that group; On the contrary, the discrimination of different groups and individuals from the ethno-racial point of view implies, very often, discrimination towards the language or linguistic variant used by that group or by those individuals to communicate with each other, as can be seen In the previous video, this being a clear example of how discrimination still exists in society, with few who defend and many who support racial discrimination.