The Race Question

You may have wondered what was keeping yours truly out of radar, or you may not have given a fiddler's fart at all.  

It has become so hard to find the time to update a blog or whatever log you are keeping.  Time is of essence and I find myself running out of supplies most of the time.

You are my reader and I am your writer.  You are my audience and I am your speaker.  And right now you are listening to me, and I am speaking to you alone.  What I say matters to you and the fact that you are listening and taking in whatever I say matters to me.

I have to admit that the infectious American optimism is getting even to me, and I am beginning to believe that change is coming, and that change would be for the good of all.  The Obama factor is BIG and believe me it’s going to change a lot of things.  I believe I will want to remember where I was and what I was doing when it happened.  As of now, I am living in a country where the colour of your skin does not seem to matter in theory but it does and sometime it can hit you very hard when you have to face it, especially in my line of work, teaching language science and a language which is not my native tongue. 

As a people group, I believe most of us are racists, may be more so than people in our neigbouring states.  I wouldn't want to be a non-local person in our land because of all the things an outsider has to endure.  The Burmese, the Vais, the Brus, the Chakmas - it's not easy for them at all.  You can't imagine one of them becoming the Chief Minister of the state.  The names we call, the treatment we mete out, the way we abuse and the general negative attitude we have of them - I would never want to endure in the life of me.  It would be an understatement to say 'It's not nice!' when you are made to feel the second best, not because of your ability, but merely for the colour of your skin or the passport you are holding. 

I have written extensively on the demigod status that some white-skinned folks enjoy in some societies including ours.  And I am still trying to find ways to convince people that a person is not better or worse than you simply because of his race or colour.  As the walls of separation came crushing down in the land of opportunities, I begin to believe that one day we would be free of all these shackles and live as equals in this southwest region of the galaxy.  The place may look like a little speck of dust from outer space, but we shall find that there's a room for us all, black and blue, white and green and all colours, on this planet after all.  So, I salute you, Mr. President Elect, and I join you in saying "Yes, We Can!" with much more enthusiasm and believe than when you first begun. 

One man spoke of his dream on August 28, 1963, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and said, "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’ I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood."  Just look at what had become of his dreams.  You have to dream big, and the dream will come to you eventually.

8 remarks:

Unknown November 7, 2008 at 1:44 AM  

Never think you have such feeling in the place where you live right now.
I'm glad that you have a hope.I can easily find it in your context.
The issue happens sometimes around whole world.
I don't have such feeling because i'm never live in oversea long time.I think i understand this feeling.
I like Martin Luther King's I have a dream. It comes true,right?
By the way, Morgan has back few weeks ago. He says hi to both of you.

Anonymous November 8, 2008 at 8:16 AM  

ego nimo :
Ni e, tute pawh hi kan racist vek ka ti keipawh. I sawi ang hian, kan ram a, vai/ burmese chunga kan rilru put dan leh kan chet thin dan ngaihtuah hi chuan, he rama engngemaw changa, min kan race avanga min hmusit/enhniam chang pawh hian , inhnem nan hian ka hmang thin. Hengte avang pawh hian, haut lohva palzam dan hi min thiam tir in ka hria.

I hnathawn zelna ah pawh duhsakna ka hlan a che.

Anonymous November 8, 2008 at 8:18 AM  

Sori a chunga comment khi - Sekibuhchhuak.

reverie November 9, 2008 at 3:21 AM  

@rachel, I mentioned "in my line of work" not necessarily in the country as a whole. I enjoy the anonymity as we walk on the streets, and as we travel inside the country because of the way we look. It's not 'in your face' racism here; it could be very subtle, non-existent most of the time. Regards to Morgan.

@Seki, thanks for taking the time to comment. Keep on looking for R of Singapore, you'll find her yet. A tuartu nih loh hi chuan mi hian an hrethiam lo fo. Mihring vek kan nihna leh inang tlang leh intluk tlang kan nihna hi dinhmun tha zawka kan dinna hmunah hian tihlan leh zual hi a tul ngawt mai. Hnam leh hnam inthliarna te, party leh party inthliarna te, kohhran leh kohhran inthliarna te hian kan ram hi min chiah mek a nih hi.

Mizohican November 10, 2008 at 8:49 AM  

It is soooo true. This is what I've been saying all these time also. We are soooooo hung up on being the victim of racism that we don't realize how racists we too have become. And yet the pseudo-thinkers try to justify by comparing the difference in "degrees of racism", as if there is one.

The pictures definitely explained everything!!!!!!!! Pu Seki an a thik che a, a hming pawh a rawn dah thra ngam lo a ni maw? *GRIN*

Ps. Who is incognito? :)

reverie November 11, 2008 at 6:00 PM  

@Illusionaire, Seki-a chu a dawih ve ta riauvin i hria a ni maw? Mahse, kei chu ka tlanchhe tawh dawn lo (in ka hria!) Hetah hian ka awm dawn, mai mai hlawm hian.

Thanks for stopping by. It's very kind of you. Cheers

Tluanga November 12, 2008 at 1:37 AM  

Really striking, kini Mizo te poh hi kan racist viau in ka hria, Chakma emaw tuikuk Mizoram CM nih chu a har viau ang, mahse keini Mizo ngei poh India ram PM nih chu thil har tak a ni thei tho ang. PM ang hian India ram ah pawh Mainstrea North Indian Hindu hi an ni tlangpui, US ah White Anglo Saxon Protestant ang deuh in.

reverie November 13, 2008 at 5:23 AM  

@Tluanga, thanks for your comment. Nia, Mizote hi ania kan racist ka tih chu. Hmun danga kan kalnaah a hnam anga hmuhsit leh enhniam ngai thei lo ber kan ni, mahse, kan ramah hian hnamdang tan chuan tawrhhelhawm tak kan ni. Inenfiah kanmamawh khawp mai.

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A loner by profession entangled in a fine mess of his own making. A reclusive preacher making a calculated error of giving an entertaining sermon. A hermit in a spotlight, breaking an eloquent silence- what am i doing here?