Diversity is Key

by Edel O'Shea 

We should never impose limits on creativity, provided its purpose is not intended to cause harm or provocation. More specifically we should not hesitate or ponder the source of the creativity regardless of which platform is used to generate it.

Why then is there hesitation regarding the author, poet, musician or actor among many other creators? Creativity, in all its forms, is intuitive, colourful and speaks to us all one way or another but in order to engage fully with its potential we must ensure diversity among its creators.

In the UK, for example, a study by the University of Warwick reported that participation and audience members in the creative industries were predominantly from white middle-class well educated backgrounds. This stark reality points to a major deficit of diverse talent in the arts leading to hollows in our potential creative breeding ground.  

Meanwhile in Ireland we’ve made some efforts to nurture the creative seed multi-culturally, however the Art’s Council of Ireland issued a report suggesting restrictions that hinder culturally diverse artistic expression. Some board restrictions cited include; lack of funding to support a diverse arts sector on a local and national level, the absence of minority participation to sit on the Art’s Council and represent those communities and the short term relationship minority ethnic communities have with arts organisations meaning there is no long term permanent partnership between organisation and community to ensure higher participation and engagement.

Across the pond in Hollywood USA we see a similar trend of poor representation of our culturally diverse media society as what’s portrayed on TV and film and the actors chosen to play certain roles does not mirror the current vibrant ethnographic living in its own back yard. It is also suggested that current successful American TV shows, such as The Walking Dead, display diversity simply because it’s currently trendy to do so, leading to a significantly commercially viable source for Hollywood’s producers. This purely commercial angle displays a profit before artistic benefit approach, which can only widen the gap between diversity and dominant mainstream commerciality.

Expression is paramount for the exchange of new knowledge and ideas but what’s missing is the enveloped concept that, trendy or not, ethnicity or gender should ideally be invisible, to both participant and creator, if we are to mesh just expression and the explorations of creativity evenly across all lands.

In Africa, for example, its emerging writers are continuously written and spoken about by media and critics as if they are only viewed as a representation for their continent, solely as a citizen, rather than individuals of vital expression were borders don’t exist. This makes me wonder how we’ve missed the point of artistic creation, meaning there is no point as such, just a need for a simplistic outlet for all to participate, observe and create to increase our cultural awareness, process new concepts and thus continue to evolve. It’s important to acknowledge the distinction between the trendy buzz talk on new African writing and what exactly it is; simply that, new writing like any other and it deserves the right to be read and critiqued impartially without constant mention of where the author resides.     

If cultural diversity is misrepresented or unaligned in reality then it becomes observable that upon creating a piece of TV, film, theatre or prose that the very creativity used to reflect our world is then corrupted by the inequality and racism that defines us in everyday terms. 

Not only is the poverty gap widening but similarly it appears the abundance of our creative capital is unfairly distributed with poor opportunity to engage and create relating to both gender and race. 

If we are to reject or question the existence and practice of interculturalism within the creative arts we are implying a notion that serves only to restrict our world’s collective concepts and beliefs and deny us the fruitfulness of vast and varied creative collaboration that we all thrive on.

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1 Neelands, J., Belfoire, E., Firth, C., Hart, N., Perrin, L., Brock, S., Holdaway, D., Woddis, J. & Knell, J. (2015). Enriching Britain: culture, creativity and growth. Retrieved from    

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/research/warwickcommission/futureculture/finalreport/enriching_britain_-_culture_creativity_and_growth.pdf

 

2 Jewesbury, D., Singh, J. & Tuck, S. (2009). Cultural diversity and the arts research project: towards the development of an arts council policy and action plan. Retrieved from http://www.artscouncil.ie/uploadedFiles/Main_Site/Content/Artforms_and_Practices/Arts_Participation_pages/CULTURAL_DIVERSITY_AND_THE_ARTS_RESEARCH_REPORT.pdf

3 Julious, B. (2015, March 25). Hollywood ‘race casting’: what the industry is getting  wrong about diversity. The Guardian. Retrieved from: http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2015/mar/25/deadlines-race-casting-article-tvs-diversity-wrong

4 Julious, B. (2015, March 25). Hollywood ‘race casting’: what the industry is getting  wrong about diversity. The Guardian. Retrieved from: http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2015/mar/25/deadlines-race-casting-article-tvs-diversity-wrong

5 Selasi, T. Taiye Selasi: stop pigeonholing African writers. The Guardian. Retrieved from: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jul/04/taiye-selasi-stop-pigeonholing-african-writers

6 Oxfam (2015). Richest 1% will own more than all the rest by 2016. Retrieved from: https://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/pressreleases/2015-01-19/richest-1-will-own-more-all-rest-2016

Europe's Immigration Crisis Highlights its Rigid Humanitarian Qualities

 by Edel O'Shea

Last week The Guardian highlighted, quite shockingly, Poland’s lack of willingness to help with Europe’s current refugee and migrant crisis. One reason noted for their harsh reluctance to assist with the latest influx of human suffering was a lack of understating surrounding immigrants and the general consensus was a population that simply didn’t want them in their country.

This could suggest a lack of government support or willingness to educate in the areas of equality and solidarity concerning humans in mass crisis and suffering. If a vast majority of the populace feels intolerance or even hatred towards a struggling group of non-nationals surely it’s time for collective rewiring through educational intervention and campaigning on a large scale to combat this anti-human mind-set.   

In May 2004, when Poland joined the EU, Ireland was among only 3 EU countries accepting Polish workers along with the UK and Sweden. It has been noted how beneficial EU membership has been to Poland and Western EU member States are suggesting Poland should give back by assisting with the current crisis.   

So Poland, whether you understand them or not or you feel you are not prepared you must at least make attempts to summon the basics of human nature and open your borders to those in need. This is not just a political issue it’s a spiritually driven ethical one too pertaining to the safeguarding of man in an equal arena of justice. 

Poland is a small example in a long list of offending countries, all of which have turned their backs, to some greater or lesser extent, on their fellow man, and so it would seem that humanity is defined and measured by strict adherences that don’t stretch to meet the needs of all those struggling in the midst of a humanitarian crisis.

The EU is attempting to cope with an unforeseen flow of refugees from the Middle East and Africa and given the encompassing European feeling of failure towards these refugees and migrants this could well be our biggest test in our ability to look after one another on the most basic human level. 

In order to fully equip the crisis with financial and logistical aid we must imagine a world that exists without borders and alliances if we are to complete our missions of kindness and equality for all and in particular those currently in distress whether on the Mediterranean or elsewhere.

One hopes that implementing an aid programme to our newest refugees without exceptions and boundaries is not a cause that exists solely on the peripherals of a utopian society but one that mirrors a common declaration of care, decency and compassion for our fellow man.

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1 Leszcynski, A. (2015). Poles don’t want immigrants. They don’t understand them, don’t like them. (July 2, 2015) Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/02/poles-dont-want-immigrants-they-dont-understand-them-dont-like-them  Retrieved July 6 2015

2 Leszcynski, A. (2015). Poles don’t want immigrants. They don’t understand them, don’t like them. (July 2, 2015) Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/02/poles-dont-want-immigrants-they-dont-understand-them-dont-like-them  Retreived July 6, 2015

3 Sherwood, H. (2014). Ten years on and Poles are glad to call Britain home. (April 26 2014) Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/apr/26/polish-immigration-britain-cities-elections Retrieved July 6 2015.

4 Leszcynski, A. (2015). Poles don’t want immigrants. They don’t understand them, don’t like them. (July 2, 2015) Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/02/poles-dont-want-immigrants-they-dont-understand-them-dont-like-them  Retrieved July 6 2015

5 Irish Independent (2015). Portrait of the Week – Number of refugees coming to Europe soars by 80pc  (July 5 2015). Available at: http://www.independent.ie/world-news/portrait-of-the-week-number-of-refugees-coming-to-europe-soars-by-80pc-31352299.html Retrieved July 6 2015.  

6 Amnesty International (2015) Amnesty’s International “Blueprint for Action” to end refugee and migrant deaths in the Med (April 22 2015). Available at: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2015/04/amnesty-international-s-blueprint-for-action-to-end-refugee-and-migrant-deaths-in-the-med/ Retrieved July 6 2015.

Racist Crime in the EU: Increasing, Under-Reported, Destroying Lives

by Georgina Siklossy, Communication and Press Officer with ENAR

Racist crime recently made its way into the headlines with the start of the landmark trial of elected politicians of Greece’s far-right Golden Dawn party, including the party leader. They are accused of orchestrating a string of attacks against immigrants, leftists and gay people.

This is, however, a rare occurrence. Most racist crime incidents are kept invisible due to gaps in police and criminal justice systems – despite the fact that every year thousands of people are victims of unprovoked, often extremely violent crime, motivated simply because of the real or perceived colour of people’s skin, ethnicity or religion.

This is particularly the case in Ireland, one of the few European countries without any legislation recognising the hate or bias motivation of racist crime and taking it into consideration for the purpose of investigation, prosecution and sentencing.

Black and Asian ethnic minorities, Roma, Jews and Muslims – or those perceived as such, are those most vulnerable to racist crime, according to ENAR’s latest Shadow Report on racist crime in Europe, covering 26 European countries.

A total of 47,210 racist crimes were officially recorded in 2013 in the 26 countries covered in the report, but this is only the tip of the iceberg. Most EU Member States do not properly record and report racially motivated crimes. In some countries there is no official or systematic data collection of racially motivated crimes; and in others, including, Ireland, information about the racial, ethnic or religious background of the victims is not disaggregated.

In addition, because they feel ashamed, do not trust the police, or think their testimony will not change anything, many victims often do not come forward to report racist crimes. It does not help that they are also often treated with suspicion by police and emergency workers. Another issue, highlighted in Ireland, is the fact that asylum seekers, migrants and refugees are particularly reluctant to report crimes for fear of deportation or unfair treatment because of their migration status.

The investigation and prosecution of racist crimes is also problematic. Ireland stands out in this respect as the Irish criminal code currently does not have a provision to deal with racist crime. This results in incidents not being recorded, investigated or prosecuted properly. It is at the discretion of judges to consider racist motive as a factor when determining a sentence in a case.

Under-qualification of racist crimes – i.e. treating a crime motivated by hate as a less severe crime or as a crime committed without a bias motive – takes place throughout the justice system, from police reporting to court judgements. In Ireland for instance, a man believed to have links with the small neo-Nazi Democratic Right Movement was found guilty of assault by Mullingar District Court but in spite of having shouted “Paki” at his victim, the judge said that “this does not make him a racist”.

Racist crime is one of the worst implications of racism, a threat to people’s lives, safety, health and property on the sole basis of their real or perceived race, ethnic origin or religion, and it should not go unpunished. Racist crimes are message crimes, which have detrimental consequences beyond the victims: their whole community is threatened as potential next victims, and possible escalation can put liberal and democratic societies at risk. Ireland, as all other EU Member States, must step up efforts in this area. It should ensure that existing EU legislation on combating racist crime – although imperfect – is properly implemented. Beyond this, it should strengthen the legal framework so that it recognises and clearly defines racially motivated crimes, provides for real obligations to investigate the racist motivation, and punishes these crimes more severely. We also need better training for the police and all law enforcement and criminal justice staff on racist crime, as well as adequate support offered to victims of racist crimes. Real political will is urgently needed to ensure better reporting, recording and sanctioning of racist crimes.

State Obligations in Dealing With Race Discrimination

by Lorraine Lally

The cases of the European Court of Human Rights have illustrated a willingness to articulate Article 8 in the language of the social model of recognition of nationality and ethnicity. The Roma cases are an excellent example of the treatments of migrants which concerned early cases brought against the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands. The groups involved suffered horrific marginalisation and social exclusion. In the case of Buckley -v- UK in 1996 there was reference made to the nature of the discrimination which consisted of layers of restrictions which had a cumulative effect of discrimination.  The addition of the case of Chapman v UK (2001) The vulnerable position of gypsies as a minority means that some special consideration should be given to their needs and their different lifestyle both in the relevant regulatory planning framework and in arriving at the decisions in particular cases   To this extent there is thus a positive obligation imposed on the Contracting States by virtue of Article 8 to facilitate the gypsy way of life.

The Dissenting opinion Judge Bonello. I consider it particularly disturbing that the Court, in over fifty years of pertinacious judicial scrutiny, has not, to date, found one single instance of violation of the right to life (Article 2) or the right not to be subjected to torture or other degrading or inhuman treatment or punishment (Article 3) induced by the race, colour or place of origin of the victim. 

Anguelova v. Bulgaria (2002)- Leafing through the annals of the Court, an uninformed observer would be justified to conclude that, for over fifty years democratic Europe has been exempted from any suspicion of racism, intolerance or xenophobia. The Europe projected by the Court's case-law is that of an exemplary haven of ethnic fraternity, in which peoples of the most diverse origin coalesce without distress, prejudice or recrimination. The present case energises that delusion

 

In  DH v Czech (2007) the Grand Chamber (13:4)  held that there was a violation of articles of the Convention.

The relevant legislation as applied in practice … had a disproportionately prejudicial effect on the Roma community. The Court is not satisfied that the difference in treatment between Roma children and non-Roma children was objectively and reasonably justified [or] … that there existed a reasonable relationship of proportionality between the means used and the aim pursued.

Therefore there is a requirement based on the vulnerability and social isolation of Migrant on the State to enact legislation to protect against discrimination against Migrants living in the State where there status is that they are illegal residents seeking the protection of the Courts.

In the case of Timishev v Russia (2005) it can be distilled that there is a duty to combat racism: to reinforce ‘democracy’s vision of a society in which diversity is not perceived as a threat but as a source of enrichment’. The same case provided that there was a duty to combat racism: to reinforce ‘democracy’s vision of a society in which diversity is not perceived as a threat but as a source of enrichment.

Šečić v Croatia (2007) it was established that there was a duty to investigate racial motivated violence, Positive duty to investigate allegations of degrading treatment, Positive duty to investigate allegations of severe discrimination; Duty to protect vulnerable groups and to prioritise investigations involving violence against such; Duty to enable different lifestyles in the relevant regulatory frameworks and in arriving at the decisions in particular cases. The case law clear shows that there is a Recognition of indirect discrimination and the Recognition of need to reverse onus of proof and to accept statistical evidence. There is also a view that the case law establishing a duty to remove barriers from individuals, families and groups living within the State.

In conclusion the European Court of Human Rights case law has been very poor on the issue of race discrimination. Some of the reasons put forward are that it is largely indirect in nature and difficult to prove before a Court. There is an issue with Article 14 which is not a standalone article to prevent discrimination it is a parasitic Article so only argued with other articles in the Convention.

The other issue is what is defined by lawyers as the Strasbourg burden of proof which can be very difficult to reach at times.  There is a wonderful link discussing the cases that have been brought and the issues.

The European Roma Rights Centre has been spearheading and supporting litigation on the issues.

http://www.errc.org/article/european-court-rejects-uk-gypsy-applicants/692

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1. Shtukaturov v. Russia (2008)
2. Chapman v UK 2001

I'm Not Racist But....

By Ruth Daly

In this, the first of my monthly blog posts for ROI Against Racism, I want to discuss the language of everyday racism in Ireland and beyond.  It is easy to recognise and call people out on overt racist behaviour – we see videos popping up on social media every day capturing racist attacks on public transport.  Just last week in Ireland, a 19 year old was sentenced to 18 months in prison for a vicious racist assault on two teenage cousins.  The assault, which took place in 2013, has left one of the young victims blind in one eye, and both young men have talked about the devastating emotional consequences of the violent racist attack they were subjected to.  While people are quick to condemn such overt racist assaults, many choose to overlook the more subtle, everyday forms of racism that are often presented in the guise of a joke or stereotype of some description. 

It is imperative that we recognise that language is not simply a means of communication. Rather, it is fundamental to everything we do, essentially housing the value through which we live our lives, a theory proffered by many critics.  It’s particularly worrying that a most insidious form of racist behaviour has become so commonplace and normalised in our society that prejudiced views and opinions are given the space to become validated. 

On a number of separate occasions, I have found myself in the company of people who have prefaced a statement with the words: ‘I’m not racist, but…’ what Sociologist Bonilla-Silva calls a ‘discursive buffer.’  He writes that this use of language became ‘standard fare of post-Civil Rights racial discourse.’  While the person uttering this disclaimer might think themselves unprejudiced, this all-too-common use of language is hugely problematic.  For one thing, these words carry with them inherently racist connotations.  In my experience at least, the subsequent remark is usually an explicitly racist or derogatory one.  Ultimately, in using this ‘discursive buffer’ a person is both acknowledging that they are going to say something racist while simultaneously absolving oneself of all responsibility in perpetuating prejudiced rhetoric. 

The idea that one can remove any sense of accountability for one’s use of racist language with a trite disclaimer is wholly unacceptable.  It illustrates the immense power of language as it points to the issue of a deeply embedded racist discourse which is often accompanied by a tone of cultural superiority. This of course leads us to another, huge, manifestation of racism, white privilege (which I will discuss in a later blog) which proves rather difficult as a point of discussion with someone who vehemently denies they harbour racist views or behaviours.  Lest we forget, as long as someone proclaims that they are not racist first, they can then make all manner of racist remarks.  So what can be done?  If we refuse to challenge the insidious, surreptitious everyday racism that has comfortably settled itself into our everyday lives, are we complicit in acts of racism? I would answer that with a resounding Yes! As Desmond Tutu puts it, ‘If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.’  We know that racism is by no means an inherent thing, but rather, it is a learned behaviour.  In educating ourselves about the deep-seated nature of racial discourse, and our complicity in that discourse if we choose to remain silent in the face of racism and prejudice, we can continue to work towards an inclusive Ireland…

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1. Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, Racism Without Racists (Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield, 2009), p. 57.
2. Ibid.

I Love Tea But Not In That Mug: Controls on Immigration on the Table

by Lorraine Lally

As a tea lover the misuse and abuse of a mug which is a common household item to send a message was upsetting because these items will survive even if the Party does not get elected. This mug was not Ukip either which another worrying point is.

 

To quote Diane Abbott a member of the Labour Party “This shameful mug is an embarrassment. But real problem is that immigration controls are one of our 5 pledges at all”.   I was severely distressed and sickened almost to the point of not wanting a cuppa tea at the United Kingdom Labour Party selling red mugs with a pledge.  They are being purchased for 4 pounds, can you imagine buying a mug stating “controls on immigration” there were no mugs stating “Increase Disability Supports” or “Promote Child Welfare” or “Report Domestic Violence”. The United Kingdom is our closest neighbour and the discourse that is present there is equally present in other EU States such as Spain.  Barcelona has a serious issue with illegal immigrants like most European Countries.  And on a recent trip it was clear the ghettoization that had occurred in the City. I hate seeming the use of high rise buildings with large amounts of impoverished migrants who are all surviving in unacceptable conditions often in accommodation that is not appropriate.

 

When talking to a member of staff in the hotel about racism he stated that there was a symbol on the entry to some nightclubs as blacks/Arabs and other foreigners are not welcome. The person telling me this was of African descent with a Spanish mother.

 

I asked him if it bothered him and he reckoned that it was easier to keep the peace and stay away from where you are not wanted.  I mentioned segregation and he did not understand I stated to keep people separate like apartheid. He told me there were no apartheid just cultural and religious issues. He told me that Spain was struggling and that it would improve. What was going to improve?

 

As a tourist in Barcelona you are harassed on the beach by individuals trying to sell you drinks and sun glasses none of the individuals are natives to the country with broken English and equally broken Spanish. I wonder if they are trafficked. Are they struggling to pay off a debt? Are they sending the entire money home to their families? Are they depressed at the thought of their entrapment?  You could sense the desperation which was a little unnerving for someone looking to lie in the sun on the beach which is what I really wanted.

 

The situation is bad in Spain through the eyes of a tourist and on the last day we saw the individuals on the beach mainly African men fleeing toward us at the top of the pier there was an immigration control police car.  On returning to Ireland I read an article that made me smile when I saw that Spain will allow illegal immigrants access to public health care. 

 

In Ireland illegal immigrants can access public health care and are provided with medical cards based on need and income.  This situation will change and we need to be aware of all the changes within the EU to ensure that we protect the most vulnerable people who are trapped. They are often stuck in a foreign country what we need to realise is that country maybe our country.

 

I once met a woman who was over 8 months pregnant and had not seen a single doctor out of fear. I reassured her that she could give birth in Ireland and that the staff would take good care of her. I was lucky to know a midwife who reassured her over the phone that her welfare and that of the baby were the only concern of the hospital. She asked my friend to confirm they would not take the baby from her as she sat before me wearing slippers her feet were so swollen. She told me that she had been preparing to give birth at home. I told her about Noel Browne and the Mother and Child Scheme and explained that we have a proud history of providing good care to pregnant women .We need to make sure that we make good policy decisions and that our changes going forward in relation to health look at international best practice and not the budget costs involved.

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 Spain to Allow illegal Immigrants access to free public healthcare http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/11509227/Spain-to-allow-illegal-immigrants-to-access-free-public-healthcare.html

Racsim ; Learning from Living

by Hannah Church

When I first sat down to write this post, I struggled. I didn’t know what I could bring to the cultural diversity and the media discussion. I don’t know what wisdom I have to impart on the topic. All I can give is what I’ve learned from life and growing up in the world I have. I feel that the best education a person can get comes mainly from experience. If you have a bad experience in a restaurant you’re not likely to return or give it a good review. If you go to a film and absolutely love it you’ll rave about it to your friends and encourage them to see it as soon as you can. And what about people? If you have a negative encounter with a person, you react. Some fight back, some take note to avoid in the future and most recount their experience to friends. This can often affect the friends’ judgement regardless of whether or not they’ve had their own encounter. This could be a far too confusing and convoluted analogy of how I believe media representation of different cultures can work. I don’t agree that traditional media is the best place to learn of other cultures. It can narrow our minds. With the introduction of new media however, there has been a new sort of revolution in the way people of all different cultures are exemplified and represent themselves and show their lives and struggles. We can be exposed to so much more now than we ever had been before. Our minds can broaden and so can our attitudes.

            I’m a twenty year old college student with no real worries or stress other than what I’m going to do once I’ve graduated. I’ve had it relatively easy. I’ve lived a sheltered, happy life and I, unfortunately, have not had many life changing or mind blowing experiences of different cultures. Other than visiting a few European countries every now and then on a family holiday, I’ve never travelled anywhere than takes more than four or five hours on a plane to get to. So I can’t actually regale you with any stories of my travels and the cultural education I’ve gained from each trip. All I have to offer what awareness I’ve developed over time of different cultures and how they can be represented or misrepresented and the obstacles that are still hindering a culturally diverse and developed world.

Living in my sheltered existence meant that many of my cultural experiences, outside of what I’d encountered on a few family holidays, came from outside sources. Mainly the media. The media nowadays is a regular form of education. We get our news and current affairs, our Information on people, places and events, and it can help to expand our knowledge and broaden our minds. Traditional print media and television can help in our education of the world. However, it can also end up interfering in our view on certain cultures. I watched a lot of television as a child. I would watch shows and cartoons on Nickelodeon, I would rent every Disney movie I could and I would love every minute. This is where my cultural knowledge started. Or lack thereof. The most popular shows at the time, and probably most impactful, were the American shows. I would notice small messages here and there within the shows. For example, all Asians are smart or nerdy or high achieving and not very social. Or all African Americans are cool or trouble makers. I would later learn that this was stereotyping and how damaging it is. We were fed closed minded messages like this so often. It’s really troubling how much of this stereotypical content is in children’s television.   I’ve never had to really face racism in my life. My only experience was in second class in primary school, I wouldn’t share my crayons with a class mate so she called me a racist. I remember getting incredibly offended, even though I didn’t fully comprehend what she meant, and I quickly assured her that she was wrong and actually I wasn’t sharing my crayons with anyone. After that day I stopped bringing in any crayons because I’d rather avoid the drama. I grew up not understanding racism until it was discussed in school. We were told in history class about the racism experienced by the Irish by the British. We learned about the atrocities Africans Americans were subjected to for centuries. We read roll of Thunder Hear My Cry as a class to teach us how wrong racism is and what it did to families and entire cultures. Though we knew that racism hadn’t suddenly become extinct it was easy to feel that it had only really happened in the past. To believe it happened when people were less civilised, when they didn’t know as much or understand empathy like we did today. “That was ages ago”, we could reassure ourselves. Having been exposed to the internet I can see that the world did not fix itself in the way we had been led to believe.

Through the internet we can be exposed to so many harsh truths. Not everyone has grown up with the same sense of what is right and what is wrong that I have. We can now see through YouTube, social media, bloggers and online news outlets racism is still out there. More so than we’d like to think. Scrolling through comments sections on videos or articles it is common place now to see at least one or two racist remarks. A simple YouTube search will bring you page upon page of videos with someone sharing their experiences with racism or even videos containing racist content. It’s eye opening. I am a particularly empathetic person, you cry, I cry. So consuming this content can be hard. But I’ve learned so much more about what is really happening in the real world than I had before.

With the introduction of this new media I feel like the conversation about racism, cultural diversity and identity has really taken off. Because though there can be some dispiriting content out there, there is also an army of people who are ready to defend and speak out and fight against the way things are. For example, the tragic cases recently of the shooting of Mike Brown and the death of Eric Garner in America were covered extensively online. Thousands of people came out in protest of the racist treatment of these men, showing their support in so many ways through social media. Stories like this may not have had as much coverage and may not have had a chance to gain as much support as they did if it had been left to traditional media to decide what story takes preference. With social media and new media the story, the issue and the outrage could all be heard clearly.

I believe that a culturally diverse and accepting world is so much more obtainable now with new media. There are so many incredibly intelligent and broadminded people from every corner of the globe ready to give support, speak out and defend themselves and others against oppression, racism and cultural ignorance. There are so many people ready to learn more than what traditional media has told them to be true. There are also people who will abuse their right to freedom of speech and will offend and insult and attack the developed and diverse mind-set. But it is important to know that there are people like that out there, and not just naively believe when your teachers tell you that racism was in the past. This is the only way we can continue learning and growing and fighting for a diverse, accepting future. 

That Was Then, This Is Now

by Anonymous

My story begins in 1988. The new wave of mass emigration from Ireland in the 1980s was a different animal altogether. Emigration was most concentrated at two ends of the class/education/wealth spectrum. Unskilled and semi-skilled workers were still leaving in droves and I was one of them.

 “The world is your oyster”, my mammy said. I had just been for a second interview as a trainee manager within the hotel industry and had been successfully. Out of the 350 people from around Ireland who applied for the job only 35 people were selected and I was one of them. I couldn’t believe it I had got the job. My whole family were so excited. I was going to Las Vegas. Although I was very excited myself, I was also a bit apprehensive as I had never been outside Ireland before and I could sense from my mam and dad, while they were happy for me they were nervous about the idea too. But they knew that opportunities like this only came once in a life time. Not only did I have a very good relationship with my parents but I was also daddy’s little girl out of the 5 children my daddy doted on me the most.

The day came for me to set off on my adventure and all my family came to the airport to see me off. I remember in particular my dad holding me in an embrace so tight I thought I was going to faint. “You take care now and be safe I love you Catherine”, he said.  My heart was breaking and I cried tears of joy and sadness.

I arrived in Las Vegas dumb struck. The place was amazing everywhere was opened 24 hours, nowhere shut. The strip at night was lit up like a great big disco ball it was fantastic. After two weeks of orientation and training we were all given our shifts to work in the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel. I had made a lot of friends and when we had time off we would go out and about exploring all the different casinos in Las Vegas. It was all so incredible and wonderful. Life couldn’t have been better!

Then one night while a few friends and I were out in a bar having a few drinks and listening to the band that was playing. I noticed the guy that was playing the saxophone; he was so handsome all my friends thought so too. We both exchanged glances and before the end of the night we were laughing and talking about everything and anything, we hit it off real well his name was Kenny. Life had just got better!

Everything was fantastic I and Kenny were going strong and I had told my parents about him too. They were so happy for me especially my daddy and he said that he couldn’t wait to meet him. My work visa had finished and I had to return home to Ireland. I was devastated on having to leave Kenny and he felt the same way too. We decided that we would have a long distance relationship as neither of us wanted to be without the other. Kenny had promised to come to Ireland to visit and I had promised that I would also go back to America on holidays.

After lots of tears and hugs I took out some of the photos I had taken and was showing them to my family. Then within that one second of having my life complete my whole world was turned upside down “Jeysus he’s black” my sister shouted. My dad grabbed the photo and I seen the look of disgust and disappointment in his face as he inspected it. “No Niger will ever step foot in my home and I will certainly not allow any daughter of mine to be seen with one” and he stomped out of the room. Silence fell around the room. My mother asked why I had not told them and I said that I didn’t think that it was relevant. I loved him no matter of his colour race or religion. And I was going to continue to be with him

The day came for Kenny to arrive. I met him at the airport and the love that we had for each other was even stronger than before. He knew that there was something wrong and asked me what was bothering me. The gut feeling I had in my stomach was wrenching I felt like I was going to vomit I broke down in tears “my father is racist” I said. I had never known this before and I had never even spoken the word before, it was all too much. “Don’t worry darling we will stay in a hotel”, Kenny said, because we had decided initially to stay with my parents. When I told my father he told me that if I stayed with him in the hotel that I was not welcome in this house again.

Having to choose between the two men in my life that I loved the most was the most difficult thing I had to do. I had never thought before now, that love could be so difficult, hard unfair and racist. I naively thought that love was equal and just among all.

We spent the next two weeks in a hotel in Dublin and Kenny did not meet any of my family as my father had forbidden it. Although I brushed this aside for the sake of Kenny there were many other incidents that occurred during his visit to Ireland that made me realise how negative people were on accepting people from other countries, and cultures into their society.

Besides all the looks and slide remarks that we got when we were out together it didn’t have any hindrance on our love for one another. One example of theses was when we were walking down O’ Connell street and two white Irish lads made a comment, saying” isn’t your own good enough for you love” my reply was “well not if there like you ignorant f….”. I was not only shocked at their racist remarks but with my own reply as I would never have talked in that way to anyone. My blood was boiling, I was outraged not only because of what the two lads had said but also because of the feelings I felt towards them I didn’t hate those two lads but I certainly didn’t like them either. This was not my character I couldn’t understand it. I’d never had such bad feelings towards anyone in my life before. 

Kenny told me although he had experienced racism before and the majority of the time it didn’t bother him he said that he felt like he was living in a time warp and that Ireland had a long way to go before we could accept that all people are the same no matter what colour, race or religion they are. That was 25 years ago and although our relationship ended because we lived so far away from each other, we still remained friends.

Kenny was the first black person I had ever met. Back in Ireland in the 1980s if you walked down O’Connell street and seen a Chinese, Japanese or black person (which was quite rare) you automatically thought that they were on holidays. Now over 500,000 foreign nationals are calling Ireland home. We have come a long way but we still have a long way to go. Even though we live in a society were multiculturalism, globalisation and cultural diversity is more customary, there will always be those slide remarks, presumptions and in cases violent behaviours that need to be overcome.

As for my father, he is now more aware of not how different people are but how different we can be in realising that we are all the same no matter of race, creed or colour.

Racism in Ireland; An Angled View Through Real Life Encounters

By John Mc Cormack

Racism was something that I once had only heard of. To me it was something portrayed on TV and in movies that how showed African Americans were once treated in America.  As a child and a teenager I believed that these encounters of racism towards blacks, often very inhumane treatments, were records of the past, and were now displayed in a form of historical story-telling that brought tension and interest for the viewer.  Soon, topics of socialization during secondary level education brought to light the realities of racism, and that racist behaviour still existed. Until this point I had still not experienced any racial discrimination on a personal level, or witnessed it inflicted on anyone else.  Having experienced bullying to a large degree, I held a degree of empathy with the hurt that can be endured by the unnecessary treatment from one person to another because of how a person looks or where they come from. The one thing I did not understand was how and why people could possess the evil characteristics it takes to do this.

Years later I travelled overseas, open to accept the ways of other nations. In doing so, I also learned that the racism I once saw in movies and on TV did not only exist as an entertaining form of history, but in the shocking reality of the present.

Two memorable incidents on two distantly separated continents remain very clear. Although both were non-direct, and part of an opinionated conversation the mentality of the perpetrators to hatefully separate humans into very different categories in such a manner shocked me.

The first incident was in the U.S.A. where an employer was advising me where to find accommodation for the duration of my stay. I was advised not to buy or rent in a particular area because it was “full of n…”....” once they move into an area, they destroy it”. I questioned my employer’s view, only to receive the response that “when you live around them long enough you will know”. 

The second encounter happened in Australia, where another employer, angered by an employee not showing up said “Sure he’s only a dirty Abbo” When I also questioned this statement, the man replied “Yes, all Abbos, Aboriginals, are useless drunks, they’re primitive, they should be rounded up, given some land, fenced off, and let them live there, away from normal people, because they are not normal”.

 Although non-direct or physical, the incidents I described are clearly racial, and I use them because they were my initial encounters of very outgoing racist comments from people I knew at nearly opposite areas of the globe. In both incidents I found the people in question (victims) to be very likable and one remains a friend today.  

There is clearly racism, and discrimination joins it hand in hand. I believe both come in many forms and begin as a mind-set, progressing to a verbal stage (as the two examples) on to actions and physical behaviour. 

But is there racism in Ireland? Let me explain that in a very personal way. Discrimination falls under many categories, often not involving clear race/ethnic differences. I say this because the most outrageous and discriminating incidents I encountered were attacks on myself by fellow Irish men with enormous hatred towards me being from Dublin. The attacks were physical assaults, one causing grievous bodily harm, and the other causing property damage. Both were based on the fact that I was not from the area of Ireland where these attacks took place, and in both cases it was clearly stated that I was from Dublin and did not belong in these rural areas. ‘Jackeen’ and ‘Blow in’ are discriminative terms still used in rural areas of Ireland towards Dublin people or people not born in those particular areas.  Perhaps also here refer to the experiences of travellers? Who despite being of the same ethnicity/religion they are very much discriminated against perhaps in ways that parallel those of black Americans and Australian aborigines

The little country of beauty with some remaining primitive ways, still holding a reputation of being welcoming and friendly, may only hold valid to ‘money-spending’ tourists and certain nationalities.

In the same way that most of the world opened its doors to Irish immigrants to come and share their way of life, when Ireland became part of the E.U. it opened its doors to foreign nationals to come here share our way of life. But the famous Irish welcome may not have greeted all that came. While I did not witness any cases myself, I know there have been many cases of racist attacks due to their exposure in the media. I see good caused by the exposure of racial discrimination in Ireland and I feel there has been a certain amount of fear injected into the minds of members of the Irish public not to behave in a racist manner.

As mentioned at the start, my experience of bullying helped me empathize with the endurance of racism abroad, but now I have empathy towards people of a different race living in Ireland due to the experiences of hate I endured from fellow Irish. What I once had to travel to see, I shamefully see deeply ingrained in many of the people of my country of birth, Ireland.

Although racial acts may have decreased in Ireland, or at least that is what the media portrays, I feel that many Irish people possess the ability to hold a deep hate towards others who are not local. While I think it is great that many of the racist cases were addressed, I feel that discrimination, race based or not, need to be the main focus. I think every act that stems outside the norms of how society should treat each other, no matter who is the victim, needs to be treated for the crime it is.

Do The Movies Fuel Racism?

by Ailish Logue

One cannot not deny the important role which media plays in relation to racism. Media plays a huge role in the representation of different cultures in societies;which can portray different cultures in either a positive or a negative way. I have learned from an early age throughout my education in Ireland that racism is wrong and we are all equal regardless of the colour of our skin, or our religion or whatever biological differences we hold. Ireland is becoming more and more of a multicultural society and teaching Irish citizens we are all equal is key to ensuring peaceful co-existence between people of all cultures and most importantly ensuring equality for all. But a question which has been on my mind is how is this possible when we are allowing films which hold a deep racist content to be shown? This question has been in my mind after seeing the recent blockbuster American Sniper. Ireland is a multicultural country, but how can this be if we allow films like this to be shown which totally disregard the Arabic culture? Should we as Irish people stand up to this?

 

For many typical successful blockbuster films, there's a role of a protagonist and an enemy. For many years these enemies in Hollywood films were portrayed as Russian spies; take for an example the famous James Bond film 'From Russia with Love'. During the period of the Cold War it was socially acceptable to allow a Russian character to be portrayed as the typical villain in films, as they were seen as an enemy of the United States of America. Due to the end of the Cold War, the typical enemy is no longer the predictable Russian villain; since 9/11 a new villain emerged in films which are the Arabs. American Sniper endorsed the idea of the baddie in the film being portrayed as Arabic. This stereotype of Arabic people being the 'baddies' in films is beyond damaging to the reputation of Arabic across the world and this disregards all the beauty of their culture.  Through films like American Sniper, negative stereotypes in people's minds are therefore created and once these stereotypes are engrained it is very hard to remove. These films and television shows can help create the perception that Arab countries are the enemy of the United States; this is modern day propaganda which is in endorsed by Hollywood. Through this propaganda, Islamophobia is created; a growing problem which must be stopped immediately. This can be seen as a 'direct result' which media have helped create. A question which was on my mind is are we helping to create the increasing problem of Islamophobia by watching films like this?

 

I was unsure of the synopsis of American Sniper before I went to see it in the cinema, but it was not long into the film I realised this film was endorsing Islamophobia. The protagonist Chris Kyle is portrayed as an all American man, with a passion of guns from an early age. The enemy is viewed as Iraqis. Kyle joins the SEALS in order to become a sniper and fight in America's war on terror and shortly after completing training he was deployed to Iraq. Kyle's colleagues quickly learn he has a good aim at shooting, praise given quite frequently throughout this film creating the perception that he is heroic and a legend . This film starts with some horrific scenes; take for an example a child being shot. A child being shot in films is horrific and extremely hard to watch for most people, but I did not hear total awe in the cinema like I expected, as this child was viewed as an enemy of the United States of America. This is influence of propaganda. I found this film to portray a lot of propaganda; take for example Chris Kyle is known as a hero because he has 160 confirmed kills (although he could have killed more). If an Iraqi man shot 160 American citizens, including women and children he would not be viewed as a hero; he would be viewed as one of the most dangerous terrorist America have ever seen. Throughout this film a clear message was portrayed 'Americans lives are worth more than an Arab's life'. There was competition throughout this film between characters to see who killed the most Arabs. Little regards is shown to the Arabs in general, as throughout the film they are known as ''them''. Films like American Sniper are adding to the increasing social problem of Islamophobia as they are portraying to us as viewers that Arabs are bad people and killing 160 of Arabs, including children, is okay and a heroic act because 'these people' are enemies. How can we in Ireland learn to be acceptant of all cultures when films like this are shown?

 

The role of media plays an important role in our societies; subconscious to many. Many films can show struggles which African-Americans faced, one can think of such movies like The Help or Twelve Years a Slave which were two very successful films which showed the African-American struggle of slavery and civil rights. This is a positive way in which the role of film can be used, as it allows us to see the harrowing struggles African-Americans went through. But the example of  American Sniper has a negative impact as once a negative stereotype is engrained by watching a film it is very hard to remove that stereotype. This film promoted the Arab culture in an appalling way and placed the value of an Arab life below the life of an American. This film was a huge success in Western countries; does this mean Western countries accept this? It is beyond worrying that films like these can become blockbuster sensations. Do we as Irish think Arabic lives are less important than those who are American? As Irish citizens we should stand up against racism in films and promote equality.

The Other's

by James Keogh 

Growing up in 90s/00s Ireland from a racial point of view was an easy task for me. I went to a white Catholic school with all of my white friends. I lived in a white neighbourhood with all white families. Everyone looked more or less the same. Everyone talked the same. Everyone had the same accent (well, expect for me and my Anglo-Irish voce, but that’s besides the point). We were all the same and as kids we knew no different. Sure, there were black people on TV. There were Asian people in movies. But those were American movies and American TV shows. They were another world away.

 

So whenever the kids at school saw or heard someone from another background there could only be one reaction: laugher. Something so innocent, something that’s meant to make everyone feel happy made me so uncomfortable. Now, I’m not saying I’ve got some white saviour complex and that I was the champion of the foreigners, but I felt for them. I understand how it feels to be looked at as something other than normal. That’s another story, but even as a kid I knew treating someone as the “other” wasn’t ok.

 

My most vivid memories of this kind of subtle racism are simply the times when one of the few Asian kids in our school would come from another classroom to deliver a message. And out of the blue, you could hear the sniggers. Not because he had said anything out of the ordinary, not because he was a comical genius, but because he was a different race. And I don’t think this notion of subtle racism amongst my generation was ever addressed. Was it only present in boys? Did the girls in the school across the way laugh when a black girl walked in the room? I couldn’t say. But I do know why they laughed. I remember still even into my teens when a video would be showing in class and the presenter of that video was a different race, the guys would just laugh. It was so unfathomable.

 

It all comes down to the notion of “the other” in Irish society. We are so built up in our Irishness that a lot of the time the others get the runt of the blame. I don’t know how many times throughout the recession the Polish were to blame. ‘The damn Poles are taking our jobs and it’s 100% their fault.’ We get so invested in ourselves as Irish people that it totally alienates everyone else. Delving into my thought process further this subtle racism doesn’t only stop at skin colour. It extends into xenophobia. The attitude that all English people were scum resonated heavily in kids when I was young (and still they’d go off and support Man United or Liverpool or whatever else). Kids who were taught in schools that the English oppressed Ireland for 700 years weren’t given any sort of moral standing when it came to English people in modern society (You know, the ones who haven’t oppressed a nation once in their lives). The education always stopped at “We kicked the English out of 26 counties”. There was such an inconsistency in reasoning.

 

And of course we all adhere to preconceived ideas about a person based on their ethnicity. Even now as an adult, when I meet someone of a different race, I don’t automatically assume they fit their racial stereotype, but I do have my subconscious preconceived notions. It’s not any fault of mine, it’s a by product of growing up amongst solely white people with media that only portrayed different races as their stereotypes. And of course I do everything in my power to fight these notions and base my judgement of a person on their actual attributes.

 

This goes too for reinforcing positive stereotypes. For instance, we all have the subconscious idea that black people are this race of people at one with the soul train whose dance moves are unrivalled. The Irish even do it to themselves, priding themselves on being excellent drinkers when this is just simply not true.

 

I feel this is something we, as the 90s generation just have to deal with. Stereotypes are so ingrained in our minds at this stage that we need to just deal with it and just do our best to be kind to everyone, regardless of race. We need to try not to privilege others or put others at a disadvantage because we grew up in a society where there was just us.

 

It’s only fair to assume these days with an increase in multiculturalism in Ireland that kids no longer laugh at the Asian kid just for existing. I wouldn’t be able to tell you if the xenophobia against anyone not born in Ireland has stopped. I can tell you now that as adults we’re all a lot more comfortable around English people, like decent human beings. Yes, we all have that one friend whose entire repertoire of jokes consists of racial stereotypes, but there will always be that guy.

 

In conclusion, the “Others” are all around us; we are no longer a white Irish nation. We must embrace multiculturalism, and in doing so, try our best to not let the ideas we forged as children determine our relationships with others. We are no longer the kids who laughed at the Asian. We are adults and we are so much better than that.