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.

---------------------------------------

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

It's Time For A New Way To Look At Migration

by Ruth Daly

The Immigrant Council of Ireland recently held a highly important workshop entitled ‘Voices of Young Migrant Men’ which brought to light the varying and often difficult issues facing young migrants in Ireland. This ground-breaking research project, funded by the European Commission, took place in seven different European countries, including, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom.

Today, reports have been slowly filtering through Irish media about the discrimination, prejudice and assault faced by migrants in Ireland. Of course, we can conclude that these findings are not exclusive to Ireland but rather are the experience of migrants everywhere. While the research project mentioned focuses on the experiences of young migrant men, I would like to extend this discussion to migrant women, who face equally difficult challenges in the form of discrimination and prejudice.

Findings from the research project indicate disturbing levels of racism and prejudice from authoritative government groups. Policy and Research Officer with the ICI, Peter Slovak stated that racism was a common thread seen among members of the Gardaí and the Immigration Authorities with highly unprofessional and insensitive workers remarking ‘your kind is not allowed here’ among other derogatory and racist remarks. Additionally, there were reports of insinuations that migrants were there purely for financial gain. Godfrey Chimbganda of ICI stressed the importance of integration in tackling racial discrimination towards migrants, stating that the Garda Síochána and other government bodies need to become more diverse. I have included a link to this report at the end of this post for anyone who would like to read more about it.

Oswaldo, one of the young men who participated in the research project has stated that ‘borders are more than just lines drawn in a map, some are even literally massive walls and spiked fences, not even airports are as welcoming as you might expect, they are scary, judgmental and discriminating. We cannot discover our own planet freely.’ (ICI, 2015)

We need to reassess the way in which we view culture and borders and embrace their respective fluidity. If we are to regard culture as intermingled and multifarious, it follows that cultural growth is something which migration facilitates. Thus, it stands that migrants are in a position to act as empowered agents of change here in Ireland, and indeed globally. In The Location of Culture, literary theorist and scholar Homi K. Bhabha highlights the importance of recognising the porous borders between cultures, a notion of fluidity shared by other critics. John McLeod states ‘that [borders] are always leaking into each other, criss-crossing the supposed barriers’ (263) which causes ideas to move and change as a result.

In The Black Atlantic: Modernity and Double Consciousness (Verso, 1993), Gilroy discusses the middle passage, employing the image of the ship as a means by which to symbolise ‘a living, micro-cultural, micro-political system in motion’ (4). This symbol ‘bears witness to the history of black oppression but also the possibility of putting ideas and cultural practices “on the move”, circulating them across different places in perpetual motion’ (266). Here we see an element of hope and new possibility regarding the exchange of ideas emerge out of the profoundly horrific, deeply traumatic Middle Passage.

I refer to Gilroy as parallels can be drawn between his research and the current migrant crisis. What men, women and children are currently going through in an attempt to flee war-torn countries and oppressive regimes is unfathomable. The gross violation of human rights is disgraceful. Our, the EU’s, response is less than welcoming. Simply put, it is not good enough. How is it that have we not learned from history?

In their own words, migrants have described the immense difficulty of leaving their respective homelands to come to a strange place in search of hope, in search of peace. In light of the continuous difficulties facing migrants living in Ireland – many of which have been highlighted by this research – it is more important than ever to highlight the manifold ways in which men, women and children from outside of the EU who have sought asylum in Ireland have enriched Irish culture. Indeed, many have been hugely influential in our continued societal development.

One such example can be seen in a recent legal case which saw Muhammad Younis vindicated as the Supreme Court overturned a previous High Court judgement. Younis was awarded €92,634.42 in unpaid wages and compensation for 7 years’ work in a Clondalkin restaurant. Mr. Younis’ unrelenting perserverence in his fight for his rights has not only changed the law but it has made Ireland a far better, safer, more just place for all workers.

Additionally, a recent International Report entitled ‘Indicators of Immigrant Integration 2015’ carried out by the European Commission and the OECD has shown that Ireland has the most educated immigrants in the EU. If anything, we should be grateful to have such bright minds contributing to Irish society.

It is imperative that we focus on the fluid and porous nature of borders, and embrace our fellow citizens. I will conclude with some sage advice from Oswaldo:

‘At the end of the day, it’s all of us together, the common citizens of the world through our opinions and activism who can change the actions of our policy makers, and the positions of our politicians.’ (ICI, 2015)

 

References

Bhabha, Homi K., The Location of Culture (Routledge, 1994)

Gilroy, Paul, The Black Atlantic: Modernity and Double Consciousness (Verso, 1993)

McLeod, John, Beginning Postcolonialism (Manchester University Press, 2010)

To read more about the findings of the ‘Voices of Young Migrant Men’ research project, visit: http://www.immigrantcouncil.ie/

To read more about the ‘Indicators of Immigrant Integration 2015’ report, visit: http://www.keepeek.com/Digital-Asset-Management/oecd/social-issues-migration-health/indicators-of-immigrant-integration-2015-settling-in_9789264234024-en#page149

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.

--------------------------------------------

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

-----------------------------------------------

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

Direct Provision ; Will Common Sense Ever Prevail?

by Michelle Mitchell

 In my previous article for ROI against Racism I spoke of Direct Provision and its implications for the lives of those who are forced reply on it as a system for survival in Ireland. As this is very current issue in the media at the moment I would like to address the issue of the cost of direct provision in Ireland. Early this week The Irish Examiner published that ‘Direct Provision Contractors receive €5m each year in state fees’. Therefore in total last year Direct Provision has cost the state €53m to support the 4,364 people who rely on it. There is no denying that this is a substantial amount of money for any government to spend but particularly if the country they are running is in economic recession as Ireland is at the moment. Therefore why the government is choosing to invest such an amount of money in a system that dehumanizes and essentially imprisons people, I simply cannot understand. Surely this money could be invested more wisely and with sincere goals for equality and social change in mind.

The lack of available rental properties is one reason why asylum seekers, who despite being granted Irish citizenship are being forced to survive on Direct Provision. Therefore the logical solution to a problem such as this is for the government to increase spending in social housing schemes and rent supplement along with increasing rent supplement thresholds. Now, I am not an economist but I do foresee that if this were to occur, what would transpire are many long term advantages for both the person in receipt of direct provision and the government alike. As a sociologist what I can predict is that when an asylum seeker no longer relies on direct provision and has a fixed abode they are then in a position to secure employment and up skilling opportunities which they will utilize (despite some racially motivated ideologies). This in effect increases their assimilation and integration in Irish society and hence the racial social divide that currently exists is in a prime condition to weaken and narrow. In terms of parliamentarian benefits, economic contributions in the form of taxes and less overall reliance on the Irish government for living support from ex direct provision recipients can only serve to boost the Irish economy which consequently provides numerous advantages for the government.

Speaking this week, Minister for State for New Communities Culture and Equality, Aodhán O Riordáin described the implementation of Direct Provision as a ‘regrettable periods in Irish History’, publically admitting that this system does not work. Protests were also held this week with texts on placards from asylum seekers stating that the want ‘the right to integrate’, believing that direct provision does not allow them to do this. Thus I would like to conclude this piece by proposing that instead of contractors earning a large income on a suppressive system by receiving money from a government that claims poverty every day, which this money is invested into providing homes for asylum seekers. As previously stated I argue that this can be achieved by a restructuring of social housing and rent supplement policies. Perhaps the large amount of “ghost estates” that need completion would be an area for consideration to facilitate this?

Racism; How We View Each Other

by Nyasha Mhandu

Race for not simply the colour of a person’s skin, it is all things cultural combined that make someone who they are. Where are you from? Where were you born? Where do you live? Innocent questions that I will live with for the rest of my life, when I am in Ireland I am not fully Irish but when I am in Zimbabwe I am not fully Zimbabwean so how do I identify myself? The development of technology has had an increasing effect on migration all over the world and the lines are blurring between who is of this and that race. Ireland as a small society has only began to experience multiculturalism in the last 25 years especially in Dublin although there is still major racial issues evident. The new generation of Irish is not the stereotypical red haired freckled Niamh and Eoin, I know Liam and Nathan born to fully Zimbabwean parents who may never get the chance to see Zimbabwe now that most of their relatives are spread around the world so where are they really from? Being racist or not racist does does not directly imply the dislike of another person because of their race but in our everyday manner and respect for other people. Words such as ‘chink’ ‘paki’ and foreigner itself are wrongly embedded into Irish colloquialism and the negative association with them mirrors an unwelcoming society. Although many of us don’t admit it there is an element of racism in all of us in that when we see someone who is of  a certain who sounds or dresses a certain we confine them to a box of stereotypical mannerisms.

‘Do they walk their dogs?’ ‘Do they have blonde hair’ I distinctly remember asking my dad on the phone before I moved to Ireland, this was my perception of varungu the Zimbabwean term for white people. To 12 year old me if you weren’t black you were white and I was going to live in a country with white people racial diversity was not a notion I had thought of before. I had mostly seen white people on the television prior to the big move and as I look at my attitude back then there I had been raised with an embedded superiority of white skin over black skin. This racial superiority is not something only common in Zimbabwe as I noticed it during the time I spent in Thailand. When the volunteers introduced themselves we all had to share where we are from and I would introduce myself as being from Ireland and so would another pale red head girl I had worked with and there would be a common muddled look on the children’s faces. As I worked mostly with children I noticed a lot of them instantly attracted to spending more time with my white colleagues where as it took them some time to relate to me. However as time developed one of the children got comfortable enough to really get to know the difference she touched my hair skin eyelashes and compared them to hers and I felt satisfied we all equal we really were.

The widespread consensus that has been highly encouraged by the media is very much of a whitewashed society, in black communities there is a significant amount of effort put into having long straight hair or lack of appreciation for very dark skin. I myself have been subject to this as a young black woman I have seen myself making a lot of effort to fit in by getting a very long weave instead of braids just so I can have the same silky smooth hair as all my friends. The older I get the more aware of this I am and it is in my best interest to love myself as I am afro and all. Racial stereotypes about black people that have indirectly affected me include the stereotyping of black people loving chicken or being seen as loud. Growing up in a predominantly white society made it significantly more difficult for me to accept my awkward puberty phase, I grew hips and a bum a lot faster and bigger than the majority of my peers. The body shape I developed is the same as that of my mother and my aunty but I cannot say it is that of all black women. It is only since Hollywood has accepted the current trend of a big bum not being ridiculed and associated with being fat I see people commenting on my figure in a positive manner.

Prior to writing this blog I had not fallen victim to any comments I would have found deeply hurtful however on St Patrick’s Day this year a comment made by a homeless man on Henry Street really hit home for me. Walking out of work with my colleagues he struck up conversation about the violence and noise and immediately he turned to question me about ‘the likes of you’ and why we like fighting. Although the comments were not taken personally it is the fact that no matter how hard I strive to be a better version of myself to someone else my melanin levels will always be more important than my contribution to society that always play on the mind.

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. 

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.

The Irish Jewish Community: From the Holocaust to Ireland

by Emer Mooney

As an Irish citizen I have personally never experienced any negativity towards my own race or cultural identity. I would like to feel that Irish society has changed a great deal in the last 100 years in terms of tolerance to cultural difference.

Now when I reflect as an adult, I really appreciate the choice my parents made to place me in a non-denominational primary school. As child I never knew what religions my friends were: those who made their communion with me or those who stayed in school whilst we practised our prayers in the local Catholic Church. To me it was never something I questioned when looking for a friend to play chasing at break time and it was their absence that I noticed when they weren’t there to see my pretty dress on my communion day, but that didn’t matter to me, as I could show them photographs and tell them all about it.

When I made my First Holy Communion my Grandmother attended the ceremony and was without my Grandfather at the time. I was so overwhelmed with the whole day that I didn’t question his absence. It was only when my Mam told me when I was a bit older that my Granddad was Jewish and my Granny was Catholic and told me about how they met that I realised my Grandfather was different by religious definition to my Grandmother. This however as a child represented to me that it didn’t matter what religion you are, you fall in love with whoever you fall in love with. 

When I made the huge jump from primary to secondary school there were major changes and my priority was making friends. People who I spoke to from different primary schools seemed so similar to me, they were my age, they liked my new shoes and they shared the same music taste as me. In secondary school we took religion and history.

 In Religion class I first learnt about other religions and found out more about mine. All I had known previous is that I sometimes went to church at Christmas time but my family were not religious. In religion class we had discussions and I discovered just how many religions there are worldwide and in my own class, it fascinated me.

In History class we studied the Holocaust and it was my first experience of learning of how humanity can selectively choose a race and feel hatred towards them. It was a completely alien feeling to me, no two people are the same so why encourage similarity and exclude difference? Further in to study, I explored the obstacles the Jews faced with being prohibited from being practising doctors, journalists and other such professions amongst other prohibitions that we are entitled to by human rights and charged right out of their homes. 

As 1933 continued, even grandchildren of Jews were sent to the ghoulish prison camps, this fact really resonated with me. That could have been me if I had lived during the 1930’s, what would I do without my family or worse still if I had to bring up my younger sister in a prison camp without my Mam or Dad? Back then I thought: “At least I’m in Ireland and a horrific injustice would never happen in this country.” Little did I know that previously in Ireland laid Anti-Semitic views and violent behaviour towards Jews. 

For my Grandfather I can imagine Ireland was an extremely different place. My Granddad was born in Dublin after his family emigrated from Russia. Born in 1919 the Jewish community took his family in. By this time Dublin’s Jewish population was rising over 4,800, South Circular Road became a popular place to live for Jewish immigrants and had 6 surrounding synagogues for prayer. The 1911 census shows how out of 1,185 householders,329 were Jewish, like my Grandfather over 80-90 percent of the Jewish population surveyed in the 1911 census had come from the Russian Empire. South Circular road soon became known as: ‘Little Jerusalem’

They were not allowed to feel at home for long as in the 1940’s Irish anti-semitic views became broadcasted with Fine Gael TD Olivier Flanagan expressing that it was time that we ‘rout the Jews out of the community.’ This is a fine example of how another country’s definition of a community: the Germans on the Jews affected the majority of Europe.

The Dreyfus affair sent waves of fear and resilience of Jews across Europe; this included the Irish Jewish community. Most of this anti-Semitic thought was published and spread via propagandists in the Irish media. In 1933 DeValera rose to power in Ireland and Hitler in Germany, through the interwar years the Irish Jewish community blossomed and prospered with the number of Jewish immigrants rising along with the clothing market boom with the help of the Jewish tailors.

My Granddad was one of the lucky ones who had escaped being detained in a prison camp but he still faced discrimination in the country he had made his home in and raised his family. When he died at the age of 93, I think back at everything my Mam has told me about my Granddad and his family and what he must have gone through during those 93 years of his life: related to the memory foam mattress bedding business of Kayfoam Woolfson which by the year of 1987 was regarded as the biggest mattress company in Ireland.

I hope that he felt at home in Dublin because without his parents, my great grandparents, making the decision to emigrate to Dublin in the 1920’s, I wouldn’t be here today. Family are family despite any differences; be that opinion or race. When I have my own children someday I will tell them about their great grandfather and how despite being different to some; him and the Irish Jewish community overcame discrimination and choose and succeed to thrive in Ireland.

Racism in Ireland: It's Not a New Phenomenon

by Rachel Martin

As an Irish national, I haven’t personally encountered any racism towards my own race. I’m currently in my final year, studying cultural studies, I feel that the topic of ‘Racism in Ireland’ is an issue which needs to be addressed. As someone who works in a hotel, my colleagues as well as the customers are different nationalities and I have never experienced any negative incidents. I feel that working in the Irish tourist industry has expanded my cultural experiences. I would hope that Ireland is a welcoming place for both the non-nationals living here and tourists visiting. I wish I could say that racism doesn’t exist in Ireland but when I witness blatant verbal attacks on non-nationals, I have to disagree.  In my opinion, it is clear that racism is an increasing social problem within Irish communities.     

The majority of my family are Irish and from Dublin. However, my grand-father has extremely sallow skin and is often mistaken for a non-national. In the early 1990’s, my grandfather was waiting for my grandmother to finish her appointment in Holles Street Hospital. Normally he would walk through Merrion Square but on this day he took a shortcut and walked through some apartment block. As he was walking through the apartment blocks, he noticed four youths standing outside a small shop. The teenagers began shouting racial slurs in his direction, presuming he was a non-national and referring to him as Pakistani. Firstly, my grandfather didn’t realise that these racial remarks were targeted at him then he began to feel nervous. As the teenagers became more aggressive, using strong language as well as common racist phrase such as ‘Don’t be taking our jobs’ and ‘Go home to your own country’. It wasn’t until my grandfather spoke that they realised he was Irish; he walked faster through the apartments and felt threatened in his own city. As an Irish national, my grandfather had never experienced racism at this level. He thought of what it would have been like to be treated like this every day. He was shocked to experience the other side of racism in Ireland but they gave him a perspective that he was lacking.

Recently, I was on Dublin Bus on my way home from college and I witnessed a similar incident. Three youths approached a young black man, who was sitting quietly on the bus, and began antagonising him with racial slurs. Although there were other empty seats on the bus, it seemed that they deliberately pinpointed this black man. They began by speaking loudly in a fake African accent, what I believe was a deliberate attempt at getting his attention. However, the man carried on reading his book whether he was oblivious or choose to ignore these comment, I’m unsure. The man remained quiet and was clearly uncomfortable. They began using strong language and telling him ‘to go home to his own country’. I didn’t know what to do, I glanced over at a woman beside who looked equally as uncomfortable. I wasn’t sure whether to say something and risk the abuse being directed at me or just put my earphones in and distract myself. I’m ashamed to say I chose the latter. I was conflicted by the whole situation, part of me wanted to do the right thing and stand up for the young man but I felt that this might fuel their anger. The three youths got off at the next stop and I asked the young man ‘Is he was ok?’. I felt I should apologise for their behaviour as it gave a negative impression of Irish people. However, I didn’t say this as I didn’t want to draw more attention to him. The man carried on reading his book and looked completely un-phased by the incident. I was left with a horrible sick feeling in my heart. It was difficult to watch a group of people who believed they had the right and responsibility to say hateful things to a stranger, based on race.            

As I compare my grandfather’s experience in the early 1990’s to the incident within the last few weeks, it is my belief that racism still exists throughout Ireland. I found it worrying to discover that many of these incidents are often in daylight hours and unprovoked attacks. Why is it that these people feel that they have the right to attack a stranger? These attacks whether physically or verbally, are unjustified. Often the hard-hitting and most negative experiences come from blatant verbal abuse, but racism does not need to be overt. It is clear that these experiences leave a mark not only on the people they are targeting but the people who are watching. In my opinion, it’s difficult for Irish people to face the problem of racism as it isn’t a part of their everyday life. The sooner we begin to recognise it, the bigger the difference we can make.           

Ireland Against Racism : Breaking Past Pre-conceptions

by Flavia Woulfe

I was born in Wexford, Ireland where I grew up and my family still resides. My mother’s family is “Wexfordian” as far back as we can trace and my father’s family hails from a small town in Co. Cork. I received a Catholic education in both primary and secondary school, where I struggled with Irish grammar and faked foot injuries to avoid playing Camogie. I associate St. Patrick’s Day with bacon and cabbage and Good Friday with house parties. My skin is fair and littered with fading freckles and my hair, when undyed, is black. Although I don’t know all of the words to the Amhran na Bhfiann, the sense of patriotism when its sang, strikes me as much as the next Irish person. I can say with certainty that I am Irish, through and through.

My name, however, is another case. Flavia, my first name, translates as “blond” in Latin. My second name is Woulfe, which derives from Norman times and is popular in central European countries such as Germany. On introduction, the majority of people question where my name come from. I chalk it down to eccentric parents with good taste and although most agree, some remain dissatisfied with that answer. In some cases further explanation as to my Irish past fulfils their enquiry, but in other cases, an unfamiliar feeling of distrust is formed. It’s as though I’m hiding something, and this makes me sometimes feel as though I am. 

During my time as a waitress, it was mandatory for all staff to wear name badges. The hotel industry in Ireland is formed by an eclectic mix of staff from different nationalities so amongst colleagues, my name was “average” to many. The formally unfamiliar feeling of distrust that I experienced from time to time began to frequent my life more often while working with the public. “Why won’t you just tell us where you’re really from” “Are you embarrassed?” “But your name is definitely not Irish, so…?” were some of the questions that arose. Other times people would speak very sl-ow-ly and cl-ear-ly so I could understand what they were saying. And in one extreme case, one woman “preferred to wait for the Irish girl” to serve the table to “save time”. I vented my frustrations to my fellow staff. Their reactions ranged from empathy to laughter because, little did I know, this was an everyday occurrence for them. To be made feel like a piece of gum on somebody’s shoe was normal to my colleagues, but how could this be in little old Ireland? 

Us Irish, for the most part, tend to think of ourselves as an accepting bunch who value equality with those who choose to share our country with us. In terms of governance in Ireland, there is little tolerance for racism in that there are no discriminatory laws in place. There are also no representatives for people of colour serving in Parliament. Racism, many Irish believe, extends as far as having a laugh at the British under whom we were colonised for so many years. But it is the more subtle racism that is damaging to Ireland and impactful on its children. The off-hand comments about the “blacks” in the nightclub bathrooms or the “Pakis” that run the shop are the remarks that people view as OK to make. The normalisation of these terms, and worse, is rampant in Irish society. Many people know someone of an older generation who is notorious for making racist slurs, which are memorised and repeated by youth. Although some claim to repeat these derogatory terms in order to highlight the generation gap between “us” (the youth) and “them” (the old), the fact that the youth, with knowledge that times have changed in the past 50 or so years, choose to normalise this language is not acceptable.

A common discrepancy is that because somebody doesn’t understand your language, you are smarter than them. Language is just one of the foundations for communication but when two people can’t converse in the same phonetics, issues can arise. Frustration and a sense of hopelessness can form while trying to utilise broken language/ signals and the result can often be miscommunication. When I built relationships with the longer serving staff in the hotel that I previously mentioned, I soon realised that pre-conceptions are dangerous to forming relationships. Naively I believed that my fellow staff were mostly working in the hotel because of either a lack of qualifications or a passion for the hospitality industry. I would estimate that 70% of the foreign national staff working in the hotel had degrees that they obtained in their home country. Fields such as law, nursing and teaching were popular amongst the staff but, because of differing regulation and practices in the workplace, they couldn’t work in their area of qualification here. On speaking to these people further I gained great insight into a side of emigration that I had never previously thought about.

Although my experience with racism wasn’t actual “typical” racism, it was more presumed racism, the feeling of worthlessness and anger is still the same. To be judged by what you look like, your name or your job is unacceptable in the 21st century. The media plays a role in the way society perceives immigrants because the media is our language provider. Only covering immigration stories and negative news about non- Irish nationals leads the way for society to normalise discrimination and associate minority groups with negative news. It’s time the Irish media began to celebrate the growing diversity of Irish society. “To be” is an arbitrary state, and much like I am Irish, I would like to see multinationals joining me in being Irish too, by facing racist intolerance in solidarity.