Yes, You Can Be Racist Toward Your Own Ethnicity

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White supremacy isn’t a concept exclusive to Caucasians. Racism is addictive in its own right, and a lot of people, regardless of their cultural heritage are racist. Being racist toward your own ethnicity is often shrugged off despite how common it is. Just because you’re brown yourself, doesn’t mean you can’t be racist.

Discriminating people from a familiar ethnic background on the basis of color, past times, and even choices falls under a special kind of racism. This kind is ineffably toxic, giving way to hypocritical projections of a conscience laden with insecurity and innate subservience. Interestingly, racism has an unbreakable connection with stereotypes; what is deemed acceptable by society isn’t often challenged without reluctance.

As a Pakistani, I can safely say that I’ve come across more racist people than I can count. I, myself, have indulged in subtle racism at times. Racist people will never admit that their very public displays of prejudice are morally inexcusable. Take rishta culture in Pakistan and India for instance, it demands that the girl be fair above all else. Even women seek fair skinned men, it is a formal criteria for accepting proposals. And utterly ridiculous because more often that not, people seeking fair skinned partners are tan themselves. So why then? God only knows.

The fact that darker men and women are blatantly rejected positions for a job is also reinforcing of the colorism people thrive on. Make no mistake, colorism can’t be isolated since it profoundly stems from racist tendencies.

That’s not all. Mass mockery is publicly distributed when it comes to following your cultural practices. Dressing up in ethnic attire, using henna, listening to Punjabi music and watching Bollywood movies can all directly land you on a racist’s hit list. Ironically, brown people are so racist that they refuse to accept they often indulge in most of the things they’re disparaging others for. A lot of times, these racists are well educated individuals, but that shouldn’t come as a shock. Formal education often falls short in a battle against hypocrisy. These people live in their hubristic bubbles of superiority, stomping on anyone who fails to fit their standards.

Unfortunately, having a refined English accent is also used as a merit to gauge intelligence. Pronunciation is a weird thing, unless your ‘s’ in measure isn’t silent, you can’t qualify as an intellect. To hell with all your accolades, right? If you know English, your chances of being handed things on a silver platter are much higher. Why do we forget that our heritage isn’t something to be ashamed of? Our language is OURS and yet some of us are so readily willing to disown it.

So, how does one tell when they’re actively being racist toward their own ethnicity?

When you tell someone they look beautiful because they look white, you’re being racist. When you take pride in having only ‘westernized’ habits, you’re being racist. When you take pride in never wearing ‘Shalwar Kameez’, you’re being racist. When you make fun of someone’s ‘not so perfect’ accent, you’re being racist.

White supremacy is so unbelievably powerful that even people of color champion for the cause. Being racist can never be segregated from having an inferiority complex when it comes to discriminating against your own community. Because if you could resonate with your heritage without hating yourself for it, you wouldn’t be racist to begin with.

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