What keeps me busy? asks Facebook. Well this – written in response to a post by politician Tanja Jadnanansingh about being a “so-called victim” of racism.
from exampleallochtoon.nl
I always find it a shame when people with white skin in the Netherlands (but also enough with dark skin) are so quick to say that you should leave your fear and anger behind. That you should not feel like a victim. Fine, if that has helped you and of course completely fine if it means that you will no longer be confronted with painful facts.
But we are talking about emotions that come from living in a racist society. Note that I don’t say “living with racist people”, but living in a racist world. A world in which the colour of your skin, your religion and even the language you speak has a certain status (and anyone whose low-status attributes are known to have that status immediately knows what that status is). As Toni Morrison recently said: racism is a social construct, and it can hurt deeply.
It not only hurts, it also has real, material consequences: you may or may not easily find an internship, job, good education, housing, etc. etc. We all know that, but in the Netherlands there unfortunately seems to be little room for expressing the pain that people feel who have to deal with subtle and much less subtle expressions of racism on a daily basis. Let alone for recognition of it.
Many Dutch people immediately go on the defensive when the word 'racism' is even mentioned. They immediately feel addressed and insulted, even if no one has ever personally called them a 'racist'. I am all for a positive attitude to life, etc etc, but there is a difference between feeling like a victim and being a victim. Perhaps the Dutch should reflect more often on their own reactions to (allegations of) racism. And then I am talking about white, black and brown Dutch people. What role do you play in this yourself: what are the advantages of taking action against racism or not, what are the advantages of being able to say that you are not a victim and that someone else should not be either?
Would you say that to victims of abuse? That they should get past their fear and anger and understand the person who beats them every day, because with all that shouting they 'destroy every chance for connection and conversation'? Every conversation about racism should start with openly naming and acknowledging the pain that comes with racism. And if you yourself have a skin color, practice a religion, or speak a language that happens to be in the 'neutral' (=dominant) category, then in my opinion you should start by listening carefully and talking and judging less about 'all those victims'.
This piece is a contribution by Ellen-Roos Kambel is Executive Director at Rutu Foundation for Intercultural Multilingual Education . If you would like to contribute, please send us an email info at kroeshaar.com.