The Color of my Skin!
Two incidents a few hours apart have inspired this post though there have been very many more times the same things have happened and I have simply ignored them and put the actions of the individuals involved as ignorance on their side and a lot more maturity on my end!
I sat down at a store today in the middle of Mumbai and a cute little girl about two years old was walking by with her grandma. She took one look at me and refused to come any further. I smiled at her encouraging her to take the few extra steps but she refused to budge. I put down her reluctance to pass by me as her seeing me as a strange being after all how many black africans had she seen in her life! There are black Indians but my type of black was a strange one, my hair is not curly and my facial features are very different and on top of all this she is a two year old, how much can she be blamed for not knowing that the blood that flows through my veins is as red as that flowing through hers!
The next incident that occurred was in the rest room of the Taj Hotel in South Mumbai. The facility was really nice, there were three toilets close to the lobby which we could use, I had gone with two friends. The toilets were manned by a lovely lady in a beautiful sari who took one look at my braided her and smiled in delight, 'nice' she said, I said thank you in return. There were only three toilets and I waited my turn in a line, I used the next available toilet. It was clean and once you were through you had the tap opened for you by the lady in the sari who handed you a very clean white hand towel which you disposed of in a basket by the sinks. She also turned off the tap for you.
When I came out of the loo, there was still a line of ladies waiting to use the facility but there was one odd thing, none of the women would go in to the toilet I had just come out from. I thought this was odd and waited a few more seconds to see what would happen. The next lady in line just waited for the next available toilet and she promptly jumped in when another lady came out. I could not help myself and I burst into laughter, I also looked at the next lady in line who seemed to be undecided about what to do, after hesitating a bit she entered the toilet booth I had vacated!
I pondered on the actions of these women who seemed to be in their forties therabouts and who were white skinned. What exactly did they think would happen to them if they shared a toliet with me? I dont know and I cant even begin to imagine what their thoughts are. I am not one that beats around the bush when it comes to the race issue, but my take is that for crying out loud we are all human beings!
The first incident just set me thinking about how it seems that racial stereotypes and differences may be innate and not acquired especially when you take the age of the child into consideration but I have many more examples that show that discrimination based on race or color is actually acquired the same way preference for teams in the English or European leagues is acquired. When fathers buy their children red or blue colored jersies and actively denigrate all other colors in front of their children is it any surprise that the children become avid ManU or Arsenal fans and join in trumping other teams when the opportunity arises!
The second incident I will chalk down to the humorous inclinations of the ladies in question, maybe they wanted me to laugh and they suceeded, I had a good laugh! It is ludicrous to think that some things can jump out and cling to you for life because you used the loo after someone with chocolate skin:) I sometimes say that these things do not affect me but maybe sometimes they do!
Anyway here is a toast to all the colors of the skin you can think of.................May our skins never change, may our hearts be white, may our blood always be red and may we all live in harmony like the colors of the rainbow!
I sat down at a store today in the middle of Mumbai and a cute little girl about two years old was walking by with her grandma. She took one look at me and refused to come any further. I smiled at her encouraging her to take the few extra steps but she refused to budge. I put down her reluctance to pass by me as her seeing me as a strange being after all how many black africans had she seen in her life! There are black Indians but my type of black was a strange one, my hair is not curly and my facial features are very different and on top of all this she is a two year old, how much can she be blamed for not knowing that the blood that flows through my veins is as red as that flowing through hers!
The next incident that occurred was in the rest room of the Taj Hotel in South Mumbai. The facility was really nice, there were three toilets close to the lobby which we could use, I had gone with two friends. The toilets were manned by a lovely lady in a beautiful sari who took one look at my braided her and smiled in delight, 'nice' she said, I said thank you in return. There were only three toilets and I waited my turn in a line, I used the next available toilet. It was clean and once you were through you had the tap opened for you by the lady in the sari who handed you a very clean white hand towel which you disposed of in a basket by the sinks. She also turned off the tap for you.
When I came out of the loo, there was still a line of ladies waiting to use the facility but there was one odd thing, none of the women would go in to the toilet I had just come out from. I thought this was odd and waited a few more seconds to see what would happen. The next lady in line just waited for the next available toilet and she promptly jumped in when another lady came out. I could not help myself and I burst into laughter, I also looked at the next lady in line who seemed to be undecided about what to do, after hesitating a bit she entered the toilet booth I had vacated!
I pondered on the actions of these women who seemed to be in their forties therabouts and who were white skinned. What exactly did they think would happen to them if they shared a toliet with me? I dont know and I cant even begin to imagine what their thoughts are. I am not one that beats around the bush when it comes to the race issue, but my take is that for crying out loud we are all human beings!
The first incident just set me thinking about how it seems that racial stereotypes and differences may be innate and not acquired especially when you take the age of the child into consideration but I have many more examples that show that discrimination based on race or color is actually acquired the same way preference for teams in the English or European leagues is acquired. When fathers buy their children red or blue colored jersies and actively denigrate all other colors in front of their children is it any surprise that the children become avid ManU or Arsenal fans and join in trumping other teams when the opportunity arises!
The second incident I will chalk down to the humorous inclinations of the ladies in question, maybe they wanted me to laugh and they suceeded, I had a good laugh! It is ludicrous to think that some things can jump out and cling to you for life because you used the loo after someone with chocolate skin:) I sometimes say that these things do not affect me but maybe sometimes they do!
Anyway here is a toast to all the colors of the skin you can think of.................May our skins never change, may our hearts be white, may our blood always be red and may we all live in harmony like the colors of the rainbow!
Wow Tomi..you are in India??!!! Awesome! In India anyone who is white skinned is worshipped like God. I think if we got the stats India will top the list for the sales of "fairness" creams! Fair skin..unfair mind.
ReplyDeleteI remember as a child, our parents and many other parents would tell the kids to drink milk and not tea/coffee. They instilled the fear that if we drank tea/coffee we will become black.
I do not know why they are so obsessed with fair skin...
It's sad..
Where all have you traveled? If you like wildlife do visit Kanha-Kisli in Madhya Pradesh..
....only the (skin) colour determines not the depth (& content) of man.
ReplyDeleteAmen to your closing remarks! I really like how you chose to react to the situations. Some think that unless you react in anger or with a litany of insults, you can't be heard but I think laughing at the ridiculousness of it was just perfect. If the ladies want to put their bladders at risk for fear of "catching" something, well, I'll just have to pray that they come to their senses one day soon!
ReplyDeleteYoung kids are sponges and for the most part I'd say any racist tendencies they display are due to what they have taken in from their parents or other figures they respect regarding how to treat someone who doesn't look like them. Kids are for the most part innocent and it has been my personal experience that when they are faced with someone who looks different to them, they will ask questions that speak to this innocence and curiosity, rather than questions that display racism. I have had a white child ask me why my palm is white and not brown like the other side of my hand, for example. This doesn't have to do with race but another child asked me if I lost a tooth because I have a wide gap. These to me are very innocent questions.
I hope you're enjoying yourself and taking lots of pictures. What a remarkable opportunity...I need to read your earlier entries to find out why you're in India in the first place!
OMGosh! I can't believe that sort of thing still happens in the world. I'm from Canada and that sort of thing is considered really really stupid here...my husband is from the USA and he says it still happens there all the time....whateva....
ReplyDeleteSweetheart, I'd share a loo with you any day(well maybe not at the same time :-)
Your attitude is admirable, I'd have punched them with my white fist.
Your fan,
Kat
@Mrinalini Sorry Im just replying Im back from India and loved every minute of it, unfortunately I did not get to do much travelling in India but Ill certainly go back.
ReplyDelete@Rethots yes o!
@GNG thanks for all your comments, went to India as part of the course requrements for my degree,my pics do not show the work I did and give the impression that I went on a holiday:) I had fun though!
@Kat my fan:) thanks for all your comments too really appreciate them, Love your post:)
Wow... thanks for sharing this. I really enjoyed reading all the comments too. Loved the prayer at the end - Amen!! Loved the way you chose to react to this. Crazy world we live in...
ReplyDelete