Have you ever had a fear of someone because of the color of their skin? Because of the way they look? At some point when you were younger, because you might of grew up in an isolated area, you might have thought about that. Maybe you still feel this towards some. It’s those irrational fears that place you in the category as a racist or just someone full of hateful behavior. There are many still like you, unfortunately.
This irrational fear can also be described as Xenophobia which is “an unreasonable fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange” (Joyce). Whether it be people of Spanish origin coming to the U.S. or Americans coming to Egypt to visit, there are going to be people who have this and it’s a good idea to understand that.
“People have a tendency to fear members of races other than their own, although intimate interracial relationships help to mitigate those biases” (Marra). It’s still a real idea that people battle every day. For example, according to a Harvard graduate student at Harvard, “”For whites, this meant they developed a stronger, more persistent learned fear response to the face of a black stranger; for blacks, this meant more robust learned fear toward a white stranger” (Marra).
This is a simple ignorance from history that many people can’t get over. Regrettably, this country has a bad history of the fear of diversity. Is there a way we can avoid this for later generations to follow suit? Or are we forever in this stigma of being hateful?
In children, this is a different type of fear. If children do exhibit this, it does not mean the child is going to be a racist or is a racist, it just means “the circuitry in their brain that causes all people to be somewhat suspicious of those outside one’s own group is especially hyperactive” (When a Child). However, if it’s not dealt with then it might turn into something bad.
What you can do is interact with different people and have your child try to interact as well. Hold their hand and guide them to play with other kids that are of different race. Or just talk with them and make them watch family friendly films that include other races to help them understand that it is okay, and it shouldn’t be fear installed into their mind about others different from them. Teach them to be open to everyone.
In conclusion, many people still have the irrational or Xenophobia fear of other races installed in their mind. Either because of bad past experiences that are only of a certain race, or because you grew up isolated from other races to keep you grounded. There are reasons you feel that way and almost all those reasons are terrible, and you should be informed about respect and try to be open to everyone. You can do this with your children as well, so they don’t grow up with this fear as well. Overtime, if this is done, the world can become a better place.
Marra, William C. “Fear Towards Other Races Found | News.” The Harvard Crimson, 2005, www.thecrimson.com/article/2005/8/5/fear-towards-other-races-found-people/.
Joyce, Rosemary. “Fear of the Other: An Anti-American Position.” The Berkeley Blog, 23 Aug. 2010, blogs.berkeley.edu/2010/08/23/fear-of-the-other-an-anti-american-position/.
“Children Afraid of People of Different Races; Racial Fears in Children.” Babies & Divorce: How Divorce Affects Infants, www.keepyourchildsafe.org/fear/racial-fears-in-children.html.
