Christianity is a great religion which played a significant historical role of liberating the slaves and the oppressed people in the Roman Empire. Christianity preached the highest values of humility, austerity, dedication, compassion, and forgiveness. However, the western capitalist consumer culture preaches exactly the opposite values of arrogance, selfishness, greed, extravagance, and vengeance. The so-called conservative Christians are the most ardent supporters of the most reactionary and aggressive policies of the western imperialist countries, including the killing of millions of innocent people in the third world countries. One should not be surprised if violent actions occur in church-run institutions.
By Dr. Sawraj Singh
Even though on the surface, it appears that when a nursing student of Korean descent shoots and kills other Koreans and minorities, then there can be no racial factor involved. Yet the fact remains that the overt and covert racism in the medical profession, and this society in general, probably contributed to this tragedy. Racism can be overt or covert. Intolerance towards, and ridiculing of accent, mannerism, and appearance are components of covert racism. All of these promote the domination of the white race over the minority races. Therefore, you do not have to be white to practice racism; as long as you are upholding the value system of the racially-dominating society, you are promoting racism. The western capitalist societies in general, and America in particular, consciously and sub-consciously promote the values of the dominant white race.
Such prejudice and maltreatment of people by members of their own community is seen in other minority groups as well. For example, in the Punjabi community, sometimes the newly-arriving immigrants from Punjab are discriminated and looked down upon by the established members of the community. These new immigrants are called derogatory epithets, such as “boaters” (meaning that they have arrived “fresh off the boats”) and “base-menters” (meaning that they do not own a home and are living in a rented basement). The Sikh boys who maintain their Sikh identities are, ironically, often teased by Sikh boys who are clean-shaven.
Even in America, the medical profession, along with the law-enforcing agencies, have the dubious distinction of being affected the most by racial prejudice and racial discrimination. I have personally experienced both overt and covert racial prejudice and discrimination for 40 years. I was clearly told by the white doctors and administration in our hospital that my accent can put the hospital at a higher risk for being sued.
I started my schooling in an English-medium school, and English was always my strongest subject. I obtained the highest marks in the English subject in my pre-Medical examination. To this day, I clearly remember my first day in the US. I was going to Chicago from New York in a United Airlines airplane, on June 30, 1971. I was the only Indian passenger and was almost entirely surrounded by white Americans. I talked with many passengers. I told them that I had just arrived from India on an Air India flight, and was headed to Chicago. They were very surprised as to how I could speak English so well, and they had no difficulty in understanding me. After doing my internship and residency in General surgery, fellowship in vascular surgery, and taking several courses in laser surgery in many universities; the doctors, administrators, and hospitals had difficulty understanding my accent. Is it my accent or is it the prejudice in the medical profession?
I am not alone. I personally know other minority physicians whose careers were destroyed by the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services and the Washington State Licensing Board. Even after making repeated requests, for more than 20 years, to make public the racial breakdown of the physicians against whom adverse actions were taken, they are yet to comply. I am forced to conclude that they are purposefully concealing such information and have much to hide.
The Korean nursing student who carried out the shooting was probably upset by the other students and teachers who made fun of his accent and mannerism. I can empathize with his suffering, but I cannot condone the violent course he took to vent his frustration and anger at being mistreated and harassed. The best way to fight back is to expose the realities of racism and capitalism in the western societies, and help to change the situation. Violence only makes things worse because it can reinforce the anti-minority prejudice in the majority community. We should try to convince the majority community that not only the minorities are victims of racism, but the whole society suffers the ill-effects of this menace.
Christianity is a great religion which played a significant historical role of liberating the slaves and the oppressed people in the Roman Empire. Christianity preached the highest values of humility, austerity, dedication, compassion, and forgiveness. However, the western capitalist consumer culture preaches exactly the opposite values of arrogance, selfishness, greed, extravagance, and vengeance. The so-called conservative Christians are the most ardent supporters of the most reactionary and aggressive policies of the western imperialist countries, including the killing of millions of innocent people in the third world countries. One should not be surprised if violent actions occur in church-run institutions.
People belonging to the minority communities should not become victims of the capitalist propaganda of equating uniformity with unity. Uniformity suppresses the minority cultures and leads to forced assimilation, whereas unity is achieved by respecting the minority cultures and accepting and tolerating diversity.
Dr. Sawraj Singh, MD F.I.C.S. is the Chairman of the Washington State Network for Human Rights and Chairman of the Central Washington Coalition for Social Justice. He can be reached at [email protected].
