The 'R' Word; Racism, Ignorance and Downright Stupidity

Unless you have been living in a cave or on top of a mountain with no signal, you would have heard about Trump’s recent racist comments. I say “recent”, because he has a notorious reputation and history for expressing his offensive views, and shoving it in our unwilling faces. It got me thinking about the recent shift in our society where racism is becoming a “thing” again. Dare I say it, racism is almost becoming popularised and acceptable. Being a first generation South Korean girl, born and raised in London, this really worries me and is something I wanted to blog about. I’m sure there are many of who will read and relate to this. Please feel free to leave any comments below, they will be welcomed! xo

The USA

On Sunday 15th July 2019, Trump wrote a series of Tweets (those damn effing tweets!) in summary stating that the four Democratic Congresswoman (Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley) “originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe” before telling them to go back to their own countries.

The irony of this statement is that 3 out of 4 were born in the USA, and though Ilhan was born in Somalia, she is a US citizen. The country they originally come from is the USA and if that’s the government Trump is referring to when saying it is a complete and total catastrophe, he’s absolutely right. It’s a complete shit show due to him!

In one of his Tweets, Trump said the following about the “Left Radicals”:

“Why isn’t the House voting to rebuke the filthy and hate laced things they have said? Because they are the Radical Left, and the Democrats are afraid to take them on. Sad!”

Mate, the same thing could be said about your sorry arse. Pot calling the kettle black! There are also many people who are afraid to take him on because he’s the POTUS, and a big bully.

I remember election time and wishing I could vote for Hilary; not necessarily in support of her but moreso against him. But I had every hope in the American people and surely Trump wouldn’t/ couldn’t be voted as president of the US, right? Surely this pathetic, almost comical guy, who was known for his offensive views, behaviour and the US version of The Apprentice, couldn’t become president right? Oh how wrong we all were. I remember waking up in the morning to hear the news that he had won, and thinking I was having a bad dream. Little did I realise, just how bad it would get.

If he were a contestant on any reality TV show, he would have been accused of being a disgusting, racist, sexist and homophobic human being. He would also have been called out for being immature and a complete shit stirrer; trying to get a rise out of everyone and causing great divide amongst the group. He would have been asked to leave the programme and he would have been shamed by the public and national newspapers. How on earth then, being the President of the United States, is he allowed to continue with this tirade and for so long? It’s scary to think how big a continent North America is, and how many people are in support of this lunatic. Some have called for Trump to be impeached but somehow I doubt this will happen. Some have predicted he may be assassinated one day for his comments but again, I doubt this will happen as I believe the very people who would be willing to kill, are probably in support of him.

The biggest irony, perhaps of all, is that his wife isn’t from the US. Melania Trump was born and raised in the Yugoslav Republic of Slovenia, obtaining US citizenship in 2006. HIs former wife Ivana Trump is originally from Czechoslovakia making his precious daughter Ivanka, sons Don Jr and Eric, half Czechoslovakian and his son Barron Trump (what an obnoxious name!) half Slovenian. He wants to make “America great again” but he means make “America white again”. Since none of his family are “pure-white Americans”, shouldn’t they also go back to where they came from? If we were to use that as an argument, it would mean Alexandria, Rashida and Ayanna have more of a “right” to stay in America over his current wife, ex-wife and 4 out 5 of his children. Seem harsh? Not if we implemented Trump’s way of thinking to include his precious family.

Trump himself is not pure American, being of German and Scottish heritage. HIs paternal grandfather in fact, was an immigrant who came to America to pursue the American dream. Therefore what right does it give him to accuse the Congresswomen of being anti-USA, talking about their supposed country of origin and telling them to “go back”. Put bluntly, he should in fact, fuck off too then, with the rest of his family.

After all this, Trump says he’s not racist. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry at this comment. He in fact Tweeted (yes, tweeted) “I don’t have a racist bone in my body”. He might not have racist bones, but that means his organs (brain included), skin, flesh, and muscles are all racist. This man only knows how to spew hatred, and lies from his mouth. His other favourite phrases are “fake news” ie. when someone says the truth but he disagrees with it and loves calling everyone a “loser”. Can you imagine being called a loser by the POTUS? What playground behaviour and again, just emphasises his lack of education. Even in the face of the terrorist incident in London Bridge 2 years ago, he called the terrorists “losers” or more accurately “looserrrrs”. How dare he when (a) we don’t need him to get involved with his insincere sympathy and (b) downplaying what the terrorists were, which is downright evil.

What’s worrying about Trump is that he is the President of the United States of America. I know you know this but you have to understand the weight of that position and title. Even if he is a puppet - let’s face it, no-one can control that gob (after all, it is a gob and not a mouth) - he is still being given a global platform to express his often ignorant, uneducated, biased, sexist, and xenophobic views. He should not be allowed to Tweet, someone should permanently sew up his gob, and eventually he will leave office…or even better, die of natural causes before then. He is 73 after all…

If anyone is interested, there is a website dedicated to Trump leaving. This site will let you know exactly how long he has “served” in office (908 days to be exact), and how long is left (552 which works out to approximately 1.5 years. FML).

www.howlonguntiltrumpleaves.com

The UK

I will begin with Nigel Farage who was former leader of the UKIP party and of course bessie mates with none other than Donald Trump. They have a lot in common with both; being of German heritage, working in another field before becoming a politician, being racists and having the kind of smug faces you want to punch. Every time I see a picture of Nigel Farage, I get reminded of the Christmas Grinch.

Katie Hopkins, gosh, this vile cockroach is another avid supporter of Trump and literally licks his backside at any and every opportunity. She initially found fame as an Apprentice contestant, oh and more casually, for having sex with a married man in a field. There is nothing subtle about this woman, and she is the kind who has longed for fame, with notoriety being her oxygen. She is currently thriving being in the limelight for yet more racist comments and supporting Tommy Robinson (Founder of EDL) in and out of court.

Even when there was a time when the UK was supposed to have become recognised as a ‘liberal’ country, let’s face it, racism was still just as prevalent. The only difference was that people couldn’t be outwardly or verbally racist as there were now punishable laws, protecting victims from it. Racism very much still existed but in the indirect and not direct form. Unfortunately with the current shift, people aren’t changing, they are just showing their true colours. Racism never leaves someone and a leopard doesn’t change its spots. Racism is now becoming more direct than ever.

It surprises me when friends or people I know are still surprised that racism exists. Of course it bloody exists! If you’ve been fortunate enough to not have experienced racism in your lifetime, you are a lucky person but just because it doesn't exist for you, doesn't mean it doesn’t exist for others. Some roll their eyes when in their minds, people use the “racism card” and don’t get me wrong, I know that some people do do that but 99% of the time, it. is. a. genuine. racist. issue.

My Personal Experiences

I have experienced racism personally, I’ve seen my mum being a big victim of it and obviously through the experience of others. There is a big difference between racism, ignorance and downright stupidity and I’ve broken it down for people who have no idea on the difference:

Racism

Random football hooligans starting to sing that ‘Kung Fu fighting song’ around me in public, which though you may not deem it to be that offensive, imagine a group of lads singling you out based on the colour of your skin, and singing a song to publicly embarrass you in front of others. Or the group of lads who shout out “nihao! Nihao” (hello in Chinese) to get my attention in Leicester Square and when they hear me talking, say “oh she actually speaks English”.

I was in Earl’s Court station last year, walking up the stairs, minding my own business and not in anyone’s way, when a man rushed down next to me and said “move, chink!” before running off.

Teenage boys mimicking my mum’s accent, and deliberately sitting behind her on the bus. When they couldn’t provoke a reaction, they began to jab her with their fingers. She was the only non-Caucasian on the bus and though people looked, no-one said anything to defend her. My mum may have an accent as English isn’t her first language but she certainly knows how to speak English better than half these chavs.

Black cabbie driving like a dick on the road, in the lane next to my mum. We pulled up side to side at the traffic lights, when he looked into the cab and saw that my mum wasn’t white. He began to shout asking “do you have a licence?! I said, do you have a licence?!” I started shouting at him for (a) driving dangerously and (b) for his pathetic question. He responded with “Go back to your country!!” before driving off like a lunatic again.

The bank cashier who greets every single customer in line with “good morning. Thank you for waiting”. My mum gets to the till, the cashier’s smile drops and there is no welcome. My mum asks to withdraw some money and the cashier asks how much. My mum said “fifteen hundred”. The cashier says “Fifty?!”. My mum says more loudly “Fifteen hundred”. The cashier says “Oh, FIFTEEN?!!! 1. 5, right? You should speak more clearly”.

Ignorance

In my previous line of work, I had a client I spoke to several times and when it came to finally meeting him face to face, I greeted him warmly and by name. He looked shocked that I wasn’t white, and even boldly said “oh, I didn’t expect you to look like that!” I didn’t take that as racism, as I know he doesn’t mean harm and is simply ignorant.

When I used to attend work trainings, I found myself being ignored because people didn’t know how to ‘relate’ to me being oriental. The very same people don’t have issues communicating with or approaching other people who look the same as them. Clearly looking oriental, means I cannot speak English, and I wouldn’t know anything about UK culture. Sure.

Downright stupidity

I was at a conference and a woman approached me asking me, what my name was “I said Deborah”. She repeated back “Deborah?!” barely disguising her surprise, as she was expecting ‘Jasmine Lotus flower’ or ‘Mulan’ I’m sure. I ignore the tone, and confirm that’s my name. After a pause, she asks me “but what is your Chinese name?”. Needless to say, this woman is just stupid.

Another favourite is “where are you from?” I know what people are wanting to know, but I say “London” because that’s the truth. They ask “no, where are you originally from?”. I respond with “oh! From North-West London”. They come back with “no, where are your parents from then?”, I tell them Korea. This produces one of two responses (a) oh your English is SO good! or (b) Which part? South or North?

Bitch, watch the news and read a book some time!

Final Thoughts

I can’t help but think about Martin Luther King Jr and how he must be rolling in his grave. His “I have a dream” speech was delivered 55 years ago from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C…just a 30 minute walk from the White House. It was a defining moment for the Civil Rights Movement, not only in the US but had an impact on the world then and to the present day.

His speech is quite long but I wanted to highlight some of his speech before ending…

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

“I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.”

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

“With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.”

“And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning: “My country, ‘tis of thee (Yeah, Yes), sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. (Oh yes) Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride (Yeah), from every mountainside, let freedom ring!””

We cannot eradicate racism but we can certainly try. We cannot ignore it when we are victims of it or when you witness others being a victim to it. Just because someone has a different skin colour or different facial feature to you, doesn’t make them scary, strange or different. We are all human beings at the end of the day and kindness doesn’t cost a thing.

Until next time xo