Shopee

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Yes, we are still racist and not sensitive.

I have many friends with different races.
Some of them are not only friends, but good friends. Friends who I can share my problem with, share my food with and share my pillow too.
Eventhough we are from different races, but we don't see it as a barriers to be nice to each other.
That's when we are good friends.

But some people are tend to forget about certain things, which are very sensitive. Sometimes, I don't think they've forgotten. but they just don't care.

I still remember during my first interview about few years back, I'd been asked "If you and your friends were discussing about something and suddenly there is another friend coming to join your table, and this friend doesn't understand your language, what will you do? Continue talking on the same language or change to another language that all of you can understand?"
Reason to ask this question is, in the workplace we are mix of races. Hence, many languages. But, we only speak one language that everybody understand. As a sign of respect. Such a big word, RESPECT!

Could you imagine, when you're having dinner with bunch of people, and they speak their own language which you don't understand. How do you feel? Isolated, feel ignored like you're never exist, and that's not a good feeling. Also, deep-down inside, feel angry.

Or when you're together in a car, they turn on their favorite radio station as if they not realize that you don't understand the language. And you have to listen to that station for hours of the journey. What should I call this? Cruel? Selfish? They just don't care.

It's also not a new thing to see, at our workplace or in class, people are usually group by race. Malays only hangout with malays. Chinese only eat with chinese. So do Indians. Sometimes, they will mix with others if they don't have any other friends. But once they found their own type, they will ignore the others.

There would be lot of areas to discuss when talking about race sensitivity. Not only language, but also food, tradition, customs, etc.
However, I believe it's not a difficult thing to practice. Only requires all of us to learn to be more sensitive and more respectful to each other.

We are 1 Malaysia, aren't we?

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