Consequences of stress on children's development-racism

Consequences of stress on children’s development

            The stressor I chose is racism. Racism has had a very profound effect on me and my husband and I believe this is why we are a great match because we share the same ideals about racism and how to handle issues that arise because of racism.

            My husband grew up in the south in the 70’s with two civil rights activist parents. Others in the area did not like that they were fighting for equal rights. One day, they came home and when they opened up their screen door, there was an explosion. My husband was not injured but his older brother was thrown back and fell into the window air conditioning unit. My husband spent his early years living in and going to inner city schools where he would be maybe one of three white students or one in six at the most. He had the hardest time understanding why he was not liked until he got older and realized it was for the color of his skin and their mistrust of white people. My husband even recounted a time while living in the south that he was frowned upon from other white people because his skin was not as light as theirs (my husband has Blackfoot Indian lineage).

            I was born in East Africa. When I was younger, I also did not understand racism. I slowly began to realize differences when I mentioned where I was born. I would either hear really awful Ethiopian jokes or it was assumed I was from South Africa. I went from being proud of where I was born to not wanting to mention it. When I was nearing middle school age, we moved to Hawaii. When I started school, I realized I was getting a lot of dirty looks and being called “haole”. I soon learned that it meant white. Native Hawaiians do not like white people. I also learned that they felt that way because they did not want to become a state. When I reached middle school, I found near the end of the school year that they have a special day a few days before summer break that they called “kill haole day”. Basically, it was a day to beat up white kids. Luckily, I had some very nice Samoan friends that reassured me that they would not let anything happen to me.

            I realize this is nothing compared to what other people have endured over time. What it did for us was it gave us a different perspective of how it would be if things were reversed. For instance, I know that because of the political unrest in the region I was born, I cannot ever go back. A few years ago, my husband and I read a travel warning for white people whose passport states they were born in that region not to come in fear that I and others like me would be arrested on the spot and killed. I am safe. For so many others, they are not. It saddens both my husband and I that at this stage in our lives we are seeing so much racism. The last few years have enraged and shocked us. With so many other advancements, why is racism still a huge factor in our country and around the world?             Considering this question, I decided to do some research to better understand the dilemma we are facing here in the United States.

            What I found is that racism and white supremacy is deeply rooted in history. It goes as far back as the Enlightenment when people such as Hume, Voltaire, and Kant wrote about African Americans as if they were less than human and were depicted as not very smart (Bobo, 2017, p. S89). With racism and white supremacy so deeply rooted in even today’s society, it is no wonder that it is still as strong as it was hundreds of years ago. With our current climate socially, economically, and politically, and with reading the article, I realize that my suspicions are true and valid. What we are seeing today is the ugly truth rearing its head with pride. It does not matter that the majority of us have moved beyond the labeling and the misconceptions that embody racism. It is the people in power that has given racism the fuel it needs in an attempt to drive us further apart. We must stay vigilant so we can all be the part of positive change that we want in the future.

Reference

Bobo, Lawrence D. (2017). Racism in Trump’s America: reflections on culture, sociology, and the 2016 US presidential election. The British Journal of Sociology (Volume 68, Issue S1).pp. S85-S104