(Third of Three Parts)

Why were the Nazis the only Whites who were made to account for the crimes they committed against humanity? There is also a need to consider past acts of slavery and the abuses, killings,  and plunder committed by the White imperialist powers against the colonized people in countries they invaded as criminal acts. The Nazis committed their barbaric acts only for the duration of  World War 2. Conversely, the White colonial powers perpetuated their brutality for centuries and yet got nothing, not even a slap on the hand.

The colonial powers and slave masters should acknowledge that they owe a debt to the descendants of the countries they colonized. There’s no way around it. It’s the only way that justice will be served. They must pay for the damages they caused. A way to quantify the debt for generations of exploitation, plunder, and enslavement must be devised. The colonizers must pay. More importantly, aside from financial restitution, they must also offer an apology.

However, convening in Geneva to establish statutes to retroactively determine the guilt of the practitioners of slavery and the White colonial masters is seemingly like Don Quixote fighting the windmills. Waiting for justice to be served, at least in terms of restitution and apology, is like Vladimir and Estragon waiting for Godot.

The victims of slavery and imperialism, like Don Quixote, are fighting against the insurmountable Caucasian forces hiding in their cocoon of denial and amnesia, and impervious to their pleas for justice. But unlike the delusional Don Quixote, the victims’ fight for justice is grounded in the harsh reality of the oppression they suffered at the hands of their colonial abusers. But the victims of slavery and imperialism could be like  Vladimir and Estragon, endlessly awaiting the arrival of Godot, who never comes. The justice that should be given to them may never materialize.

Will the proud and mighty Caucasians of the world agree to indemnify and apologize to the victims of their colonial abuses? To hope that it will happen is more like waiting for Godot than believing that hope springs eternal. Those powerful white-dominated nations will never allow the passing of such measures if ever a convention for that purpose is held in Geneva or elsewhere in the world.

Instead of reparations for colonial crimes, the perpetrators justify their actions, asserting self-defense. They contend that they fought with and killed the native inhabitants of the countries they invaded because those people resisted. But why would they not? What else were they supposed to do when they were being enslaved, robbed, beaten, killed… and their daughters, sisters, and mothers raped? Would they be expected to say and do nothing? There are even arguments positing that colonial governments shouldn’t be condemned but rather compensated because they built roads, bridges, and schools for the people they colonized, as if that makes up for the crimes and abuses they committed. As if they didn’t exploit and force those same people to build those things and use those people’s own resources. As if they didn’t steal the natural resources of every land they took.

Colonizers claim that they brought prosperity to the countries they invaded.  But what if it’s the opposite? What if, in reality, the resources the colonizers stole from their colonies through the violent subjugation of the Native peoples made their countries wealthy and progressive?

*****

            After a few years in the academe, a tertiary institution employed me as a school administrator. It necessitated my staying in an apartment away from my family during weekdays. I had no choice but to do the laundry myself. I decided to veer away from my grandmother’s strict orders to separate the white garments from the colored ones. I put them all together in the washing machine. When I did so for the first time, I recalled my grandmother’s stern warning, “You’ll be in big trouble with me if you do.”

That time was already the 21st century, and I thought that the world had become more aware of (and sensitive to)  issues related to equality and racial discrimination. I thought that the world had embraced the doctrine of political correctness. I thought that people are trying to avoid language and actions that could be offensive to others, especially those relating to sex, gender, and race.

 I was wrong. 

I experienced firsthand how the monster called racial discrimination reared its ugly head. Such experience made me realize how deeply the injustice of colonialism and racial segregation had permeated societies, not just in America and Europe but all over the world.

That experience occurred when I applied as an English (ESL) teacher overseas and was unpleasantly surprised to discover that most universities in the countries where I hoped to work would hire only native speakers of English who were citizens of (guess what?) predominantly white countries. I had thought native speakerism was just gossip. How naïve of me not to believe what some of my friends said that preference is given to native speakers of English in the field of English language teaching overseas. Can I be faulted for thinking that the academe would be the last bastion of equality, justice, and meritocracy?

While the period of colonialism may have ended, neo-colonialism has taken its place. And I never thought that some universities have become their purveyors. Standing before the mirror at that moment, I was reminded that, yes, I am fully capable of teaching English, and I have the necessary educational qualifications, pedagogical training,  and teaching experience. However, there is one thing I don’t have: fair skin. It made me think that even if I were a citizen of one of those countries predominantly populated by Caucasians, I might still not be hired by those universities because the unspoken standard is not citizenship—it’s the color of one’s skin.

What my grandmother repeatedly said when instructing the ones doing the laundry came back to mind: “Separate the whites from the colored fabrics.” Was I cursed because I did not follow her bidding? Should I have separated the white garments from the colored ones?  Should I have treated the whites delicately? That’s essentially what those universities were doing. They were giving the Whites preferential treatment. It felt like a cruel reminder of the color of my skin… dark brown, almost black.

What hurts is the fact that the people in those universities who implement that discriminatory rule of hiring only native speakers of English to teach the language are Asians like me. Then I realized that the color of their skin is neither black nor brown. They belong to the yellow race, and their skin is almost white. White and yellow, both skins are fair. At that time, in my mind, neo-colonialism ceased to be just an abstract political term. I saw how alive it is in the structures that still marginalize people based on race and  skin color.

The painful truth that many of the universities in those countries  I hoped to work in would hire only native speakers of English from predominantly white nations, while overlooking my qualifications, is a stark reminder that colonial ideologies still shape opportunities and perceptions

*****

Just one more WHY?

When I was young, my mother told me that one day, when I grew older, I would understand why in America, colored people weren’t allowed to use the same toilets as White people. But here I am, a grown-up with graying hair that is supposed to symbolize wisdom, and still I do not understand.

Here’s my next why.

Why, after all these years, do we still see the same patterns of discrimination, hatred, and violence based on skin color?

What would I say to my children, or grandchildren, or any young person if they were to see the same images I saw before? Will I be able to sufficiently respond if they asked why people with dark skin couldn’t use the Whites’ drinking fountain?

What if, in the future, they see on social media the image of a person of color being mercilessly manhandled by a White person, like the photo of a White police officer (yes, a police officer) kneeling on the neck of a defenseless Black man, causing his death? Something that happened not centuries ago, when black slavery was at its worst, but one that occurred only a few years back. What will I say if they ask me why? Why do people like Derek Chauvin continue to exist, inflicting so much pain on the George Floyds of the world?

Maybe I’ll do as my mother did—nod, smile, and say, “Someday, my children, you will understand why.” But my fervent prayer to the Good Man above is that they never have to ask the same questions I did.” I hope they will live in a world where skin color no longer dictates one’s worth or opportunities.

The Fabrics of Race (1)

The Fabrics of Race (2)