Multi coloured people

In 1988 the band When the Cats Away had a hit with a song called Melting Pot. The song is an anthem for the "why can't we all just get along" school of thought and suggested that if we chucked everyone in to a pot and produced "multi coloured people by the score" then life would be sweet.


It seems for any number of reasons (not least the shortage of a big enough pot) we are a long way from racial harmony.

Paul Henry's (an insignificant but well known broadcaster) recent question of the Prime Minister about the next Governor General "are you going to choose someone who looks and talks like a New Zealander" has provoked predictable and justified outrage. The current Governor General Sir Anand Satyanand is of Indian decent and I can't recall what he sounds like but judging from Henry's comments perhaps he has an accent of sorts. He was, as the Prime Minister, was quick to point out born here making him very much a Kiwi. (as an aside while recently watching a TV show a Ngapuhi representative drew a distinction between Kiwis and Tangata Whenua with Kiwis as a lower term in his mind. If we didn’t already know this shows that potential racism works in all directions)

The problem is I knew exactly what Paul Henry meant and as I don't consider myself a racist this left me a little disturbed at my own reaction. I mean we have had lots of pakeha men in the role, some pakeha women and "even" a Maori bloke none of whom gave me any pause for thought but when Henry said it a little part of me understood his comment.

This set me to think about the whole question of racism and why it persists, we all do it (yes even you dear reader) what about "Asians are terrible drivers", "white men can't jump" or probably more correctly "white men can't dance" "Maoris’ are all happy go lucky types" Yep we all do it and for the fathers of daughters out there how would you feel if they brought the "wrong" coloured boyfriend home. (for some reason we are less concerned with the choices of our sons) It’s a lot like being ok with gays and then finding out your son is gay. You may well accept it but are you sure there won't be a little part of you that reacts.

Now granted some folk are a lot more liberal than others and I can already hear the objections from a number of people to the idea that there is a little bit of this in all of us. (especially that boy friend one)

And let me state once again I don't think I am a racist and I don't condone the idea I am just asking the question why it seems at some level to be hard wired into us.

Certainly the "Asians are bad drivers" type of racism is potentially just a generalisation which helps us deal with groups. Equally you could say "all Canterbury rugby supporters are bad losers" which has been my personal experience but I put that down to them not having enough practice at losing. Or all Aucklander’s are.... (well, fill in your South Island prejudice of choice) so that doesn't seem to bad.

And then potentially it is the selfish gene theory at work, our genes wish to survive and thrive which means in some ways we want carbon copies of ourselves, think how pleased parents are to see parts of themselves in their kids (understandable for males perhaps but females seem to enjoy this also). So people who look significantly different to ourselves are a challenge to that.

Your own history, by which I really mean peer group influences, could be the cause, obviously if the people you hang around with express racist views you are much more likely to pick up these points of views yourself. We only need look at some of the long running conflicts in the world that are divided on race lines to see historic influence at work.

Skin colour and appearance are also often tied to cultural differences so potentially it is not that Anand is an Indian it is just that we don't agree with his culture. Discrimination on the basis of having cultural differences makes sense because presumably if we did agree we would do as he does so there would be no difference.

The problem with Anand is that if I read his CV without his name attached to it, I would like as not assume he was a middle class white guy (ie the same as me but way more successful). Born in Auckland, educated at Sacred Heart College then Otago and Auckland Uni, successful time in the law rising to become a Judge, married to Susan with 3 children, interested in reading, travel and entertaining.

So all this proves is one of those old and wise ideas is still true before we judge one another we should get to know them.