Learning to Think (and Talk) About Racism
An International Student’s Reflection on Learning about American Racial Issues
Six years ago, in a square classroom at an international school in Bangkok, I had what felt like my first “official” lesson about racism. I was a high school junior then, with no prior experience discussing racial issues. The topic had come up only in passing before, even in social studies classes, but there was never an in-depth exploration.
So when I sat down in English class that day to an open worksheet saying “Racial profiling,” I thought it was strange. Why were we talking about race in a language class? We looked at media–a federal document, a video, and a poster–addressing the issue of racial profiling and analyzed them for their audience, message, and purpose. The lesson was a backdoor entry for a discussion about how Black people in America faced unfair treatment in the enforcement of road safety, and how police should carry out their patrol duties without racial prejudice.
The conversation ended there. The lesson gave me the awareness that a piece of media reflects the internalized ideas of whoever made it. More broadly, to a country that looked up to American democracy, I realized that the United States isn’t as fair as it presented itself to be. I didn’t ask deeper questions, like what was the severity of racial profiling. The racial content of the lesson faded from my mind within a few days. I don’t think I knew how much there was to think about.
Later in the English curriculum, we read Richard Wright’s 1940 novel Native Son, set in 1930s Chicago centered around Bigger Thomas, a young Black man who had to flee for his life after accidentally killing an upper class white woman. We discussed in detail how Bigger’s anger towards the social hierarchy was justified, and how his circumstances weren’t his fault but the fault of the society he was trapped in. When we finished our discussion of the book, Native Son felt like a relic from the past.
My lessons in high school taught me about how persistent racism can be in the media and in society. I had an understanding that racism is part of what begets poverty and crime, which in turn begets more racism. What it couldn’t have prepared me for was the harsh truth of how pervasive racism remains or how deeply its historical roots cling to the present.
Come August 2017, I was a young Thai elite that went to an international school, completed a challenging high-school program, and was on her way to college in the United States. I was certain that I could keep up with whatever issues my American peers discussed. Of course, having that confidence meant that I understood nothing. And when I mean nothing, I mean not-understanding-the-issue-behind-the-phrase-“All-Lives-Matter” nothing.
Before I left for the States, my mom advised me to avoid getting involved in political discussions. She told me that I was a foreigner, so I couldn’t possibly understand their politics let alone talk about it. Best not to offend anyone. I wasn’t planning to. Political discussions were something I had always steered away from, even in Thailand.
I had never really engaged in discussions about race. Growing up, it never felt I needed to. Thailand was 97.5% Thai, 1.3% Burmese, and 1.1% other nationalities. Racial disparity didn’t feel like a tangible thing. I didn’t think I would have to engage in these issues in the States either. I didn’t keep up with U.S. politics and, unless there were discussions regarding specific case studies for class, I didn’t read about social issues.
Attending Emory University, a fiercely liberal school in the American South changed my neutral stance. The “distant” news I’ve been reading were no longer distant. They were happening here, around me, and I didn’t know how to recognize them. Injustices have touched my friends, my classmates, my peers, and likely my professors, too. Even when I wanted to learn more, I didn’t know where to start. American history was well-recorded and there are mountains of racial dialogue happening. I didn’t know who to ask out of fear of sounding like a fool or insulting someone with my ignorance.
Luckily, my college best friend and roommate was a History major, with an interest in American racial history. I’d ask her all the questions I had been afraid to ask, and she would be patient with me. We would discuss the issue regarding the still-standing Confederate statues, unpack white privilege, or marvel at the identity writing of Spiderverse’s Miles Morales. We’d talk until the remains of our dinner cooled and clung to our plates.
I am grateful that my classes, even in my Environmental Science major, didn’t shy away from discussing how racial ideas influenced a piece of literature or from learning about the racial history of a location we were studying. Much of my learning in environmental science was done related to the Georgia coast. For example, when I visited Sapelo Island, it was to study the dynamic changes of barrier islands. Even so, the professor took time out of the schedule to visit what remained of a plantation and talked about the island’s racial history. For another course about fishery policy, we listened to a podcast about the other injustices that happened on the Georgia coast, including the unjust killing of prisoners in Glynn County in 1947 and the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery. It didn’t matter if I was American or not. I was learning about atrocities that had been dug up from the depths and ones that were happening around me in real time.
I was in Thailand when George Floyd was murdered. The news of his death at the hands of police, and the Black Lives Matter movement swept through the entire world. Many Thais joined the movement on social media, including an online protest. To have such a violent, hateful act occur was unacceptable. The questions my parents had were “How?” and “Why?” I hadn’t the slightest clue how to explain; was there even a term for “institutionalized racism” in Thai?
As the 2020 presidential election drew near, the discussions I had with my friends shifted towards voting, voter suppression, and how the system of American democracy is plagued with racial injustice. I saw my friends navigate through the overwhelming bureaucracy so they could vote in Georgia. I learned about gerrymandering, difficulties regarding photo IDs, poll taxes, and how all the seemingly simple, needed things to vote disproportionately affects Black people. Like many things in America, it all circled back to race.
I’ve managed to learn what I did because I had people who were passionate about issues, and I had professors who knew that ugly truths have been buried for too long. It was, and still is, hard for me to sit down to learn about heavy social issues. Cruelty and death permeates so much of the stories. I would find myself bogged down by horror and despair. When I fall into those moments, I tell myself that I’m on the lucky side. I get to study the issues as more of an outsider, rather than the one on the receiving end of injustice. And that’s why I had to put in the effort to learn because if I didn’t, I would never change.
I thought back to my mom’s advice. The fact that I am a foreigner to the United States hasn’t changed. I couldn’t participate in elections, so I couldn’t vote for the people who could make the differences we need. But thinking I had no say in what happens in this country and that I avoid discussing politics is a trap. Palis Pissutisarun articulated the dangers of this mindset in the Bangkok Post:
“...to prioritize agreement over objection, complacency over resolution, image over voice, peace over justice. We have been trained over generations that ignoring conflict is a better solution than confronting it.”
This quote got me thinking… if people in America think there needs to be more dialogue about American racism, where does that leave a country that doesn’t discuss its racial issues at all?
Racism seemed like a Western problem, something plaguing the U.S. and the UK for example, but that’s not true. While Thailand may not have the same level of institutionalized harm, racism still persists. Today, Thai racism appears in the form of having a white-skin beauty standard, dark-skinned characters being portrayed as unintelligent comic reliefs, Black people being unfairly let go from work or being denied entry to bars, heavy discrimination occurs towards the Burmese, Chinese tourists are criticized and sometimes met with disdainful looks, sometimes with a lot of skin-related verbal insults go around. Already, this treatment is unacceptable and must be discussed.
That list doesn’t even consider what has happened historically. What horrible things have Thais done to the Burmese that have been swept under the rug? What were the things that have been omitted from Thai history textbooks? I tried to include English articles addressing those issues in this piece, but came up short. That makes me even more suspicious of the Thai history I was taught. If the issues in America have taught me anything, it’s that we have a responsibility to critically assess the systems we have in place. We must unpack the effects of practices and policies, look deeper to what is being said in between the lines and what stories are being omitted behind the scenes.
I wasn’t sure what I wanted to write for my first piece with Politically Invisible Asians. After hours of staring at the ceiling and twiddling a pen, I decided on this reflection piece. I wanted to express that even if you’re not American, you can learn and become part of political discussions, and that you can take what you’ve learned and root out the hidden injustices from your home-place. Learn, understand, be kind, and engage in the conversations, no matter how uncomfortable they might make you feel. Because unless we all fight racial injustice in our individual lives, nothing, and no one, will change.
Thank you so much for reading. I would love to hear from everyone else! How did you become more aware of racial issues and started to learn more about them? What were some of the challenges you encountered on the way? Here’s to making changes in our every day lives!
Further exposing racism in Thailand:
Some resources for learning to discuss race:
National Museum of African American History & Culture | Talking About Race
The New York Times | Resources for Teaching About Race and Racism
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