It was interesting to read about the status of Coloureds in South Africa. I have always been taught that race is a social construct, but it was interesting to see how subjective race truly is depending on the area you're in. When I hear "coloured," I immediately think black, but Dr. Gilbert explained to us that it meant other minorities who are not black, so I began to picture Asians and Indians, like in the Nelson Mandela movie. However, the article explains that many coloured people may actually look black, like Usher and Denzel Washington, and tourists probably would not be able to tell the difference. It is unfortunate that they are not considered African and are often overlooked by their own government. They were first discriminated against by the Afrikaner government, and they are now being overlooked again by the African National Congress, despite the fact that they worked with the blacks to eliminate Apartheid. The wife of former president F. W. de Klerk described coloured as "non-person...the leftovers." In contrast to America, where most mixed people tend to identify as African American, coloureds in South Africa usually tend to adopt the religion, language, customs, and family names of their white oppressors. Many coloureds feel that they are now at the bottom of the pecking order under the rule of the ANC. All of this information is important for us to keep in mind because most coloured people live in Cape Town, where a lot of racial mixing began to occur about 350 years ago.
http://www.theroot.com/articles/world/2013/10/south_africas_coloreds_identify_most_with_blacks_in_the_us.3.html
http://www.economist.com/node/21546062
Knowledge and awareness that we are gaining is powerful. It is like opening up a totally different world when we learn how others use language differently. However I remember just a few weeks ago when the statement of the human species being so alike. But we continue to try and distinguish ourselves. What does this really do for a nation of people?
ReplyDeleteSouth Africa is so complex it makes me wonder what people will think of our racially diverse group. It's interesting how Colored people have their own shared culture and heritage separate from both blacks and whites.
ReplyDeleteSouth Africa is so complex it makes me wonder what people will think of our racially diverse group. It's interesting how Colored people have their own shared culture and heritage separate from both blacks and whites.
ReplyDeleteInteresting point, similarly, in the United States, Martin Luther King campaigned for the Civil rights movement, to end racial discrimination and segregation for African Americans. However,other minorities were also being oppressed, but the main focus was on Africa Americans.Although, the other minorities are not entirely mentioned, they did benefit from the civil rights movement as it lead to ban discrimination based on "race, color, religion, or national origin". South Africa seems to face a similar problem between the black, white, and colored community.
ReplyDeleteI find this very interesting, how "coloureds" are viewed as a different race in South Africa. I wonder if hispanics, like myself, could get mistaken as coloureds. I hope we are able to learn more about this once we arrive in Cape Town.
ReplyDeleteI agree. The term coloureds is so subjective. I wonder how the areas are separated. which color is the majority? Which is the minority? Who has more power and privelage?
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this, Katie. This is inspiring me to look up more about the racial dynamics that forged the way to South Africa to be as is today. Powerful.
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