It’s like a thermometer sits in our chests, the mercury rising when we are confronted with something that triggers our deeply-ingrained principles.
So how do you, as an individual, identify someone who is racist, or define an act of racism? What makes your mercury rise?
Is it someone who uses racial slurs? Is it a law that prevents two people of different races from marrying? Is it assuming that a person with a different skin tone than your own is a criminal/child abuser/drug addict/other negative stereotype?
The Oxford Dictionary’s definition of the word racism is as follows: “prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism by an individual, community, or institution against a person or people on the basis of their membership of a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalised.”
My personal definition of racism is anything that perceives one race and/or its culture as better than another, whether that is intentional or not. And that second part is an important part of my definition: intention doesn’t matter if the result is harmful.
In other words, if someone says something racist but “didn’t mean it that way”, well, that doesn’t make it any less racist.
Don’t get me wrong – we’re all allowed to make mistakes, and that’s okay. But a huge part of making mistakes is also being able to admit that you were wrong and learning from them.
Like the bus ad, for example.
In case you missed it, there was an ad on the back of some buses here in the Bay of Plenty and in Waikato advertising vacancies at the Department of Corrections.
“Join today, change tomorrow” was written on the ad, which depicted a Māori woman wearing a prison officer uniform.
Candidates were urged to “become the change for our Waikato whānau”.
The ads attracted complaints they were racist and offensive. They caused offence because of undertones implying Māori are criminals.
Department of Corrections deputy chief executive - Māori, Topia Rameka, immediately asked for the ads to be removed when he became aware of them after being notified complaints had been made.
“I would like to take this opportunity to apologise for the offence caused. While ignorance is no excuse, I am confident that harm was not intended. I have also apologised directly to senior executives of Waikato-Tainui iwi,” Rameka said.
Apology and action. In my books, a good way to address a mistake.
Last week, a debate exploded over Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency’s proposal to add te reo Māori translations to English road signs after the signs were labelled confusing by the National Party.
Labour suggested National was “dog whistling” to racists, but National called that “ridiculous” and clarified the party supported bilingual signage but thought there were bigger priorities for Waka Kotahi.
National’s position made the mercury rise uncomfortably on my internal thermometer. In my opinion, it could have done more to walk the original comment back - and trying to talk about priorities instead did not help.
Here’s my view on the signs: I fail to see how having both Māori and English words on road signs will be confusing to anyone who can read English.
In every example of bilingual signage I’ve seen, the English and Māori words have both been equally prominent and symbols on the signage would assist in dissipating any ambiguity.
Images released by Waka Kotahi depict some of the new signage: “Ara Watea – Shared Zone” is written on a blue sign with walkers, a bicycle and a car. Pretty clear, I think. Or another: “Tūnga Pahi – Bus Stop” on a white sign with a red border, an image of a bus, and a no parking symbol. Also pretty clear.
Sure, the signs might take a little getting used to, but in my opinion, it’s a bit of a stretch to call them confusing. If you can read English, you’ll still be able to easily read the signs.
Te reo Māori is an official language of this country we call home. Yes, English is far more widely spoken than te reo Māori, but we all need to remember that te reo use was actively discouraged for generations in this country. The low number of te reo Māori speakers is by design.
Promoting more of its use in public is going some way to correcting a past wrong and, yes, that will take some getting used to for many of us.
Our internal thermometers need calibration as society changes around us. I believe that when we mess up – I say when because we’re human and we all mess up eventually – it is up to us to graciously admit fault and recalibrate.
In my view, ignorance is an explanation, not an excuse, and I believe all of us have room to do better.
- Sonya Bateson is a writer, reader and crafter raising her family in Tauranga. She is a Millennial who enjoys eating avocado on toast, drinking lattes and defying stereotypes. As a sceptic, she reserves the right to change her mind when presented with new evidence.
