Does Bias Stem from Racism or Ignorance?

 

Source: www.pubsonline.com

    Over the past few weeks, I have had the privilege of talking to several people with diverse backgrounds, and one question came up repeatedly: does bias stem from racism or simply ignorance? Different people think about this differently. Those I talked to are optimistic, believing that people are inherently good and that their biases stem from a lack of understanding of certain behaviors rather than inherent racism. 

Minorities/people who have been discriminated against generally feel the need to work harder to break down racial barriers and “overachieve.” For them, doing better than the other person is the only way to get ahead of the game (especially in a competitive environment such as the tech industry). The people I interviewed came from different racial backgrounds, and it was evident that they faced a form of unconscious bias during the interview process. Many of them were passed over in interviews, despite being just as qualified as their white counterparts. Most of them still felt the need to overachieve and outperform their white counterparts for fear of being replaced or overlooked during a promotion. Some traits, like sexual orientation, that invoke bias may not be seen until after the interview process, but once the person has the job, they may face discrimination from their peers. In this manner, some may also decide not to disclose any affiliates that may give way to any sort of bias (for example, indicating that they minored in African American studies in college).

This ignorance extends beyond the workplace. One person I talked to, an African American woman, expressed that whenever she went to a store, she always felt as though the owner was watching her, making sure she didn’t steal anything. She also felt that African Americans who spoke using Ebonics or dressed in a certain way may be more likely to be scrutinized by others. Similarly, another person I spoke to with an Iranian heritage recalls being pulled aside by airport security as she was boarding a plane. She had done nothing wrong, and the rest of her family was already on the plane, yet she was pulled aside based solely on her looks and Iranian name. 

    These examples all bring up the question as to whether bias stems from racism or ignorance. I believe that people are not inherently racist, but they do have a distorted view of other races and cultures that come from their respective stereotypes. These stereotypes stem from a lack of understanding of other races and cultures; what people don’t understand, they fear. Therefore, it’s important to understand existing stereotypes and why they are not realistic portrayals of people. It should be noted, ​the more “culturally aware” people tend to accuse those who are ignorant as flat-out racists when that may not actually be the case. Whenever people are confronted about their “racist” beliefs, those accused dig themselves into a hole by refusing to come to terms with their biases. The African American woman I spoke to brought up the idea of making college classes like Ethnic Studies mandatory, something she petitioned her city for when she was in college. While this was not made into a requirement for several years, California has recently made it mandatory that all twenty-three of its Cal State campuses have their students take at least one ethnic studies class to graduate. Many corporations are also consciously trying to include DE&I (Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion) as a part of their hiring, sponsorship, and growth processes (more on this in a later blog).

These efforts are important, as the only way to meaningfully change people’s points of view is to educate them on the importance of diversity, humanity, and empathy. It’s all of our responsibility to recognize these biases when we see them and do our part to address it.

 

Source: Daryl Davis - At the end, ignorance is the source of... (brainyquote.com)