One life to live

To Kill A Mocking Bird – Harper Lee.

Finally…I have finished reading this book…its old English, thus I find it very hard to read, very difficult to understand and not familiar with the structure. Many issues were brought up and explored with the most prominient issue is regarding race.
Thank GOD, I did not live in that era; whether it’s in the United States or here in Malaysia. Just imagine, if you are a colored race...you are not guilty in a particular case as the evidence says so but the jury will still find you guilty just because you are colored.

Because I lived in a multicultural society, issues of racist do not apply to me. As different races began to integrate and become 1 unit – I don’t think we have that many typical cultural differences at all.

I think deep down my character is based more on Chinese, Malaysian & Western values, with a strong Asian cultural quirk that flavor my personality. I didn’t go to a Chinese school. Therefore, I can’t read Chinese. I only know how to read in English & Malay. Thus, I read a lot of Western materials which shapes my attitudes and values towards family, food, health, friends, work, money, stress, children, holidays, TV, time, the future, etc. In particular, there is also my natural propensity to try a little harder to be a little different and stand out in everything I do. Not to show off to others, but to confirm to myself that I was different and special.

But I have to admit; sometimes I too tend to perceive people negatively and start to pass out my own judgments. For example, there are many African students who have come to Malaysia to study. Some are genuine students and some are not. Some are abusing their student visas and got involved in illegal activities where their victims are the Malaysians who fell for their scam. And when I see these black folks, especially the guys…I will feel scared. It didn’t help that they were all so big and tough looking, and I basically look like they could squash me with their fingers. They have the same haircut and their skin was so dark, I couldn’t tell them apart when I looked at them. That made me more nervous because I couldn’t tell who was who. They also have this straight serious expression on their faces all the time. They talked very loud, they hang out in groups, they drink a lot. It was scary looking at them. They all looked like thugs to me with a lot of bling on them. But don't judge a book by its cover.

Racism isn't born, folks, it's taught.