Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Race

In a tutorial class, I always enjoy seeing students moving around the class room helping one another with the assignment task. But what really delights my heart is seeing students from the different races helping, chatting, laughing and working together.

What is race anyway? It is mainly a pure accident of geography and history. Science has proved that many millions of years ago, the human race developed in the African region and by several migrations, spread to different regions of the world. The earliest migration seems to have gone from Africa, through southern Indian with some moving into Australia. Other migrations headed towards what is now the European region, and others into the regions of Russia, China and through to the Americans. Extensive DNA testing have confirmed these patterns of migration.

So, what is race? Events in history combined with the influences of local geography, weather and other factors which have resulted in the peoples of the world- all a part of the one human race- with slight differences in appearance, language and cultural artefacts.

But Shakespeare reminds us of our 'oneness', in one of his famous plays: 'The Merchant of Venice', when some Christian businessmen were taunting the Jewish moneychanger, who responded with those memorial words:

' I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs. dimensions, senses, affections, passions, feed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and coled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?'

We are all one race...

3 comments:

*=Sick-caT=* said...

hi dr ian, benedict here....

you can see our class can helping for each others even the difference race....i think just can see this situation only at ypc...what i know is at other colleges will group with the race only to communicate and share the info. some of them will rejected be a friend with other race....i think the race not gap for me, difference race also can communicate very good with each other, more a friend better than more a enemy, that only what i can said....

regardless
benedict

Imran Ian Mackechnie said...

Yes, I have to agree with you, Benedict. I haven't seen this happen in other colleges where I have taught.

I guess this also shows that YPC is a very special college!

Let's hope the the current generation can get away from separate race relations and development, and the politics of race!

Brad said...

Hi Dr. the politics of race has gone since the eve of November ;). With no doubt among the crew of the president elect we may seen couple of African – Americans for the first time in the history, to show the pure democracy. I hope in the next decades we won’t see the first gay or lesbian president in the white house!!!