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Racism is aptly defined as “the prejudice that members of one race are intrinsically superior to members of other races”. Let us alter that definition a bit and replace the word “race” with “skin colour”. Now does that ring a bell? Why are skin-whitening creams and beauty whatnots very popular in the Philippines? Why are celebrities and popular politicians fair-skinned? Why do some Pinoys open an umbrella on a sunny day? Why do some Pinoys wear long pants and long sleeve shirts in the beach? Is fair skin more superior to a dark skin?

Moving away from the skin colour, let us talk about speech accents. Why is having a provincial accent a laughable matter in Philippine TV shows, movies or afternoon variety shows? Then again, we are awestruck when we hear a British accent or an American accent. How one accent is better than another is eluding me.

Then there is religion. Why is a newspaper headline will read “Tatlong Muslim Nang-Holdap ng Bangko” (Three Muslims Rob a Bank), but you will never see “Isang Kristiano Namaril sa Manila” (A Christian on a Gun Rampage in Manila) or “Isang Born Again, Sinaksak ang Kaibigan”. No wonder we fear Arabs, the media fuels the fear with dodgy journalism. It is sad to know that Arabs or Muslims are sometimes labelled as terrorists just because of the way they dress.

Why is it that a foreigner in the Philippines gets a first class treatment in establishments? I have yet to find another country like the Philippines where a citizen is second-class to a fair-skinned visitor. While this can be attributed to the Pinoy’s enormous sense of hospitality but I fear it has become too much.

While we are quick to react to foreigners who wronged us, I think it is also worth looking at the wrongs that have been happening right under our noses. Rampant racism or any form of stereotyping is prevalent in the Philippines. This is a very sensitive and touchy topic. While this article may strike a bad chord with others, I only hope that this article inspires everyone to do a little soul searching:

To solve a problem, it is essential to recognise that there IS a problem. While there is nothing wrong by being angry at the tasteless UK show, it is also meriting that we know how to exorcise ourselves with any forms of racism. Learn as much as you can about other cultures. The world is very diverse; a hodgepodge of cultures, that is very interesting to learn. The more you know about other cultures, the less likely for racism to occur. Respect others. Realize that some cultures may be sensitive to topics that may be mundane to you. Racism is a learned behaviour; ergo it can be unlearned. Start in your homes; raise a family that is responsible and tolerant. Educate your children with the concept of equality.

In the end, there is only one race, the human race.