Supremacism, Still?

Hi! Today marked the second week of the second semester. And I am already sleep deprived. I know. I am pathetic. Its only the second week, for fuck sake, and my eye bags are even darker than my soul. You have no idea how dark it is right now. Today is also Saturday. People usually go out with their loved ones. I went out today to get some books instead. Alone . I know. You must be thinking to yourself now, “this nerd is so pathetic” well it is but, oh well, the good side is, this couldn’t get more pathetic than it already is, could it? Tee-hee.

Today, on another note, is also Chinese New Year. I don’t celebrate it (duh), but I used to feel the excitement since most of the people in my University were Chinese descendants. They were usually excited days prior and they would tell us about what they usually did, how much money they got and stuff like that.

Anyway, the intro has nothing to do with the content I’m about to write (or has it?). I just wanted to share it to you.

I have an urge to write about this issue on this platform.

Supremacism.

 Does that sound familiar to you? No? Let me quote Wikipedia if it doesn’t ring a bell.

“Supremacism is the worldview that a particular age, race, species, ethnicity, religion, gender, social class, ideology, nation, or culture is superior to other variations of that trait, and advocates those who identify with it to dominate, control, and subjugate those who do not.”

This has been an issue since the world could ever remember. From the Holocaust all the way to Black Lives Matter. This issue is real and still on going. In the heads of those who aspire to, and attain, superiority is a sense of dominance. When there’s a hot, there will always be a cold. When there’s one party that is superior, of course on the other side there will another that is inferior.

But to make others recognise their inferior status is more than a set of psychological manipulations. The superior decide for the inferior, they govern them and take decisions about their economic and social life. These are decisions in which they derive powerful advantages at the expense of the subordinated society. When a whole society becomes involved in the domination of another racial group the culture of the dominant society becomes thoroughly pervaded by a sense of its superiority.  This would lead to a justifications of the most awful think we could ever think of, oppression or even murder.

This view has of course taken lots of lives in its development. Take a look at Holocaust. Adolf Hitler is unquestionably the infamous figure when we bring this issue up.  Nazism, which is the real derivation of Supremacism, promoted the idea of a superior Aryan race in Germany during the early 20th century. The poor inferior in this case was Jews, who were described as the “Semitic race”. And yes you guessed it right, Aryan were described as the “master race”. Somehow this awful belief and perspective spread quickly across Germany, of course by the aid of the fiery speeches of the Nazi’s infamous leader, Adolf Hitler.  The result of this? Approximately 6 millions Jews were killed during holocaust.

Have you ever heard about Ku Klux Klan? It is he most horrible white supremacists movement in the United States, involving three Klans which were flourished in 3 different period of time. This Klans advocated an extremist reactionary such as white-superiority, anti-immigrants, and even anti-semitism.

In 2013, there’s this movement called Black Lives Matter. Data at that moment showed that the number of black people in the States that were killed had been increasing significantly.  If you look this up on the internet you will realise that this is still a real issue we are facing.

There must be some sort of explanation in terms of physiological state in regards of what causes this construction of thoughts and view. You can do your own further reading here.

Honestly speaking. I’m lucky that I live in the 20^th centuries. Years and years and years after the Age of Enlightenment, the intelligence turning point era where everything was being reconsidered and rethought. I didn’t have to fight for what I have right now. I didn’t have to suffer from the discrimination. I am also lucky that I live in the country whose people embrace differences. Even so, still, we have a really dark history too about this matter.

Here’s the thing. I don’t want us to think way to far to that matter. Racism or supremacism is a real thing. I use this term a lot because it is everywhere. Its all around us, and sometimes we are doing it without even realising it.

Get ready to be surprised.

Have you ever heard your friend crying because he/she has to breakup because of the racial differences between him/her and their counterparts? At least if you haven’t, this story must be familiar to you.

Have you ever talked about the stereotypical things you put on those people from diverse ethnic group? Things like, people from northern Sumatra are often stubborn and rude, people from Central Java are polite and they are obedient. People from West Java are this. People from Borneo are like that. These are common things we talk about. Somehow this stereotypes have been embedded to our brain. We grow up talking and believing this kind of crap. I get this a lot. People often see me as stubborn woman, rude, and can not act like a lady simply because I'm a north sumatran. Stupid? Tell me about it.

I have heard people saying that they would rather date people with the same ethnicity because they think that other ethnicity is not good. Or even if they don’t think that way, they family does which leave them with no other options other than dating girls/guys with the same ethnicity. Let it be Chinese, Arab or whatever.

This is a small act of Supremacism. And we should stop it.

There’s no point in grouping beings based on their ethnicity. It is surely not fair to measure people’s capability based on their races. Race and capability and personality is not a linear function. It has nothing to do with anything. It has no exact relation. When you are born with a more advanced features than others that does not mean you are a superior and the others are inferiors. That just simply mean looks, and appearance.

I get infuriated sometimes that in this age of advanced technology, we are basically building things out of thin air but ironically and sadly our mentality is moving backwards.

I am not sure why this is turning into a history lesson and to a rant in a second.

But anyway.

Equality for everyone.

Stop stereotyping people.

Evyta out.

Shifted.

Its January the 11^th, is this too late to write a post about new year? Oh well, we are all in knee-deep on 2017 now, but, I think its never too late to write something related to contemplating ourselves, innit?

Another year has shifted in a blink of an eye. You woke up one day it was 2016, you woke up another day and its already a year ahead. Scary, isn't it? How time passes by, sprinting right in front of our eyes?

Lets begin with the earliest memory of 2016 I could ever recall. I could still remember that I was struggling to pass my final examination, or we all call it comprehensive test. It wouldn’t have been that hard if I hadn’t gone through something hard, yes, the loss of my loved one, my Dad. I put away my grieve, because there was no point in doing it, I still needed to pass this exam or else I would have to go through another 3-6 months to wait for the next test. I studied my ass off, I didn’t have enough sleep, and it felt like God knew my little family needed something good, so yes, thankfully, I passed the test. Bachelor of Chemical Engineering. The title I had been dreaming of having for the past 4 years.

My graduation day was quite memorable, to say the least. I was hesitant that it would be a great day since I would have my Dad around. But the presence of my closest friends, my Mom, my sister and my brother could surprisingly ease the pain. I was happy. Afterall I had gone through, I thought I would never be happy again, but I was, happy.

I signed up for my master’s degree. Sadly, my well-planned studying abroad plan had to be postponed due to some family and my own consideration. I choose to use the word “post pone” because I still believe that I could do it next time in the future, I will have to do it. I applied for Master’s of Business Administration in Bandung Institute of Technology.

My sister got married on November 26^th. It was kind of awkward. I mean, I was happy for both of them, but I still think to myself like how could a journey be so painful on my side and so happily ever after in another, and how could they get their happy ending whilst everyone around them were still recouping from the loss and the heartbreak they had caused. I’m still adjusting myself to the new life I’m facing.

2016 is indeed the year of endless learning. The year of getting back up and standing tall on my own feet, year of apologizing, year of being kind-hearted.

I have no high hope for this year. Resolutions always end up rotten, dull and left out. I have no expectations but I will do my best to make the most out of this year. I will surely continue to grow, to evolve, mature myself into a better human being.

I have fear. Fear that this year will pass by just like years before. Just like a lightning in the middle of the stormy days. Fast. Without any meaning whatsoever. I have fear. But fear won't get me nowhere. 

2017, let's see how you will treat me, shall we?