We know who we are. Our ancestries are part of a delicate tapestry; interwoven, we find a touch of European flair, the spice and mystery of the East and the magic and beckoning of Africa. No matter where we, or our forbearers, have come from, we all have the privilege of calling ourselves ‘South African’.

We are so fortunate in that, we are exposed to so much diversity; nobody has to teach us tolerance and acceptance. We are steeped in environments where, over time, this thing that has to be learnt by others, is inherent in us.

A melting pot? No, not really. I prefer to think of us as a large, sweet-smelling garden – all of us are flowers: colourful, different, some living in the shade, others providing it … a multitude, a variety … That’s what South Africa is …

However, in some other countries, homogeneity is the order of the day. Korea is one such country. Everyone, aside from looking similar (which is probably one of the reasons they call themselves the ‘family society’), shares a similar cultural background, similar food preparation techniques, as well as taste. Most teenage girls have their hair cut in the same ‘mushroom-bob’ style and don the same sneakers (some may argue that this trend of conformity is rife amongst all teenage girls everywhere, but, I think, this phenomenon is especially disturbing amongst girls who look so identical, they could be mistaken for clones).

Koreans are so homogeneous that when people who look different visit their country (whether they are darker, taller, fuller-figured, or simply speak a different language), they are awestruck. They point, their jaws drop to the floor, they stare and stage-whisper ‘Buyeyo?’ (What is that?). As an African living and travelling there, I was often treated as though I was dirty, inferior, primitive or not as ‘evolved’ as they were. There was even an incident in which young children imitated monkeys as I passed by; that was a particularly bitter pill to swallow.

As South Africans, we know it is impossible to garner exactly who a person is (stereotypes aside) by looking at their skin colour or examining their hair textures. All prejudice is rooted in ignorance; people don’t know any better, they make assumptions and are scared of losing their culture. But do these flaccid excuses hold water in 2009, almost a decade into the 21st Century?

Subscribe

Sign-up to receive the latest updates from InTheNews.co.za to your mailbox

Loading ...