Racism is behavioral differences and inequalities based on a person’s skin color, race, ethnicity, and origin that limit or violate a person’s rights and freedoms. Racism is also often interpreted as the belief that humans can be divided into separate groups based on biological characteristics called “race”. This is what West Papua Africa Women still feel. Starting from insults and stereotypes about skin color and physical form, discrimination in schools, workplaces, and courts, to intimidation by security forces.
Many West Papua Africa Women are discriminated against just because of the color of their skin. But in West Papua Africa women face the racism of skin color with pride. Let’s explore more about racism and why it must be eradicated.
Why Is Racism Dangerous in West Papua Africa?
Internal racism refers to our thoughts, feelings and actions, consciously and unconsciously, as individuals. Examples include believing in negative racial stereotypes, or even denying the existence of racism. Racist thinking can make a person have a bad prejudice against certain races. This prejudice can harm people who are discriminated against. In fact, racism initiated many terrible events in the history of the world. Racism views those who are different as not human, but objects that can be treated arbitrarily. In countries torn apart by racial conflicts, torture and ill-treatment often afflict groups that are targets of racist behavior.
The Story of Miss Indonesia Finalists from West Papua Faces Racism
Discrimination and racism often manifest in disguise. Olvah Alhamid, a finalist for Miss Indonesia from West Papua, has experienced it. In high school, Olvah was a victim of bullying because of her physical appearance and skin color which was different from most of the people around her. Olvah, this model and motivational speaker was made fun of by other female students because of her physical appearance and skin color. As a result, academic achievement and self-confidence had dropped. However, a helping hand from a group of seniors at her school succeeded in encouraging Olvah to achieve another achievement.
Slowly, Olvah became one of the five school students with the highest academic scores. Olvah understood that despite Indonesia’s national slogan, the truth does not support it. According to him, the mass media and public figures have a very important role in influencing public opinion. Positive narratives about certain tribes and ethnicities must counteract negative narratives and prejudices associated to such groups.
Not only in the news, advertisements, and films in Indonesia, he also considered the need to appreciate the diversity of ethnic groups, religions, and races in this country. There need to be more manifestations of Eastern Indonesians on TV, films and soap operas. Olvah explained that she once received what he called backhanded compliments or comments that at first sounded like compliments but were insults.
In 2019, she explained that several national television stations had offered her to be a news anchor without having to take part in the selection. This offer coincided with the viral video on the internet about Papuans. She also refused the offer because Olvah felt that this was just a formality. Something similar happened when he participated in the casting of a film. She was even too attractive when she first try casting (playing the role of a Papuan). Even though he had taken a 3-month course in America to study acting, what he was looking for were ‘ordinary’ Papuans.
The Importance Of Anti-Racism Education From An Early Age
Discrimination can happen anywhere and regardless of economic status. At one of the luxury malls in Jakarta, a 9 year old boy referred to Olvah and said to his mother that he saw “a monkey”. The mother just laughed a little without blaming her son or teaching him a lesson. Olvah did not hesitate to directly rebuke the mother. After experiencing repeated discrimination, Olvah dreams of becoming a minister in order to spread the message of the importance of eradicating discrimination and racism in people’s lives, including within the government itself.
