Racism
Racism and its roots
Racism is treating one group of people less favourably than another because of colour, religious belief, or ethnic origin. It was once widely held that human beings belonged to different "races" of people, which were defined according to physical characteristics. Racism is rooted in the belief that some "races" are superior to others. Feelings of racial superiority led Europeans to colonise countries in Asia, Africa, the Americas and the Caribbean, and exploit their economies.
Scientists now agree that there is only one race -the human race. However, racist attitudes are still used to victimise and oppress people from "ethnic minorities" - that is, people with a different nationality, religion, language, or cultural background from the majority.
Racism is based on prejudice or discrimination. Prejudice means pre-judging, or taking a strong dislike to someone for no good reason. Prejudices are opinions we form without knowing the full facts, and they usually come out of ignorance. Discrimination means acting on a prejudice.
Britain - home to people from many different cultures
At different times throughout history, people from many parts of the world have come to Britain and settled here.
The first Jews arrived more than 1,000 years ago and Irish people came fleeing famine in 1840s, and looking for work in the 1950s.Between the 15th and the 19th centuries, thousands of Africans were brought to Britain as slaves or servants of the wealthy.
People from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Caribbean were invited after World War II to do the jobs for which there were too few British workers.
A multicultural society
Britain today is a multicultural society, with a host of people from ethnic minorities making important contributions to every area of life in Britain.
A few facts about the make up of Britain's population ...
According to the 1991 census, 5.5% of the population in Britain are from ethnic minorities, of which the largest group is Irish.
The Experience of Racism
Racism can be experienced personally, through jokes, graffiti, abuse and violence from other people. It can also be experienced institutionally - that is, by the discrimination of a society's laws and social policies, such as being denied access to education, jobs, housing, and other services.
When people from Africa, the Caribbean and Asia arrived in Britain during the 1940s, they were confronted with open hostility. In the late 1940s, for example, people put up signs saying "No Blacks, No Irish, No dogs". Black and Asian people were often subjected to name-calling and physical attacks, and many landlords and landladies refused to rent rooms to them. And all because they were "different". Things like this still happen today.
Racism in Britain Today
In a 1991, survey of 400 ethnic minority households in Preston, 74% said that at least one member had experienced racial harassment in the previous two years.
Racism and the Law
The 1976 Race Relations Act makes racial discrimination unlawful. The law, however, cannot do a lot about prejudice - how people think or feel about others. The Commission for Racial Equality was set up to enforce the Race Relations Act. The 86 Racial Equality Councils around the country give support and advice to people who are discriminated against.
Gift or threat?
Growing up in multicultural societies gives everyone the chance to experience the rich diversity of human life and different ways of looking at the world. Here are just a few of the things that people from other places have brought to Britain...
CAFOD's Role
CAFOD promotes human development throughout the developing world. This is done through community-based projects that aim to benefit people regardless of their ethnic origin, colour, creed or ideology. CAFOD provides educational materials for schools in England and Wales, and runs adult education campaigns that celebrate the diversity of the world's peoples and cultures.
What you can do
Useful Addresses for further resources
