MacKozer has been writing about racism lately. In his latest piece he recounts the story of a Polish man in the UK found guilty of rape and murder despite evidence to the contrary. (The John Cornwell reference in the article can be found here). Prior to this, he wrote about the growing number of homeless immigrants in Ireland and the growth of racism in Western Europe in general. Mac has been personally subjected to excessive abuse on his blog by anonymous trolls.
Kevin Myers, in the Irish Independent, writes of the tidal wave of immigration. While I am not normally a fan of Mr. Myers, he makes some excellent points: 600,000 people arriving on our shores in the last 5 years is the same as 45 million arriving in the US or 9 million in the UK. Such a massive influx over a short period of time has to have an impact. The social fabric changes almost overnight. Incidentally, for once Myers, made me giggle: African after African in Balbriggan complained there were no places for their children in the existing local schools … how could we be expected seven years ago to have planned school-building projects in north county Dublin for Africans as yet unborn?
By the way, Mr. Myers, I suggest you keep this article on your hard-drive as you will get to use it again seven years from now. So few newcomers completed the last census form that we still don’t even know the true population never mind have the data needed to make plans for the future.
Myers is right - racism is not about a country’s inability to provide services for an unforeseen tidal wave. Let’s take this local: Don’t arrive unannounced to my house expecting lunch. My fridge is never well stocked. Call me first and I’ll have something prepared. Or better still, expect not to be offered lunch and eat something before you arrive to keep you going. As MacKozer says, so many [of his country's] people come to Ireland completely unprepared and without money.
MacKozer is right again - racism is about prejudging someone’s character, ability, intelligence, even propensity to crime based on their nationality, colour or creed and treating them differently because of that. Let’s take this local: My close neighbours were burgled this week as they slept. A lot was taken but by far their greatest loss was a family heirloom, a ceremonial sword handed down through generations. We all know how important such things are. Far too many of us know how it feels to have had their home compromised. It is impossible to sleep after such a thing. The whole community offered sympathy - many in person. Yet very few refer to this family as the Malhotras. They are the Indians. Mention the Malhotras and the response is who? Oh, yeah, the Indians. Everyone knows their name but just won’t use it. Is it a subtle way of maintaining distance?
Again, local: A woman called Tylda works in one of the pubs. Try saying the name. It’s easy isn’t it? But the vast majority feign an inability to pronounce it. She is called Tilly, Hilda, Helga and more besides. (I can only guess at what she would be called if her name was Zdzislawa or Ewunia). More commonly she is simply the Polish girl. No name - just a nationality and a gender. Not a person. Over the years there have been a Kate, a Kay, a Katie, a Cáit and a Kathy working there. Yet Kay was never confused with Kate. Nor was she called May.
When I was young, the biggest farm in the area was owned by a German company. The manager, Kurt Schlosser, married and reared a family here, yet twenty years later he was still the German.
Ireland has always been xenophobic and the racism was there before Myers’ tidal wave. It will be there if that wave washes back out. But we need to know what it is. It is not our inability to provide schools for the unforeseen numbers of newcomers’ children or to provide accommodation for immigrants who find themselves homeless through their failure to ensure they have the means to survive until they find work. These are issues we must address, but we are not racist for not having them solved yesterday.
Racism isn’t only about the glaringly obvious: Automatically assuming the foreign party is the guilty one; branding all Muslims terrorists; calling someone a Chink or a Polak; physically attacking an individual because their skin is the wrong colour; paying poor wages for long hours. The good people of Ireland don’t do these things. Oh, no, we condemn these acts. We are not racist, they shout. Yet aren’t the good people of Ireland being just as racist by keeping their new neighbours at a distance; by refusing to get to know them; by failing to nod a greeting when they meet; by pretending not to know their name?
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Excellently said.
My wife is German; my kids regularly have to put up with abuse accusing them of being responsible for a war neither they nor the abusers know much about.
Conflating lack of planning with this undercurrent is not at all helpful.
I had hoped that many of us being returned emigrants (10 years as an economic migrant in Germany in my case) would have given us some antibodies as a society to this kind of crap. But it hasn’t.
I think all we can do is try each of us. I have a habit of trying to greet foreigners I am in contact with in their language: So I say Dobry Dyn to my Slovak colleague in the morning; and Ni Hao to my Chinese college.
It’s not that hard to pick up hello/please/thank you in the languages of our immigrants - an using it will always get a smile.
Unless you pick the wrong language…
I suppose you might call me an immigrant! Born in Dublin but living in the wee North for the past 30 years. I was always fascinated because my husband was from mainland UK, yet he was fully accepted as was Elly my daughter, since she was born and reared here.
I on the other hand was ‘One of them’ whatever that means. I am far to green to work it out!;)
Now I must check the mirror, maybe I have two heads!
Aonghus - I loved your little faux pas. It reminds me of when Ireland beat England in Stuttgart and we had a right royal session down the pub that night. (There were a few of us Paddys living in a small town near Speyer). One of the lads was up on a table chanting Wir sind die Champ-i-ons. The locals were in fits laughing that the Irish, despite having won such an important match, now considered themselves to be Mushrooms.
Grannymar - The mid-seventies wasn’t a great time to be a southerner living in the north. At least now that’s changed, or if not totally changed, we’re getting there.
I think the onus is on each and every one both citizen and new arrival to break down barriers. When I first moved to Lebanon I thought I would never get to understand the Lebanese and worried that I would just end up living among expats.
Well I do socialise with expats but also with a lot of Lebanese and half lebanese. When I go home I get annoyed by the Economic migrant tag given to Polish , Chineese etc as I left for a better paid job so whats the difference. I try to remind people that the reason that there is an Irish pub in every major city is that there was an Irish economic migrant in every major city.
The old ways have to change since borders are breaking doon, can we ever be just human? some use our nationality as a source of pride that identifies who we are and its very important to us. People who keep their own customs and hardly speak the lingo will always be seen as outsiders but sure they must be given the chance to join. Interesting post.
Which lingo? (teanga i bpluc agam anseo)
While we are on the subject, one thing that really riles me is the same politicians campaigning for the illegal Irish in the US to be amnestied, while calling for the deportation of those whose status here is not crystal clear. Of course, deporting nameless ones is easier…
Mac - Very true. Long before the waves of the 50’s and 70’s, we were emigrating for economic reasons. While pop-historians and plastic-Paddys concentrate on the forced emigration during the famine, more had left before than during it. We are still leaving - there are ads in the media everyday offering to arrange visas for New Zealand and Australia.
Young Knudsen - Too often those who do, or at least try to, speak the lingo and make an effort to mix, are still rebuffed. That is what worries me.
Aonghus - I often wonder about that too.
Well said Sneezy, but it is not just us Irish. Living in Spain I was ‘the Giri’, the foreignor. I have a Spanish friend and she’s referred to as ‘the spanish one.’ by all and sundry, so much so that she laughingly refers to herself as that now. She in turn talks about her ‘cuban friend’ instead of mentioning her by name. And the cuban girl refers to her friend as ‘The Frenchie’ Of course what friend’s call each other is different to what the man on the street calls us. And you’re quite right about the unwillingness of folk to make the effort to learn names.
That not ‘knowing’ the name thing is bollocks. I wouldn’t answer to anyone calling me an incorrect name, that would ‘help’ them remember in the future.
Oh, and annoy-mices are always the mouth pieces.
Mrs Sneeze, surely them and us is part of human nature ? We’re not that long down from the trees and our instinct for place and tribe is still strong, and just because the talking heads say the world is getting smaller, it doesn’t actually mean it is. Myers is as mad as a bag of spanners. ( although I look back fondly to when himself and McDowell where the sentinels protecting Irish society, alas both demoted ) !
It is like the others are saying here, it’s up to us individually and we should trust in our humanity. If someone looks different, my kids point or ask or enquire. They do this naturally, and also no matter how many times you ask them not to point. So this is okay, and if someone takes offence from a 6 or 7 year old, well ………..
I’m afraid to say anything about the macro level racism you refer to, the grown up stuff where the media and civil liberties are involved cause I always get it wrong so I’ll just listen to the kids and remember that I’m not long down from the trees .
FMC - You’ve summed up my post in one short phrase: That not ‘knowing’ the name thing is bollocks.
Sniffles - Tribalism is part of human nature. I don’t dispute that. It manifests in many ways such as supporting your county team. That’s okay. Banter and slagging at a football match, or as FMC says, among friends, is okay. are we not long enough down from the trees to leave it behind once the game is over and the circumstances different?
Yes, children from the age of 2 can recognise skin colour and facial features unlike their own. It’s just part of their learning about their environment. But kids quickly see past that unless we prompt them otherwise.
Let me give you an example: If I am swapping stories with classmates from primary school I might begin with remember the way Jan was mad into soccer? If I am telling the story to people who were at the same school but in a different year I might say remember Jan, the black guy in my class? Well he was mad into soccer …. If I am telling the same story to people who would not have known Jan I would say there was this guy, Jan, who was mad into soccer. See the difference?
Oh, and what’s with the Mrs bit? First the Reluctant Memsahib now you! I’m going to have start farting, scratching my balls or slapping my lad out on this blog from now on.
Sorry about that Monsieur Primal and don’t you think that we go on about this too much, and end up forcing a solution and avoiding the real problem. If I haven’t met a friend for a while, or am introduced to someone for the first time, they want to know about me, my place and my people. Although annoying, this is socially acceptable as we locate and place each other in some sort of social context. But we’re not really allowed or permitted to do this with the invisible ones. We skirt around the edges, and continue in an ambigious cloud . And we’re not alone, I’m not aware of any country where this melting pot thing works well .
So, I’ll continue to be politically incorrect and listen to my kids and remember my humanity, meaning I’ll make mistakes because I can’t remember all the correct ways to address these issues. If anyone takes offence , well, it’s really their own issue cause I didn’t mean anything by it.
Myers is mad, cracked and loves the old racism and immigration gig. Whip and horse come to mind, and the debate avoids the economic depravation and fuckedupness of the situation. I think you’re asking the wrong questions. Take a walk to the refugee camp in Knocklasheen outside Limerick ( or any city), and the situation crystallises. This is not about how we refer to Jan, it’s about what the world continues to do Jan and his brothers.
No, let me makes mistakes by calling this person black because, if I offend I’ll apologise. Go figure out how to save a race.
I am asking the wrong questions if by that, you mean the questions you want answered, Sniffles. But far better commentators than I have asked those questions. They have dealt with the big picture, the solutions, the macro level, economic deprivation and what the world continues to do to Jan and his brothers. I am asking the right questions. Those I want addressed. Those dealing with the micro level, the local level, hence the title. The steadfast refusal to use a person’s name. The pretence that a name is too difficult to remember or pronounce. Being outwardly PC while inwardly xenophobic.
The way I would refer to Jan or anyone else depends on context. But I don’t have to think about the context before opening my mouth. It is reflexive. Perhaps having studied and worked with so many people of different races and nationalities over the years it is second nature.
Fair nuff on the questions( it’s your blog after all ), so apologies there. But from your last comment I feel as if I’m being painted or pushed into a position I don’t agree with. Anyone who deliberately messes with a person’s name is a scum-bag, and they will keep doing it until stopped a.k.a facing down the bully. I’ll make a mistake with a name, get it right the next time, just like children do. What I remain unconvinced about, is the fragility and delicacy of the libertarian agenda in your postings. I respect and defer to others ( and your posting), but enough already. Tell me how many PC words have we used for people of African origin, and what the pc current term is. Society is more robust and forgiving then you make it out to be, and I’m not sure your characterisation is accurate. Until such a time as we assimilate different peoples into the living fabric of our lives, our homes , pubs, sports and work, they will always be a different tribe. And they can never assimilate because they cannot afford to, ( we don’t let them) which is why I initially ( and sorta still do ) thought you might be asking the wrong question . But thanks for the opportunity.
All change at the macro level begins at the micro level.
Integration, like charity, begins at home.
Primal is asking the right questions. Until each of us shows our respect for people who are different in some way, society will continue to exclude those people.
Those of us who know what it is to have been economic migrants (which is anybody who left Ireland to get a job) have a responsibilty to be at the forefront of this.
Thanks Aonghus, I was an Irishman in London in the late 70’s and again I’m getting the same pressure from you as I got from Primal. Your misrepresenting my position and closing the debate.
Aonghus - I totally agree with your observation that all change at the macro level begins at the micro level. This is what I was attempting (poorly as it would seem) to address.
Sniffles - If I put you under pressure, then I apologise most sincerely. That was not my intention by any means and I regret that my lack of clarity lead to such an misunderstanding. I was merely trying to clarify the crux of my original post.
I am actually quite flattered that you see a fragility and delicacy in the libertarian agenda of my postings. I never thought of myself as such. I am as politically incorrect as they come normally. I can only surmise my apparent libertarian views have grown out of my life experiences and not out of an intentional policy of being PC - a term I hate, by the way.
I apologise too, Sniffle and Cry.
I wasn’t intending to directly address you; just adding my 2c worth to Primal’s thoughts and yours.
I should also clarify that my comments are especially about people who are here; we need to engage with those people as people
How we allow people into the country is a completely different issue.
And one which I have no confidence in our ad hoc, reactive government getting right.
Just to lighten the discussion a bit….
In our locality, there is an individual who has over the years bought many chunks of farmland and even though he has owned some of the land since I was a nipper he is known throughout the locality as “The Kerryman” (He’s American but may have roots in Kerry as far as I know, but I stand to be corrected on this). It appears now that another “Kerryman” has appeared on the scene buying land and things have got more confusing.
Another man I know for many years was known as the “Corkman” even though it was the guy who had the farm before him that was from Cork, he has now moved to Scotland I think but again this doesn’t change things.
My former drinking buddies (Known collectively as the “Warriors”, you know who you are…) are known by everyone we know as The Long fellah (Or Sir Jester, Don’t fence me in…), the Thin fellah, the Small fellah, the Bald fellah, the Young fellah and the Big fellah (lately AKA Roundy Mooney but thats another story), and even though we were reared there and some have moved away and back and away again, that’s how we’re always going to be referred to.
The fathers of the above were known as Willie west, slats, Padge, and the builder. There was also the Stone man, The fiddler, the captain, Shaky, Beach Ball, The Viking (From Bath, England), the Swallow, the mandolin and others.. Everyone from the area will know who I am talking about.
My uncle has lived in the locality for just shy of forty years and is still known as “The Blow-in”.
None of the above are taken to be or ever were meant to be offensive. Maybe we are reading a little too much into all of this? I am constantly in dread of our culture becoming too P.C. as seems to be the trend and losing some of our natural sense of humour along the way. As a nation we are just getting to grips with the reversal of proceedings in regard to immigration/Emigration, we are slow to change as a rule but please, please, give some of us a little leeway, a bit of time and don’t assume the worst at every corner, maybe its just in jest…
My 2.54c worth….
Zuchinni - We have our fair share of nicknames around here too. As in your case, none were ever meant to be offensive. (Well, one or two were maybe).
But there is a big difference between giving someone a nickname and giving them no name at all.
Anyway, thanks for lightening things up and for your money. Do call again - the kettle’s always on.