Okay, I’ve got to admit that I’m no expert on “multiculturalism”. In fact, I looked it up just a few minutes
I would also like to point out that I am talking about myself in this post. Whether I’m talking about you is something you’ll have to decide for yourself.
It seems to me that one of the major things that is dividing us is a lack of empathy. We all think that we are the norm. That everybody should think the way we do, act the way we do, believe the way we do, etc. I know that’s unfortunately the case with me anyway (your mileage may vary). I can’t help it – I was raised to think this way, act this way, believe this way, and my parents, grandparents, Sunday School teachers, etc. couldn’t be wrong, right?
(Disclaimer: the thoughts, actions, and beliefs of the author are his own responsibility. His parents, grandparents, Sunday School teachers, etc. bear no responsibility for any stupid thing he may mistakenly attribute to them. They all acted in loving good faith, with malice toward none, and the author can really just be a bit of a jackass sometimes.)
At any rate, we could all do with a bit more empathy. I’ve found that many of the things I was brought up to think, feel, and believe (see disclaimer above) are just flat-out wrong. I’ve learned that to see the world for what it is, and why it is the way it is, I’ve got to be able to see the world through the eyes of people, groups, and cultures other than my own.
I’ve found that it helps to get out of my comfort zone – to read and watch things that are from outside my own experience – like watching foreign movies and reading novels by authors outside my own culture, like Africans, Indians (Asian and American), females, etc. To meet and make friends with people outside my own group – people from other cultures, other beliefs, other alignments (LGBT folks, women, Baptists, etc.)
My search for empathy has taught me some very weird, and some deeply unsettling things over the years. For example, did you know that in Scandinavian movies, anything that is not soul-crushingly depressing is considered slapstick comedy, and in India, even war movies based on historical fact can still stand to be jazzed up with a few musical interludes and dance numbers (At this point, I’d like to admit that my understanding of foreign cultures is very much a work in progress, and probably quite shallow at the time of this writing).
Something else I’ve learned through studying history and getting to know folks from other groups: Not all the good guys are white men, and not all the bad guys have darker complexions and weird, scary accents. In fact, in real life, the exact opposite has been true, as often as not. If you don’t believe me, study a little history.
The most important thing I’ve learned though, is that no matter how different those “others” may seem, we’ve all got way more in common than we have differences. No matter where we’re from or who we are, pretty much universally, people want to live in peace, we all want to raise our children in safety, we all want to make a decent living, and be able to live with some dignity and self-respect, without fear. That goes for me, for Africans, Asians, Russians, LGBT folks, men, women, Christians, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Atheists, liberals, conservatives, whites, blacks, even Baptists* and the French, and, in all likelihood, you too.
We’ve just got to learn to give each other the benefit of the doubt, at least try to see things from the others’ point of view, and stop listening to those who, in their search for power, try so hard to divide us.
Now I know that at this point you’re saying, “Hey Moon, how can I get me some of that empathy?” Well, it’s really not all that hard – just try seeing the world through the eyes of others. It doesn’t have to be anything important, in fact, entertainment is a good way to start. Just seeing how other cultures see, and portray common things, including themselves is a good start. Here are some links you might (or might not) enjoy.
Movies:
https://www.hbo.com/video/the-no-1-ladies-detective-agency/seasons/season-01/videos/s1-trailer The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency is a great show about a female detective in Botswana. I’m not sure if it really counts as multicultural, since the novels it’s based on are written by a Scottish white guy, but I’m pretty sure he spends a lot of time in Africa. Anyway, it’s a really good show, very simple, very sweet, very charming. Great characters, lots of humor, virtually no bloodshed, violence, sex, bad language (at least not in the first novel or episode). Listen, if it has none of those things and I’m still highly recommending it, you know it’s gotta be good. Available on HBO. I also highly recommend the book
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbfkuN_MpvQ In Order of Disappearance is a Norwegian revenge thriller/comedy. There is an American remake with Liam Neeson, Cold Pursuit, but the original is better (lets face it, Liam Neeson going on a revenge rampage is nothing we haven’t seen 1000 times already). You probably know Stellan Skarsgard from the movie Mamma Mia! Revenge is definitely funnier with him. Available on Netflix.
Books:
Well, I guess that’s probably enough to start with. Enjoy!
*I really don’t have anything against Baptists. I just think it’s funny. I’m sure many Baptists are fine people. No, really, some of my best friends are Baptists.
