Mongolia, America and Me
I have really appreciated the opportunity to read How to Be Antiracist along with my colleagues at GRTL. This feels like a monumental time in our country and our world to wrestle with the concepts that Ibram X. Kendi shares in his book.
One of the book's central messages is that the opposite of "racist" isn't "not racist." The true opposite of racist is antiracist. "The good news," Kendi writes, "is that racist and antiracist are not fixed identities. We can be racist one minute and an antiracist the next."
One of the things I've been sitting with as I read the book is the idea of racism & antiracism at a global level. I think it's essential for us to talk about how things are here in America and not forget about the rest of the world. For instance, when we think about a concept like income inequality, it can be helpful for us to know that more than half of the people on earth (4 billion people) make less than $8 a day.
Kendi says, "Racism is a marriage of racist policies and racist ideas that produce and normalizes racial inequities... Racial inequity is when two or more racial groups are not standing on approximately equal footing... A racist policy is any measure that produces or sustains racial inequity between racial groups... By policy, I mean written and unwritten laws, rules, procedures, processes, regulations, and guidelines that govern people."
I saw many of these policies firsthand when I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mongolia from 2008 to 2012, and in the years since then, I continue to stay close with my wife Tunga's family in Mongolia.
It feels important for me personally that we Americans grapple with and possibly dismantle some of the systems we are creating and maintaining globally to stay at the top in terms of wealth and power. Instead of feeding the endless pursuit of more (more products, more television, more purchases), we can use our time, money, and attention to help those around the world who don't have as much and could use our support.
In my case, that means thinking daily about our family and friends in Mongolia and what opportunities we can create to support our community there. Some of our projects have included building a children's park, a community store, a local bakery, a carpentry business, homes for those in need, and a foundation to support women in our community. We can do that with a small percentage of our income here since the average Mongolian family makes around $200/month.
It's a bit overwhelming at first to think about how much we can do and how much we should do, but I think it's essential to take one step at a time. We practice step by step, and it gets easier over time.
One of Mahatma Gandhi's last notes, one I think of often and will leave you with here, is this:
“I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest person whom you may have seen, and ask yourself if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to them. Will they gain anything by it? Will it restore them to have control over their own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to swaraj [independence] for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and yourself melting away.”