Whenever I think about racism[1], I ask myself one simple question: why are some people racist? Naively, I related the answer to the person’s educational background and socio-economic standard. I believed that the context affects us strongly so those who are less advantaged in life -if we can say so- tend to blame others for their conditions. So, it was for me like an inverse correlation, the higher the education and economic standards are, the lower the tendency to be racist. 

This simple hypothesis was challenged hugely when I saw the racist slogans in one of the richest islands of Germany which is known for being a hub for rich, educated people. My shock was even more when I realized that these slogans are among young people who are supposed to have had a good education have lived in good economic conditions and are supposed to be more open than older generations. So, what made these people racist?

Although there is so much scientific research that has been done in this area, there is no simple answer. Racism can be due to many reasons, economic, social, psychological reasons, or even due to class struggle.

But apart from the scientific research I thought of one different reason, the “Bubble Effect”. In my opinion, every person from a very young age lives in his/her own bubble. It doesn’t matter what his/her economic, educational, or social conditions are. Every condition has its bubble. When you live in certain conditions, you will find yourself surrounded by everything that reflects these conditions. The people you know, the places you go to, the jobs that you can get, etc. are all leading to the same bubble. This prevents you from interacting with others or other bubbles. You know your own story but you don’t know the story of others. You have your own perspective and judgment but you never knew what others thought. So, when the ultra-rich people in Germany yelled racist slogans, it may be because of their own ultra-rich bubble. What do they know about others, I will not say foreigners -as they mentioned in their slogans- but about their fellow Germans who struggle to cope with what happening around them and feel insecure financially or emotionally, or who are deeply worried about their future. The answer is probably nothing or very little.

Being open and popping our bubbles is a very important step to rejecting racism and understanding how others feel or want. And let us all face it, we are all humans who want to live our lives peacefully in a safe place with a reasonable standard of prosperity, respect and peace of mind.  

[1] Racism is “prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism by an individual, community, or institution against a person or people on the basis of their membership of a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalized”.