Are South African people all Racist? Trying to answer this question is trying to answer the question: Is South Africa ever going to see a white President again? South Africans are very fascinated and experts on ethnicity and race, the curly hair, skin colour, where foreigners come from, sexuality and gender traits. Everyone has names for everyone in South Africa…those that are different from “us”. “Darkie”. “Hot-not”. “Gam”. “Whitie”. “Moffie”. South Africa is a country that is guilty of generalizations. The other thing is, which is also the truth, is that every single person around the world and not only in South Africa, has their own brand of humour, and here we express racial and many other identities. Normally, this “humour” is non-offensive.
Trying to explain and find an answer to: are South African people all racist? The thing is that “black” people are not bothered that “whites” dislike them, or vice versa. For whatever reason. When it comes to “straights” and “gays”, men and women, it is not prejudice expressed, but it just a way for the Other person to define them. These identities are typically negative – the Other Black, the Other Gay, the Other White, the Other Coloured, the Other Foreigner, and then all the Others. This is all negativity.
A working wife and mother means lower salary than the working husband and father doing the same type of work. Black Other means poor, unemployed and landless. White Other means nice house, flashy car and investments. Gay Other means criticism, rejection and being bullied. The list goes on and on, but the point is already made. Calling yourself a White, a Black, a Coloured or an Indian – is that not categorizing yourself already? There are people with diverse backgrounds, yes. However, Apartheid created the catergories Coloured, White, Black and Indian. Blacks are not known as “Africans”. We are all Africans. We were all born on this land.