Submitted by Byron Chou

“The problem to be faced is: how to combine loyalty to one's own tradition with reverence for different traditions.”

America is often considered a cultural melting pot, a country that cherishes and flourishes upon its diverse roots. It is due to the convergence of different and unique ideas that America has become one of the greatest countries in the world. As Americans, we are proud of our heritage, our freedom and above all, our diversity. However, only when we truly embrace our differences can we begin to see the emergence of great accomplishments, both as a people and as a race. It sounds highly credible on paper and even more so when stated in speech, but can we, as a people, in the year 2004, truly live up to our own creed?

Recently, we have begun to handle tensions with a new word. This word has been used voraciously like an antidote, a cure-all, and a miraculous remedy for all our country’s problems. This word is tolerance. However, we must ask ourselves, what do we really mean by tolerance? Is tolerance truly the answer to all our problems? The answer is “no.” Do we simply tolerate a man who rapes an innocent girl? Do we tolerate a woman who robs a bank? Do we tolerate a student who refuses to heed instruction? Do we tolerate these intolerable acts? No. We must actively and willingly justify wrongs and rectify immorality, otherwise it is just rhetoric to appease and encourage complacency. I like to picture tolerance as plaster. When you have a hole in your wall, you use it to cover up that hole. When all the work is done, the wall looks fine, but on the inside, the hole is still there. One day, maybe a few days, months, or years later, that plaster will crumble and reveal the hole it once covered. In the same way, tolerance is used to cover up the problem temporarily. However, over time, tolerance wears thin and any slight agitation can and will erupt the problem again.

After the September 11 attacks, the Sikh people came under great scrutiny because of their distinctive garb. People became prejudiced and assumed that just because a man is wearing a turban, he was a member of the Taliban terrorist group or just because a woman donned a sari, she was a suicide bomber. I must admit that at first, I shared the same prejudice that plagued the minds of many people worldwide. Worse yet, I even joked about it as well and made fun of a sacred religious practice. So, imagine my surprise when my friend asked me to attend an Awareness Club meeting after school. This week’s focus was on prejudice and its detrimental effects on people.After much thought, I decided to go. In that meeting, we discussed the changed atmosphere that enveloped not only our nation, but also our school and the attitudes of students and teachers. As each person told his own story, I was most disturbed and moved by a student’s testimony of his day at school. Through tears, the student recalled the names and abuses he had taken from various students in the hallways. His turban made him an easy target for names such as “terrorist” and “Taliban”. However, what I found most striking was when he said that he was proud of his heritage, he was proud of his religion and he was proud that he was different and no matter what others may say, he will continue to wear his turban and fight ignorance. Ignorance, a simple word that we learn in grade school, is a word that expresses the attitudes of many people today. It is ignorance that builds up hate and animosity; it is ignorance that causes strife and agony. It is up to those who can and will rise above such provincial views to help reform and change the crooked ways of society. I truly look up to my Sikh friend; he is great example of what I wish to become. Even in high school life, people are often tempted and forced to follow what everyone else is doing in fear of being considered different. Simply walk down the hallways of any school. The clothing, the bags, the shoes and even the cell phones, are a result of a conventional and often biased mindset. Being a Sikh in American society certainly puts strains on one’s lifestyle. This is unfortunate because the diversity that Americans once celebrated is no longer cherished. We now nourish ideas of conformity and in the act of compliance; we forget our own roots, the very key that makes each one of us distinctive. From that meeting, I learned that the Sikh people are a peaceful people, who share many similar beliefs as other Christians, Muslims and Hindus. Their quest to live a life of truthfulness and godliness is accented by their duties to pray, work and give while renouncing the Five Vices.

Freedom of religion is a vital part of religious pluralism. Many religious followers believe that religious pluralism should entail not competition but cooperation, and argue that societal. The idea of pluralism has not been highly successful in the many countries in the Middle East and Asia. A sincere and total commitment to one’s faith or belief is often a stumbling block and prevents absolute acceptance of different faiths. Each of our own religion teaches that there is but one true faith, therefore making religious tolerance more difficult. It is our goal to overcome this seemingly contradictory idea. We can all be devoted believers, but we must realize that others have their own belief and they believe in it as much as we believe in ours. Other sources of prejudice were added onto the Sikh people after the assassination of Indira Gandhi, the first woman prime minister of India. Her assassination was carried out by her Sikh body guards and as a result, hatred towards the already despised Sikhs was worsened. Additionally, there has been a great retaliation against the Sikh community. The Sikh’s subjection to prejudice is a sample of the obstacles minority populations face as they are stereotyped and scrutinized. It is human nature to want to organize and sort people out into categories in order to identify and recognize them. However, many times when we do it, we are not aware of the restrictions we place upon individuals of a certain race, culture or even gender.

In retrospect, I am grateful that I went to that meeting. It has taught me that tolerance without constructive and active engagement is futile. If we abide only by the rhetoric of tolerance, we simply suppress our feelings of hate and abhorrence and put on a mask of polite acceptance. But, if we are constructive and actively engaged, we learn about differences, we hear other beliefs, and we grow in wisdom which fosters mutuality. Because of my active engagement, I can now empathize with my Sikh and minority friends, I no longer assume things about people simply based on their skin color or ethnic background. When I hear words of harsh accusation and false judgment, I always make sure that I speak up about it. I have abandoned my passive ways and have taken on the armor of action. There is a quote that from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that I have taped on my folder to remind me of my new goal towards appreciation for others. It states:

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

I too, am a friend and it is my sole obligation to stand up for someone who is being disparaged. My path to such “enlightenment” was through peer education and awareness. By examining my actions and the actions of others, I realized that there were many changes that I needed to enact to become a better person. What I have realized is that parents can often be a very negative influence on a person’s views. As a child, I was always warned to be careful in the city around blacks. As I grew older, this negative and incorrect ideology stayed with me. However, it was not until 7th grade when I realized that my prejudice not only produced an inner hatred for a people I never knew, but it kept me from learning about a culture different cultures other than mine. It is evident that our first step to a better and more peaceful world rests in the hands of better education and increased awareness. Education is the key to success in any field. It provides knowledge and understanding which ultimately will lead to acceptance and true appreciation for diversity while leaving no place for ignorance and assumption. However, education alone is not enough to bring about complete change in the minds of the people. One must begin with changing their own ways and then imparting that wisdom onto others. This process is slow and timely, but the results are glorious. Imagine a world where tolerance is no longer needed because it has been replaced with acceptance and peace. Imagine a world where diversity is cherished and where people appreciate others for being themselves. The future looks bleak, but we must have faith, for it is in our greatest weakness will be begin to see great works being done.