The government and ruling party have decided to make a law prohibiting discrimination against families of international marriages. It does not exactly look good to produce such a plan right when there is so much interest in American football player Hines Ward's visit to Korea, but at least one can welcome what is policy aimed in the right direction. This is something that should have happened long ago. There are a rapidly increasing number of international marriages, especially in agricultural regions, and the country cannot keep up with the change with the old thinking that Korea is a homogenous nation.
Having laws that prohibit discrimination will clearly be a first step in eradicating discrimination against mixed-race individuals. However, the government should not think it has fulfilled its responsibility by enacting new legislation. Discriminatory thinking against persons of different appearances and skin color is deeply rooted in the whole of society, so it will be difficult for a new law to bring about substantial change. What is needed is an effort to change the discriminatory practices, large and small, that exist in the nooks and crannies. If you think of the long term, there needs to be constructive changes made in the area of education. We need to actively consider a curriculum suitable for a multi-ethnic society, particularly history education from a new perspective.
Together with that there needs to be work to expand society's interest beyond just mixed-race citizens. Getting rid of discrimination against mixed-race citizens might be described as changing the defining standard of "us" from "whether or not someone has blood from elsewhere" to "whether or not he has blood of the Korean people." That, too, is problematic because the standard is still "blood of the Korean people," and that is not a suitable way of thinking as we prepare for being a multi-ethnic society. Many migrants live among us now, and many more will come. Whether one likes it or not, they will eventually have to be recognized as members of our society, and recognizing them as our neighbors will contribute to social stability. It will also be a big help in eradicating discrimination against people of mixed-race.
The Hankyoreh, 10 April 2006.
[Translations by Seoul Selection]
[Editorial] Law Not Enough on Mixed-Race Discrimination |
