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Author: Dewi Hughes
Date: 26.08.2010
Category: Reconciliation
In response to a helpful piece by RCW on loving our ethnic neighbour Joseph Paul Cadariu asks whether we ‘have to separate "ethnic" neighbors from whatever "non-ethnic" neighbors may be.’ I would contend that there is no such thing as a non-ethnic neighbour. Ethnic identity is not something that ‘minorities’ or ‘indigenous peoples’ etc have but something that we all have. The difference between us is in our consciousness of our identity and as a general rule the bigger and more powerful an identity is the less conscious its members are of their identity. It seems that the bigger and more powerful an ethne is the less conscious it is of its identity and the more oppressive it is of less powerful ethnes. I would contend, in this context, that the USA is the most powerful and potentially the most oppressive ethnic identity on earth today.
In my book on ethnic identity, which I hope will be re-published for the Cape Town Congress with the title of Ethnic Identity from the Margins: a Christian Perspective, I wrote the following about the ethnic identity of the USA:
‘The USA is the state that has witnessed the greatest mixing of ethnic identities in modern times so it is impossible to talk about such mixing without saying something about its unique experience. Israel Zangwill’s play The Melting Pot, first performed in New York in 1908, expresses the idea that an ‘American’ is the result of the fusion of many identities but the truth is that for most of its history the official policy of the state has been the assimilation of all its people into a dominant white, English culture. The Declaration of Independence may have proclaimed the equality of all men and the inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness to all but in reality those blessings were only available within the framework of an English state. Native Americans were granted none of these rights because they refused to be assimilated into the white English state. Even the strong desire of large immigrant groups, such as the Germans in the nineteenth century, to retain their identity was treated with suspicion and eventually totally scuppered.’ [Castrating Culture: A Christian Perspective on Ethnic Identity from the Margins, Carlisle: Paternoster, 2001, p. 145].
Ethnic identity is made up of a common proper name, a myth of common ancestry, shared historical memories, elements of a common culture, a link with a homeland and a sense of solidarity. Think American – the Pilgrim fathers – the Declaration of Independence – the 50 States – loyalty to the flag… I want to appeal to brothers and sisters from all the big and powerful ethnes to appreciate that they have an ethnic identity and to begin to understand how their identity impacts those with smaller and less powerful identities. I see no hope of real harmony unless this is done.
Keywords: ethnic neigbor, minorities, USA, melting pot, Native Americans
Views: 8002
Comments: 3
Recommendations: 1
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South Africa
I agree, we all have an ethnic identity of sorts. And ethnicity matters. Ethnicity and identity, identity and language, language and power, power and ethnicity – these are all important, inter-related dynamics to pick up on because they affect the way we approach mission, understand church, and conceive of our Christian communities.
In South Africa there is sensitivity to many of these dynamics because of our Apartheid history and the current socio-political landscape. We have eleven official languages as a nation. Schooling can theoretically be done in any of these languages. People have a right to speak their own language. All ethnic groups can champion the use of their language in order to assure its continued use and survival. However, in reality, there is the hegemony of English. The English language dominates. On one level it is purely pragmatic – English provides the common ground for the interchange of our ethnic groups.
The church I serve in is thoroughly multicultural. We have Pedis, Zulus, Vendas, Tsongas, Shangaans, Shona, English (UK ancestry, but born and raised in South Africa), Indians from Southern India (with their children born and raised in South Africa) and Germans from Germany. The English language establishes a common medium of communication and acceptance. A bias towards English church culture is deemed an acceptable compromise for the sake of unity, where division along language lines can so easily become division along race lines too (which our church wants to avoid at all costs).
But on another level the issue seems far more complex. Language is power. To demonstrate proficiency in English can be somewhat of a status thing (and increase your social capital). On several occasions I have engaged some Sepedi-speaking church leaders about having a service in their vernacular for the sake of outreach to the city. Their response was surprising, that we are an English-speaking church and if people want to speak Sepedi they could go to the Anglican church in the township! (That needs to be unpacked a lot more...)
Ethnicity in our South African context is ambiguous. A group may have a certain ethnic identity on paper, but stereotypes around that group fall down when tested. Other commonalities prove to be more defining of a sense of self or relatedness to another: rural vs urban living; educated vs uneducated, wealthy vs poor and especially, old vs young.
The notion of urban youth culture engages with the above issues of identity, language, and power (or social capital). For example, parents may be mother-tongue Sepedi speakers, with grandparents living in rural areas. But the young people have more in common with other urban-based, English-language speaking youth from other ethnic groups (the MTV generation). This can bring them into conflict with their parent’s generation. Our church leaders are from an older generation, and slow on the uptake on this issue of identity and ambiguous ethnicity. Our young people are abandoning the church (and sadly, even Christianity). They haven’t a place to call home, since other things get in the way of the gospel and making disciples.
We all have an ethnic identity, which is subtly changing over generations and locations. If we are insensitive to ethnic traditions as well as significant transitions in a heterogeneous urban context, Jesus and his Message can become a victim of our ignorance of ethnicities.
29.08.2010
Sweden
@ Pete_Houston:
Interesting reaction from that Sepedi speakers. I have heard similar reactions from different people, e.g. Maharati-speakers in India and Saami speakers in Scandinavia... I have also understood that the Frisian language of my ancestors is not so often used in Frisian churches because it is not "good enough" compared to Dutch...
Much work to be done there!
19.09.2010
United States
Good point! There is such thing as "non ethnic". Everyone on this earth - including Christians - has some form of bias toward other "ethnics’. I have a problem with those who claim thy are not. First step is to accept that reality. From there we need to start working on this issue.
31.08.2010
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