The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1943-10-16

Race Relations

,sa
| u Is extremely important tol
| me American soldier to under
stand clearly some ~ his owl
peculiar habits OF thinking an,
acting.
i viii help hlm for example
10 understand the basis Of The
race prejudice that is all TOO COM
mon among many Americans as
Vel as among Germans and
many other peoples
The reason for race prejudice
can b. traced back to natural
reed Z 2 security Everyone wants
in feel secure And he feels most
Secure IN familiar SURROUNDINGS
With people he knows For this
ycaSon q IS natural Tor us 10 re-
sert j. Wien strangers come
among rs &c; jobs and settle
Nr 20 make themselves at
homie We do not understand the
,oregners and deep down be-
reath the surface we are afraid
~ hcm This resentment hap
pens unless We haze become used
~ strangers hy travel or hy liy-
az Ni'h them a. fiiends. ON the
su face Is is unusual for men 10
D. lif''e me stranger 10 make
fnn z lis wsys whom the un-
cpasconS fear ~ strangers ss
very great men viii even gang
~ ~ them and attack them.
In sanging np on forelgners. a
Dup Or nation gets an I'M
ialnKinr new sense Of IS own
strength. solidarity and security.
l5i'le- was trying this trick when
DE- undertook 70 turn Germans
against jews They were labelled
outs lers and FOREIGNERS. aud The
German peop'e insecure since
aeir defeat ~ the last war
fonrd strength and confidence
some q fheuA IN persocn'ins ihe
Jews
cei5r ~ skir Is often basis
~ amaice because 4 Is So
Cissty rsise II difference be-
tween peoples mark that sets
one people dearly apart a. dit-
fsten' IS not Zone ~ us" Amer
,fan whites have been prejudccd
no' Only against black skins but
aeair. yellow and AGAINST he
sapes skiH { me American IN
aisr rhe l'nird Siaies excluded
bo'h japs ans Chinese from inn
mirrsion when OUT western
-ates became afraid o. their
heap lsbo And the old German
kaiser invented he slogan The
yellow perl8 when he wished
80 nli'~ f.4rp1e against the
ss.aftS
snAtmes ne prejudice against
ne NEGROES flares up In the
As1 r Is NJ; problem, how
ever 10 . eanp ~here II j we'll
nae Stood hs' soldier in init
"a S'at~s gnifom IS soldier. not
white or negro Christian cr
Jen sih man or poor, but a
ltie ana as such is worthy Of
spect
And nor everyone feels race
prejudice There are plenty o.
waie men who are constantly
meeting and working with black.
brown and yellow men Of brains.
edu aiion. culture ana ability
These white men know that skin
color IS not sign OF inferioriiy
or superiority and they ftend 10
f1reei about H. or at least to
regard It as unimportant These
white men are numerous in
Europe South America, Asia and
Africa. where The races are mix
ed up ia business and politics
Va the United States We are
more used 10 seeing large num-
hers OF men with dark skins
who are uneducated We do not
often meet tho scholars among
the Chinese. Negroes and other
dark-sKinned peoples, The Two
oceans have In the past prevent
ed most u US from becoming ac-
ouaintcd with the more able and
successful men OF Aftiea aud
Asia SO We keep our preiudices.
Nowadays. with the great Amer
ican enthusiasm for the bravery
~ our Chinese allies, this preiu-
dice Is less than IL was but Il
IS sili very strong
Now. however. the American
soldier Is going among people
who do not share his prejudices
These unpreiudiced white mcn
may find IL hard to understand
II ne shows sntagonism toward
other Americans or our Allies on
account OF their color, just as
the Americans msg be surprised
AZ these more liberal attitudes.
II. however, the American SOL
der understands the basis for
his own feelings. as well as those
OF the men he meets. he can
avoid friction and embarrass-
ment 10 America.
The strange people viii sull
seem strange 70 him because hey
have strange customs and novel