Why Racism Often Occurs in Our Public Spaces, This Said a Lecturer at UM Surabaya

• 17 Apr
• 2022

Ilustrasi gambar International Youth Championship (IYC) 2021 di Jakarta International Stadium (Dok: ANTARA FOTO)

Why Racism Often Occurs in Our Public Spaces, This Said a Lecturer at UM Surabaya

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• By Uswah Sahal
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The International Youth Championship (IYC) match at the Jakarta International Stadium (JIS) in the Atletico Madrid U18 match against Bali United U18 was marked by acts of racism to sexism from the audience. This action, which was inimitable and drew a lot of criticism, attracted the attention of UM Surabaya Lecturer Radius Setiyawan to provide a response.

In a written statement, Radius explained in the Indonesian context. Racist behavior or speech often occurs in Indonesia.

“It keeps happening, again and again our public spaces are littered with racist acts. ”said Radius Sunday (17/4/22)

Radius also said that racist treatment often pollutes public space in Indonesia. In a span of time that is not too long it happens in succession. Racism against Obby Kogoya in 2016. Persecution of Papuan students in Surabaya in 2019, acts of racism against Papuan YouTubers, said one Minister who threatened ASN who were not adept at working to be transferred to Papua.

And what feels like just happened yesterday was experienced by players and coaches from Papua, Rivaldo Wally and Ardiles Rumbiak. This incident occurred in the last 32 of league 3 between Belitong FC versus Persikota Tangerang.

"In the Indonesian context, the targets of racism usually target people with colored or black skin. What most often happens to our brothers and sisters in Papua," added Radius who is also an alumnus of Masters Degree in Cultural and Media Studies at Gadjah Mada University.

According to him, colonial discourse cannot be separated from this incident, black people are still positioned as immature, backward, stupid and worthy of being insulted or joked about. Typical colonial way of thinking.

Furthermore, he explained that the issue of racism that is happening today has not become the main concern of this country, so that it is certain that there will be ridiculous acts of humiliating and even insulting other ethnicities in the public sphere.

“The racist mentality has lingered for a long time and requires us to always have the desire to humiliate and even subdue anyone who is considered lowly. This is an acute problem for this nation,” said Radius.

Meanwhile, the main capital of becoming a democratic country is the acknowledgment of the similarities of all kinds of differences. A multicultural Indonesia will not be able to grow if obstacles such as racism persist and tend to be ignored. Humanity must be the main value in building Indonesianness.

"People of any skin color must be positioned as the same nation and have the same rights," he said.
At the end of his statement, he stressed that the role of the state must be present to resolve this serious problem. Building new perspectives through education and culture. Because if you leave it alone. Our public space will be polluted with shameful racist actions.