TITLE: YEA I HAVE A GOODLY HERITAGE AUTHOR: Professor James T. Harris ABSTRACT: Professor James T. Harris was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in June 1922. With a graduate degree in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music from the Philadelphia Musical Academy and Temple University, he was Associate Professor of Social Work at Renison College, University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario. He retired in June of 1988 but had continued to teach the course which he developed: “A Christian Perspective of Social Work Practice”. The sequel appearing in Cross Cultures (by kind permission of the author) from his monograph entitled “Yea, I Have a Goodly Heritage” now resumes. Professor Harris passed away in September 1999, he was a good friend to many people, of whom Cross Cultures editor/publisher is proud to be one; he was a very kind and gentle person, who cared about his fellow human beings, always listening patiently and advising with great wisdom. He lives on in our hearts. ARTICLE: RACISM: THE JERICHO ROAD My attempt to live my life as a Christian compels me to be concerned about the ill-treatment of and prejudice against all people who suffer disfranchisement because of nationality, language or colour of their skin. This compelling concern for all people regardless of race, religion, colour, creed or gender is substantiated in Paul's letter to the Galatians: " … There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." And it is further substantiated in the Scripture according to St. Luke: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself."

The story of the "Good Samaritan" on the Jericho Road is the theme of this chapter. My faith tells me that I, as a member of a minority group, not only am responsible for looking for, expecting and accepting compassion from others, but also have a duty to reach out in love to my neighbour. Having been the victim many times as I travelled the "Jericho Road" during my lifetime, I can easily identify with both the victim and the Samaritan of the story. I thank God for the many Samaritans who have played a part in my life when I was victimized. Conversely, I am deeply concerned about the seemingly increasing number of people who choose to distance themselves from situations where racial prejudice or racial maltreatment or injustice is evident. The story that Jesus tells is a story of acceptance, caring, spontaneity- a story of compassion first, and I am sure that nationality never entered the mind of the Samaritan. There is a potential Jericho Road in every city, town and community of Canada and the United States. Whether they have different names, like Yonge Street, Fifth Avenue, King Street or Main Street, they all have the potential of being a "road" where non-acceptance of persons from minority groups or certain cultures is practiced, where non-involvement and passing by on the other side is natural behaviour, where racial slurs and overt taunts are daily occurrence. They are "roads" that are fraught with disrespect towards anyone whose skin is dark, whose apparel is culturally different from that in the community, whose language has an accent that is different from the language usually spoken in the community. The "traveller beware" signs on these roads are often obvious, on some of the roads, the signs are subtle but the victimization is just as rampant. VICTIMS OF THE JERICHO ROAD I, and many persons of minority races frequently travel on the Jericho Road as we journey through life. On this journey, we seek only the right to a life of dignity and respect; the right to develop our potential, the right to be contributing citizens of our community, the right to love and be loved, the right and desire to be accepted as the individuals we are. However, our reality is that of constantly encountering robbers, Levites and priests who attack us physically, emotionally and psychologically - dehumanizing us and stripping us of our dignity, incentive and pride.

There are modern-day robbers in our local community who, when they meet someone whose skin colour, accent or dress is different, cause pain and injury by blatant acts of prejudice. There are Levites in our community who pass by us with subtle acts of discrimination, avoidance, non-acceptance and bigotted attitudes. And there are also certain 'priests' in our community, some of whom call themselves Christians who say they care about us and will help us in any way they can as long as it does not require them to touch us, live next door to us or enter into a relationship with us. We can find the victims of the Jericho Road in our communities if we take the time to look or read our newspapers.

One such victim is Chinh Hoang, a graduate of a Saigon medical school and a political refugee, who lived in one of our local communities in Ontario. Chinh immigrated to Canada in 1983, believing he could practice here, but he soon faced many obstacles even after passing the Canadian medical examination and English tests. Because Chinh Hoang is constantly being told that there are no openings as hospital interns for foreign-trained people, he supports his family by cleaning, delivering newspapers and washing dishes. Chinh says, "The biggest barrier is racism. It's the enemy of this country. I'm afraid my children will face the same trouble because of the colour of their skin." Another victim is Rajah, a University of Waterloo civil engineering student, born in India. Rajah learned from a sales clerk in a prominent local stereo shop that Waterloo Region is not immune to racism. One day, while searching for a stereo component, he was abruptly abandoned by the sales clerk who left to wait on a white couple who had entered the store. When the couple left, the clerk returned to Rajah. Just as he had not excused himself when he left, neither did he apologize upon his return. Rajah was told that the stereo component was not in stock but could be ordered, so the clerk took his name, address and telephone number, saying we would call when the part came in. Leaving the store, Rajah heard the clerk tell another employee to throw the order in the wastebasket. He has not heard from the store since.

An unfortunate survivor of nineteenth-century America is the saying "The only good Indian is a dead one." Sad to say, there are still people today who hold this opinion. It is confirmed by a recent headline in the Canadian newspaper: "A Native's Life is Pretty Cheap In This Country." The story told how a Saskatchewan white supremacist had killed a Cree by shooting him in the back with a high-powered assault rifle. When the offender was arrested, he told the officer, "If I am convicted of killing an Indian, they should give me a medal." The offender may not have got the medal, but he received the legal equivalent: a four-year sentence for manslaughter. The message sent by the Saskatchewan justice system is this: If you kill an Indian, you'll be a free man in four years. Compare that tot he case of Donald Marshall- a Nova Scotia MicMac who spent 11 years in jail for a murder he didn't commit - and you can well understand native anger at the justice system. The convicted supremacist's action was an extreme manifestation of the hatred felt toward aboriginal people in this country-- but it is not the only example. Most racism is much more subtle. It isn't likely to be making headlines or driving inquiries across the country.

to be continued .....

This article was originally published in Cross Cultures Magazine in Volume 10 - Issue 1 - 2004. Unauthorized copying, distribution or other usage without express written permission of the publisher is prohibited.