LIVING IN A MULTIRACIAL COMMUNITY

Living in a community where there are people of various races could be a rewarding and an exciting experience. Such a community is like a small world with many types and races of people in it. Everyone, young or old, enjoys listening to stories about people in other lands. We read books and newspapers to learn about the habits, customs and beliefs) of people who do not belong to our race, but when we live in a community composed of many races, we have the opportunity to meet and talk with people or various races. We can learn about their customs and beliefs directly from them. In this way, we have a better understanding of their ways of life. For example, in Singapore and Malaysia, which are known as multi-racial countries, Malays, Chinese, Indians and others have lived together for several decades. They have learnt a lot about the cultures of one another, more than what they could have learnt by reading books or newspapers. By living together, they have also absorbed many of the habits of one another to their common benefit. Further, living in a multi-racial community teaches us how to respect the views and beliefs of people of other races. We learn to be tolerant and to understand and appreciate the peculiarities of those who are not of our race. In this way, we learn to live in peace and harmony with foreigners whose ways of life are different from ours in several respects. We become less suspicious of strangers and foreigners. The relationship that develops among the people from common understanding in a multi-racial community makes life in such a community very exciting. Any celebration of any race becomes a celebration of all the other races. Thus, there is a lot of fun and excitement during every celebration. In this way, better understanding is promoted among the peoples of the world. Through each of the races of the people in a multi-racial community, we come to know about their respective countries. For example, through the Chinese and the Indians in Malaysia or Singapore we have come to know much about China and India. As a result, we have a better understanding of the peoples of China and India as a whole. It could, therefore, be said that life in a multi-racial community teaches us many useful lessons in human relations.