Racism has always been a big issue in the world and it seems like the issue has become hotter than lately ever. With the election of Donald Trump, the fear over Syrian refugees, and with racial tensions getting worse in America, many people are wondering how to explain racism. They want answers as to why people are racist.

I’ve got some answers as to why, so read on.

  1. Fear

People are always afraid of what’s different.

This includes people with different skin colors, different religions, and different traditions. There are other fears associated with racism. Some people are afraid that their country will change; that everything they know will be different. People are afraid of change as a whole.

They reject the things that are different and the causes of them; to put it simply they reject and hate differences rather than embracing them.

  1. Ignorance

Ignorance is another major reason why people are racist. In a way it’s also tied to fear.

Perhaps if people weren’t so ignorant of the other people and cultures they wouldn’t be so afraid of them. This issue also spreads to ignorance of the problems that other races are going through. People don’t want to accept that other races go through things they don’t.

They would like to believe that everyone is equal and the people feel things aren’t are wrong. Ignorance comes in many forms but the main thing it causes is a lack of understanding and empathy. If people were less ignorant of the problems that other people were facing then perhaps they would be a little more welcoming and accepting.

  1. Education

Education and ignorance go hand in hand. In terms of education though I also mean being educated about different races and belief systems. If people were better educated about the cultures and the history of the people they were racist towards then perhaps they would feel differently about them.

The problems with Muslim immigrants in particular seem to stem from a lack of education. To make matters worse people are also resistant to education. They see educating children about these religions as almost some form of indoctrination.

People need to be better educated about the cultures, beliefs and histories of other people and countries. Without it they come to their own misguided and bias-confirming prejudices.

  1. They Aren’t

While it’s true that racism is becoming a bigger issue it’s also true that people are more sensitive than ever. People are all too quickly to call racism when the person hasn’t actually said or done anything that is truly racist. Drawing attention to differences isn’t racist. People are different.

To end racism we need to embrace these differences. There’s nothing wrong with drawing attention to them.

The main causes of racism will always be fear and ignorance. People need to be better educated and they need to gain a deeper understanding of others so that they won’t be so afraid of them. You’re more willing to embrace someone when you know them. So the next time you run into a racist ask yourself if they really are racist and, if they are, think about why and if there is anything you could do about it.