On April 1st, the Central Europe (Hungary) YAGM had the chance to attend a day long event in Aszod, Hungary. (Aszod is a town east of Budapest, in Northern Hungary). This event was a mission day for the Lutheran Church of Hungary, bringing together those who worship in and follow the Lutheran Faith. During this event, the YAGM and our country coordinators had the opportunity to explain what we do in Hungary, our reasons for being here, and the differences between the Lutheran faith here in Hungary and the Lutheran faith in the United States.
In the United States, there are 3 main branches of the Lutheran denomination (Wisconsin Synod, Missouri Synod, and The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA)). In Hungary, there is “one” Lutheran denomination, meaning the Lutheran faith and teachings are standard across the country. In Hungary, the word for Lutheran is “Evangelikus”, or evangelical. In the United States, evangelical is used for a different denomination of Christianity other than Lutheran. The Lutheran Church of Hungary is split up into three regions. A bishop runs each region, similar to the synods of the ELCA. During the event, we had 2 hour breakout sessions. The people in attendance could choose which of these sessions to attend. At the end of our session, we were able to answer any questions that people had. A common theme that is brought up across answers to why we are serving in YAGM (not just in Hungary, but in many of the other countries) is learning how to combat racism. Discrimination isn’t always used or talked about. According to Compass: Manual for Human Rights Education with Youth People (2015), Racism can be defined as “the belief that people’s qualities are influenced by their ethnic group or tribe and that the members of other groups and tribes (“races”) are not as good as members of their own, or the resulting unfair treatment of members of other “races””. Discrimination, on the other hand, is defined as “any distinction, exclusion, or restriction of preference, which is based on any ground such as race, culture, ethnic origin, nationality, sexual orientation, religion, physical handicap, or other characteristics not relevant to the issue in question” (Brander et. Al., Compass: Manual for Human Rights Education with Youth People, 2015). In other words, Racism is “a lack of respect for practices or beliefs other than one’s own” (Brander et. Al., Compass: Manual for Human Rights Education with Youth People, 2015, pg. 440) and discrimination “occurs when people are treated less favourbly than others in a comparable situation only because they belong, or are perceived to belong, to a certain group or category” (Brander et. Al., Compass: Manual for Human Rights Education with Youth People, 2015, pg 440). When I mention that I work with Roma young adults, the conversation either goes quiet or racist comments about Roma emerge. I have encountered racism towards Roma when talking about the youth group that I attend with Roma and Non Roma young adults. Comments often include, but are not limited to, how Roma are lazy, steal, don’t want to work, and don’t value education. This has not been my experience. The people who I have met that identify as Roma are hardworking, have jobs, have at least a high school education, if not a college degree, want to provide for their families, and are the complete opposite of the racist comments that I have heard. The discrimination towards Roma though makes it hard for someone who is Roma to find work or go to college. They are often turned away from job interviews when someone sees the color of their skin or sees their name on an application. I have found that racism and discrimination don’t have borders. Systemic racism and oppression rages from the United States to the Middle East. It was not until I attended a conference in November that was addressing racism and discrimination towards Roma and Jewish people that I was able to put into words how discrimination exists even when people don’t think about it. A YouTube video was shown of an African American comedian doing a stand up routine, talking about African Americans within the US. He often referred to them using the N word, trying to use comedy to address racist issues. The Europeans in the group laughed as he spoke and I cringed the entire time. As a white middle class American, using racial slurs to refer to people of color is a huge NO. I wouldn’t even think to use the “N” word or any kind of racial slurs to refer to a population of people, nor do I find it funny. After the video was done, we broke up into groups to talk about racism and I started talking about discrimination in the US and how that video was not funny to me. I had to talk to Roma and Jewish young adults and address racial slurs within Europe, applying that same conversation to the US. I had to explain as a white person, if I were to use those same slurs to refer to an African American, I would be yelled at. We often internalize stereotypes about people of color in the US, including that they steal, don’t want to work, live off welfare, or are lazy. These stereotypes can be applied to the Roma within Europe as well. I have read story after story about young African Americans being followed or closely watched in stores to make sure they don’t steal. Certain neighborhoods are to be avoided in the Twin Cities. Jesus spent time with people who the religious leaders of the time didn’t want to deal with. There are countless stories in the Bible about how Jesus talked to prostitutes, lepers, healed the sick, the blind, the broken, and broke religious laws all the time to spend time with those who needed His love the most. This year, it has become clearer to me that God’s love has no bounds. I have formed incredible relationships with people with disabilities this year and laughed harder than I ever have with those who identify as Roma. When we engage with those are pushed to the outskirts of humanity, we challenge stereotypes that have been built over centuries.
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Elaina JohnsonI am from a town on the border of Minnesota and Wisconsin. I grew up in Hudson, WI, where I had the privilege of returning after graduating from Winona State University with a degree in Therapeutic Recreation. Archives
December 2016
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