Unless you've experienced racism firsthand day in and day out, it's unlikely you will comprehend the mental and emotional toll it can cause.
When I was in my teens, I initially didn't understand why people I had never met before were so rude to me, mistreated me, and gave me dirty looks.
It is incredibly disheartening when you're treated poorly just because of your ethnicity. And there is a danger that when you become victimized by racism long enough, you start becoming a racist yourself.
That is precisely what happened to me a long time ago, as I started to resent whites, blacks, and even other Asians. It was not enough that I wanted to cause physical harm to someone, but there was a lot of built-up anger towards others.
Then, one day when I was living in Southeast Michigan, I saw this news story on TV about a middle-class white couple who adopted an Asian boy. They raised him like he was their own.
The one thing I remember the most from that story was seeing the Asian son, all grown up, probably in his 20s and wearing a white shirt and tie, kissing his adoptive white mom goodbye as he left their suburban home.
Then I remembered about the Episcopal church that sponsored my family and me when we came to America, took really good care of us, and gave us a home.
I realized what had happened to me, and I didn't like what I had become. From that moment on, I made a personal vow never again to hold hostile ideas towards other races. It was an experience that completely changed my life.
People can change for the better.
There are many excellent movies about racism and the civil rights movement in the United States. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, which was showcased in MOVIE OF THE WEEK, revolved around the theme of race.
This week, I've selected Green Book, which is based on a true story about bigotry and segregation in the 1960s.
What I like the most about this film is the relationship between two unlikely people. Moreover, Don Shirley, a gifted African-American pianist, played by Mahershala Ali, dared to stand up to the status quo at the time, even if it meant putting up with humiliation and giving up his personal lifestyle.
Since Green Book is a road movie that takes place during a time of racial tensions in 1962, I wondered how the full-length feature film could have enough script material to keep it interesting, but it turned out to be very delightful. Even with a serious subject matter, the film intersperses plenty of lighthearted humor to keep it entertaining.
Green Book deservedly earned many nominations and awards, including Best Picture, and I'm content to have it in my movie collection. In this country's dark times, we should be reminded that there is still good in the world despite all the ugliness and evil, like with this story about Don Shirley and Tony Vallelonga.
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