Humanity has lost their empathy. Humans treat people they do not like as wild animals that eat their young ones because of hunger. We need to find our sensitive side, where you cared for your neighbor's kid like your own child. Now, before helping or taking practical measures, let’s learn more about it first. It's the easiest path to take to prevent falling into the same predicament.
A 100% real case - got discriminated against when providing support in HK
Coffin-like living environment
An agent offered me a very good job and I thought my life was about to turn into the best. Just a couple of days and I would be at my employer's house. Before I arrived, I had some difficulties, but I was determined to work in Hong Kong. I arrived at my former employer's house with only a positive mind. When we got home, it was late but she gave me a quick tour, it was not a big house but neither small. It had three bedrooms. When we were still on tour, we went outside the house and as I was following her, she bent down like she was about to pick something and I stopped and waited to see what was happening. She pulled something like a drawer from the wall and she turned towards me and said this is your space. I asked her, ``What do you mean?” She looked down, pointed at the drawer, and said, this is your bed and over the “bed” there was a cabinet with a falling door where she said that is where I should put my things.
Then she continued in a narrower corridor where there was a toilet and behind the toilet, there was the bathroom with another open exit.
For the first time since I arrived, I was numb. My mind started running from my body and thinking of how I could get into another 12 hours flight and commute to the airport for another 12 hours? How could I get home? Where should I run to? My contract had said I had a room, how come now I will be sleeping in the kitchen corridor in a glass window where all passers-by could see me?
It's midnight, who can I call? I didn't even have wifi. If I left, where could I go? My mind finally cooled down and I went for a shower where It was filled with worms, dirty rugs, and cleaning buckets. It was summer and the air was humid and I was too sweaty and tired to skip a bath.
Expired food and medicine
For the months I stayed in that house, I could only see a coffin. The box was literally the size of a coffin or smaller, just fitting, they slept in good beds and safe spaces. I missed my bed back home. My bed space was an open area where anyone in the house and people passing by could see me. Mosquitoes and lizards were my friends, there were no curtains or blinds, I had no safe space. My food was put in a different fridge, I was not supposed to eat their food even after cooking for them, I would cook mine or if I were too tired to cook, they would buy me different products from theirs or pass me something expired in their fridge. While I was sick, they had a stack of expired medication to offer me. I even checked with their multivitamins to see if I was over judging them, but their medication and supplements were up-to-date. Also, I needed to walk more than one and a half hours each day for a week while they took their car, busses, and taxi.
Think of…
Why did all this discrimination happen while I was in their support system? I was someone they called on when they were in trouble or needed help. Someone their kids play, laugh, and have a great evening with. Someone that cooked food that their kids loved. Even if it was forbidden by their parents, the kids would cry and throw their parents’ food away and demand food made by me.
Why did all this discrimination happen? Was it because of the color of my skin? Was it because of my background? Was it because of my gender? Was it because of the occupation?
If we were injured, we would bleed the same. If we were to cry, we would have cried the same tears.
Is discrimination ignorance? Is discrimination arrogance? What is discrimination? From my point of view, I have no model answer for discrimination but I can say it is a lack of adults caring for each human and hatred in ourselves. Kids just learn from adults.