Subtle Division

Recently I saw an advertisement for a youth group of performers.  The notice identified children as from this or that country/culture and this or that religion and even as refugees.  It commented how they were all going to beautifully perform together.  It seemed like a very politically correct notice and the togetherness was a very beautiful sentiment.

Sadly, when one looks deeper, one sees the problem with this.  Identifying the children individually with a cultural or religious label signifies that is how the child should be perceived first and foremost. It allows people to attach their preconceived notions about that culture or religion to that child, and in so doing the child begins to lose his or her individual identity.  He or she will not be seen as the individual person each is, but rather will be seen as a part of the labeled group with whatever beliefs and characteristics are attached to that group.  Those might or might not be appropriate for the particular individual being so labeled.

Labeling a child with a specific group identity is especially onerous, because it is likely that the child him or herself will begin to identify with that group and in so doing will lose some, if not all of his or her individuality.  Children so labeled may begin to allow the group to determine who and what they are, make key decisions for them, etc.  That is, they may give up their responsibility, their individuality and their identity to the group.

Labeling and identifying a person in this way actually demeans the individual because it assumes that the person is nothing more than the group.  It is especially troubling when this labeling is done to children.  Moreover, this labeling, either intentionally or unintentionally, furthers the existence of identity politics; that is, in the end, it further divides us.