The price of freedom

My family came to the United States in 1990. When we left Russia, we were religious refugees. My parents came here to provide unlimited opportunities for my sister and me. Growing up, I saw the negative conditioning that went on inside and outside the immigrant community. Every time I spoke about my dreams and ambitions, I was met with patronization and cynicism. I was a first-generation immigrant, and I was supposed to integrate into society without challenging the status quo. \nEven in school we were never treated like equals. The community saw my family members as second-class citizens.\nToday racism and prejudice continue to be major issues. In many corporations and institutions, there are still glass ceilings for minorities who are of different national origins, races, sexes, faiths or even sexual orientations. Like it or not, prejudice in the workplace is here to stay. But we can choose how we deal with it. \nA controversial way to deal with prejudice at work is affirmative action – hiring minorities to diversify the workplace. The problem with it is the underlying tone. Lawmakers pushing for affirmative action are sending the following message: “We don’t think you can make it on your own. We are going to give you a handout since you are underprivileged and disadvantaged.” Some minorities use affirmative action as a crutch.\nThe truth is that there are thousands of successful minorities in every possible industry. Within a generation, the numbers will be so staggering that there will be no denying it. For now, a large portion of minority leaders are endorsing affirmative action to limit the power of their people. Leaders know the less empowered their constituency is, the more power they have themselves.\nThis is not strictly a black issue or a Hispanic issue – or that of any minority class. This is much bigger. Rather than telling minorities they can achieve, politicians blame external influences rather than provide economic incentives for advancement. Give me a break. Too long have leaders clouded the minds of the masses. It is time to clear our minds and focus our lives.\nI grew up with a very tough attitude. In Russia, my family members were officially noncitizens because of our Jewish faith, even though we had been in Russia for many generations. Unlike America, racist policies were explicitly established and were generally accepted by the population.\nIf we lived in a perfect world, all people would be treated equally. The reality is we don’t. In the words of Malcolm X: “Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you’re a man, you take it.”\nIf you feel underprivileged, take out a sheet of paper and write, “I am underprivileged.” If you want people to sympathize with you, hang it on your wall and reinforce it every morning. But never forget: Pity is the strongest form of oppression.\nIf you are like me and you know that no fire burns deeper than that which burns inside a minority, light a fire and throw the paper inside. As it burns, so will any self-created obstacles that are deep within your psyche. Pay the price of freedom. Let go of the notion that you are underprivileged, and you will free yourself from oppression.