Cyrillic: Большинство всегда угнетает меньшинство. (Russian)
Cyrillic: Большинство всегда угнетает меньшинство. Romanized: Bol’shinstvo vsegda ugnetayet men’shinstvo.
The Majority always victimizes the minority.
Part 1, Summary
Part 2 What I learned
Epilogue
Part 1, Summary – The majority ALWAYS victimizes the minority in EVERY country. The sin of Pride in the majority looking down on the minority who look, act, and speak differently began at the Tower of Babel. People groups formed by language and prejudice emerged along linguistic lines. Cultures emerged from Genesis 11:6, “The Lord said, ‘If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.
Slavery has been called the original sin of the United States.[1] But surely the nations of Asia (my gene pool) have been victimizing each other far longer with equal brutality. The African majority tribes actively sold their weaker minorities into the hands of the colonial white majorities, looking for cheap “slave” labor.
Part 2. Jeremy Blacks, A Brief History of Slavery’s subtitle –with the tagline A new GLOBAL History, emphasized the global sin of slavery. [2] Black writes,
Slavery was a central element of the Classical world and the world we know today. It was significant to the Babylonian laws of Eshnunna of about 1900 BC and the Code of Hammurabi of about 1750. Egypt obtained slaves from Nubia, the north of modern Sudan to the south, and frequent wars provided large numbers of captives. [3]
Black goes on to describe the 1) Global Perspective, 2) Economic Motives, 3) Abolition Movements, and 4) Lasting Impact of Slavery. The book confirmed my thinking by providing examples of majority versus minority worldwide.
Nigel Biggar writes,
“When the people of one culture meet another and dominate it in number and power, only three outcomes are possible: either the dominant people annihilate the dominated one, the latter adapts and assimilates, or the two people separate.” [4]
As the director for GoodSports Ukraine (www.goodsportsinternational.org) I anguishly await the outcome of this Ukrainian/Russian conflict. Maria Saito for Reuters writes,
“Early last year, teachers at a school in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine announced the arrival of a very special guest from Moscow. Many of the pupils at the Henichesk Number 27 Vocational School were orphans or separated from their families. Among them were Liza Batsura and Zorik Ibrian, both 16 and from Kherson (Ukraine), one of the first cities to fall when Russia invaded a year earlier.”[5]
Not unlike the Babylonians taking Jewish children into their structures. Russia has also taken Ukrainian children to assimilate them into their Russian “Majority” structures.
Epilogue:
As part of the U.S. Asian “model minority,”[6] education has always been the dominant avenue for success allowing immigrant stock, like me (Chinese/Filipino), to move forward within the US majority structures. Joining the U.S. Army, like my grandfather and uncles before me, gave me credibility as an” American.” Serving in three wars (two shooting and one support) made me “noteworthy” to others in the US majority, and marrying a woman from the majority and adopting children of the majority demonstrates the changing norms in the U.S.
Speaking with another minority member of the program on this topic, they said to me that Afro-Americans should “just get over it.” At the beginning of this program, I might have agreed with them. After all, slavery was abolished years ago.
However, I could argue that we, as part of the educational elite, have a jaded viewpoint. While I have earned my place in the US majority, many of my gene pool minorities have not. That the wounds of Majority/Minority conflict are still bleeding in current 2024 US minds. Other US minorities, not currently embroiled in the “newsworthy black versus white” conflict would do good to be reminded of this fact.
Shalom
[1] Jill Lepore, These Truths: A History of the United States, First edition (New York ; London: W.W. Norton & Company, 2018). Additionally, President Barack Obama used the phrase “original sin” to describe slavery on multiple occasions throughout his presidency, especially when addressing race relations and historical injustices in the United States. Here are some notable instances: “A More Perfect Union” Speech (March 18, 2008) –National Prayer Breakfast (February 5, 2015) – Washington, D.C. Eulogy for Rev. Clementa Pinckney (June 26, 2015) – Charleston, South Carolina: After the tragic shooting at Emanuel AME Church, slavery as an “original sin” in America, tying it to the church’s own historical connection to the abolitionist movement. (ChatGPT)
- Remarks on the Dedication of the National Museum of African American History and Culture (September 24, 2016) – Washington, D.C.: During the dedication, Obama explicitly called slavery the “original sin” of the United States, noting that the museum itself was a testament to the ongoing journey toward justice and reconciliation. He emphasized the lasting impact of slavery on the nation’s culture, identity, and politics.
[2] Jeremy Black, A Brief History of Slavery, Brief History Of (Philadelphia : London: Running Press Book Publishers ; Robinson, 2011).
[3] Ibid., 13-14
[4] Nigel Biggar, Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning (London: William Collins, 2023),
[5] Maria Tsvetkova and Margarita Antidze, “How Russian Officials and Collaborators Vanish Ukraine’s Children,” Reuters Investigates, last modified October 27, 2023, https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/ukraine-crisis-children
[6] “Asian Americans and the Model Minority Stereotype,” Pew Research Center, last modified November 30, 2023, https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2023/11/30/asian-americans-and-the-model-minority-stereotype/.
About the Author
Russell Chun
interlinkt.org is now ready for your Refugee Resettlement needs. 15 tasks, languages ESL plans coming12 responses to “Cyrillic: Большинство всегда угнетает меньшинство. (Russian)”
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Russell, you stated that the majority always victimizes the minority and that this sin begins at the Tower of Babel. I also took a more ancient view of the sin-behind-the-sin (of slavery / human exploitation) going back to the fall of humanity in Genesis 3…at least the angle that I decided to write about in the “why” behind my beliefs.
You also quoted Biggar: “When the people of one culture meet another and dominate it in number and power, only three outcomes are possible: either the dominant people annihilate the dominated one, the latter adapts and assimilates, or the two people separate.” I read that and keep wanting to think that there has to be a culture in history, maybe even recent history, that though dominant and more powerful/numerous, was more accommodating or even hospitable toward those in the minority. Do you have any modern 20th / 21st century case studies where that has been the case?
The short answer…NO.
I even asked ChatGPT to help me find some (I don’t know all colonial examples) and the examples it revealed to me could be argued.
They even brought up Hawaii! Whereupon reflection was colonization by another name (annexation). I may have mentioned I was born in the Territory of Hawaii.
Things like colonialism cannot be undone. It happened, and we, the “colonized,” have to push through assimilation/prejudice and victimization.
Right now, US colonization/annexation continues. (from ChatGPT).
Puerto Rico: Caribbean; U.S. citizens; has its own constitution and legislature.
Guam: Western Pacific; U.S. citizens; important U.S. military presence.
U.S. Virgin Islands: Caribbean; U.S. citizens; tourism-focused economy.
Northern Mariana Islands: Western Pacific; U.S. citizens; significant autonomy.
American Samoa: South Pacific; U.S. nationals (not citizens by birth); limited self-rule.
What did the Brits say about Americans during the Second World War? Overpaid, Oversexed and over here!
The Brits worked through it as the current colonies of the USA are too.
Shalom
Great response, Russell. I was actually thinking more about a “fourth” way that one culture interacts with another culture. I wasn’t really thinking there would be an example of a colonizing culture being accommodating/hospitable toward the culture being colonized. You are 100% right — that NEVER happens. I had in mind something that would be more like a majority culture (not in a colonizing sense) being more hospitable toward a minority culture already in its midst . That would be the sort of case study I was wondering whether or not you had come across.
Hi Russell and Travis,
I enjoyed reading this thread.
Russell, you mentioned that annexation is another name for colonization. That is spot on! I wonder what current nation could truly claim they were not colonized in some way. I know Thailand holds to the fact that no foreign (western) power has been successful at colonizing their nation. What about ancient history? History is full of humans taking over other people’s land. It is a wicked problem for sure! I wonder how wealthy nations buying up land and developing it might be another form? Any thoughts?
Travis you mentioned the “fourth” way and just sticking to my current living situation that has raised my curiosity. Can you explain more? What types of examples should I be looking for?
I am also enjoying the conversational thread here.
Russell, I thought you brought your post to a powerful close by showing “That the wounds of Majority/Minority conflict are still bleeding in current 2024 US minds.” I, like you, have been challenged by this cohort to understand more deeply the continuing wounds of those who have reaped the after effects of majority/minority conflict and for those who still experience the conflict in ways I will never be able to fully understand not having been in their shoes. I am curious, how does the shifting of your mindset regarding this topic affect how you ‘show up’ when you see these types of majority/minority conflicts?
Well. here is something for the books.
Authorities work to find the source of racist texts sent to Black people nationwide after the election.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/09/us/racist-texts-black-people-investigation-what-we-know/index.html
Jonita’s family received the texts and she was so hurt/upset by this.
I told her, “My heart goes out to you.”
That was the best I could do. Be present? Be ready to love?
That’s all I got right now.
How awful! It’s hard to believe we are stilling having this kind of rhetoric today. Praying for Jonita. You are right. Presence is powerful.
Russell,
Thanks for the link on the texts our brothers and sisters. This is deeply disturbing and we need to talk about it and recognize the trauma that occurs when people feel they have even if the president elect didn’t send them, there is a sense of systemic responsibility he has as the leader of this nation. I pray for some rational and reasonable people to be those surrounding him. Or in the party line at least.
I love reading your posts bro. Right in the beginning you said, “The majority ALWAYS victimizes the minority in EVERY country.” That word “ALWAYS” is a big word and made me think, Wow, that’s bad news because it’s wrong to victimize the minority. I’ll keep this in mind as I read, research, and study history. Thanks for those strong words.
And I’m glad you realize Afro Aericans just can’t get over it because trauma is passed down epigenetically and until it’s healed it continues to be passed down. I love to see how you have grown sir! you are truly a blessing.
Wow, when NPO time is finished I want to look at the research on Epigenetics. A quick chatGPT check reveals.
Academic Journals and Reviews:
“Epigenetic Mechanisms in Human Disease”: Articles in journals like Nature Reviews Genetics often provide a foundation for understanding how trauma-induced epigenetic changes occur and their implications for human health.
Research on Transgenerational Epigenetics: Publications in Epigenomics and Trends in Genetics explore how environmental factors can lead to heritable changes in gene expression.
Studies on Trauma and Epigenetic Inheritance:
Holocaust Survivor Studies: Research by Rachel Yehuda and colleagues, often cited in journals like Biological Psychiatry, looks at how severe trauma impacts the gene expression of descendants, providing a model for similar studies on other historical traumas like slavery.
PTSD and Gene Expression: Studies published in Molecular Psychiatry or American Journal of Psychiatry that examine how trauma influences epigenetic markers and the risk of related mental health issues.
Books and Comprehensive Works:
“It Didn’t Start with You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle” by Mark Wolynn: This book explains how trauma can have biological and emotional effects across generations.
“The Social Life of DNA: Race, Reparations, and Reconciliation After the Genome” by Alondra Nelson: This work explores how genetic research intersects with the legacy of slavery, hinting at epigenetic influences.
Studies Specific to African American Populations:
Research articles examining health disparities and potential genetic or epigenetic contributions, which may appear in journals like Ethnicity & Health or American Journal of Public Health, often touch on the historical context of slavery and its potential biological impacts on descendants.
Related Concepts in Epigenetics:
DNA Methylation and Trauma: Studies in Psychoneuroendocrinology on how childhood or severe trauma affects DNA methylation patterns can provide background on how this might relate to historical traumas like slavery.
Shooting ahead…what is the cure? Every war/conflict will emblazon the possibility for an epigenetic response in the survivors.
Or is there NO cure? Other that hope we have in Christ?
Shalom, Shalom
Oh, this is so true, “When the people of one culture meet another and dominate it in number and power, only three outcomes are possible: either the dominant people annihilate the dominated one, the latter adapts and assimilates, or the two people separate.”
Can you see the current effects of this in our country today?
Hi,
Before the election, a bible study member asked, “Who is concerned about the election?” Hands went up.
He reminded us that God has this. If He can use Nebuchadnezzar and Darius to further His plan, then He certainly can use Trump.
I came to a place of release, where I “trusted in Him” to make our paths straight.
Shalom, Shalom
In the meantime, my heart goes out to you and those injured by the texts and political chaos.