Reverse engineering racism | Dan Aufseesser | TEDxEcoleHôtelièreLausanne

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

Will we someday learn from the past? On times where racism grows again, we can learn how to fight it. Very simply actually; just by speaking up. When you hear insane theories about the supremacy of certain origins toward others, act, react, but do not stay silent! Reverse their theories and be on the good side of history.

Dan is a 23-year-old Swiss student at Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne. He has traveled the world since he was a child and continues exploring new places every year. This has fuelled a deep curiosity and respect for different cultures and traditions. He has lived in Switzerland, Hong-Kong, Israel, Canada, and England where he was able to see on a daily basis how cultures could clash as well as nourish each other.

He has been interested and concerned by the rise of populism and racism around the world and has tried to create conversation with people to fight this phenomenon. Today, he addresses this issue in front of a diverse crowd to spark a well-needed discussion.

So, here I am:

a straight, white, male,

without even glasses

talking to you about racism.

You may be thinking,
"What does he know about discrimination?"

I'd like to remind you
that I also have a red beard.

So I do know a bit about discrimination.

Over the past four years,

I've been lucky enough to call Jerusalem,

Montreal, and then London my home town.

It didn't hit me straight away,

but then I realized that all three cities

have a very interesting
relationship with diversity.

Those experiences coupled
with an education

to [inaudible] me inclusiveness,
openness, and respect,

made me very aware of the discrimination
that happens around the world.

With all the unfolding events
at the moment,

I really felt that I had to do,
or at least, say something;

and because I'm a minimalist,

I decided to say something,

and apparently, it's worth spreading.

I'd like to start by telling you a story.

The year is 1934, in Nuremberg, Germany.

My great-grandparents are the owners

of one of the most prestigious
hat shop in the city.

Their family came from AufseB,
a small country town outside this city.

At one point,

it was best known for having
the highest rate of breweries per capita.

And also... No; actually, that's it.

it was a small town with nothing much,

but that's where my family came from,

that's where they lived
for over 200 years.

They were proud of their origins.

They were not really religious,

but still, they were very proud
of their Jewish heritage, as well,

and it is for that sole reason,
that in 1934,

after one of my grandad's classmate
was attached to a fence the whole night,

they decided to flee
what was their home for a new one;

what was then called Palestine.

Their heritage, their roots
were in Germany,

in Nuremberg, in AufseB,

where my name literally comes from.

But because of racism
and Nazism, they had to flee.

How do we challenge that?

As a society, how do we make sure
that this kind of event

doesn't happen again in the future?

This is where the magic trick happens.

Together, we'll see how we can use
racist tools against them.

Together, let's reverse
engineering racism.

One day, I was on YouTube watching videos,

as we often do,

and then, I saw
a panel discussion on Fox News,

America's largest news channel
and its strongest conservative voice.

The panel was discussing Jesus and Santa.

I was baffled.

There it was: a panel of professional,
well-educated journalists

vehemently defending the fact
that both icons were white.

When it comes to Santa,

- spoiler alert -

he doesn't exist.

So it doesn't really matter;
he's a commercial product.

When it comes to Jesus, however,
it's a whole other story.

I think we can say that he had
quite an impact on our world,

and so his figure is quite important.

This panel was defending
the fact that he was white

so seriously,

that it felt that for them
if he weren't, he would be less of a God.

And that troubled me.

If you will, let's look
into Jesus's origins.

Jesus was born in Nazareth,
as most of you know,

in today's West Bank.

Then, it was called Judea.

But Jesus actually comes from Galilea

which is just north of Judea.

According to anthropologist Richard Neave,

this is what a Galilean
would've looked like at that time.

Interesting, isn't it?

It's more of what
we would refer to today as an Arab

rather than a white Caucasian male.

I think that by looking into the origins
of certain things or people,

we're able to show,
explain, and gap bridges

between people that thought
they had nothing in common;

for example, Fox News and an Arab.

Another admirable man is Trevor Noah.

He's a South-African comedian

and he's the host
of "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah"

on Comedy Central.

Trevor was born in 1984,
in Johannesburg, South Africa

and he has a very interesting story.

His mom was a Black South African woman,
and his dad was a Swiss white man.

So Trevor's very own existence
was illegal.

He was referred as "colored,"
and he couldn't go to play outside

as he was rejected
by both Black and white communities.

In a very interesting documentary
called "You laugh but it's true,"

Trevor explains
how in post-apartheid South Africa

as he was becoming a comedian,

what was once a handicap
became an advantage,

what was once a threat to his life

became a way for him to distinguish
himself from other comedians.

He could relate to both communities,

and both Black and white communities
saw him as an outsider and an insider.

From a Johannesburg's slum,

he came to host one of the America's
progressive, most influential shows.

And all of this by a lot of work,
a lot of talent, of course,

but also by understanding
how to use his origins

to his own advantage.

So now that we understood

that we can use origins to fight racism,

let's see how we can apply it

to one of today's most important issues:

the rise of islamophobia.

Because when you go to Yad Vashem,

Jerusalem's Holocaust Museum,

which I've visited over five times,

you come to realize

that one of the main issues
that allowed this atrocity to happen

was the passivity and the silence

of those who were not concerned.

Not that they were especially racist,

but they just didn't act out.

Of course, there is a problem today
with Muslim extremists,

but Islam is not the problem.

It is a political, a financial issue,

but definitely, religion is not the issue.

It is important to make this distinction,

because we should include
those Muslims who are not extremists

and not exclude them
in the arms of those who are.

To those who say,

"Well, Islam is not compatible
with our modern society,"

"It is a hateful,
it is a destructive religion,"

I'd like to challenge you,

and once again, let's go look
into Islam's origin and history.

First thing: the numbers.

Have you ever tried counting
from one to ten without numbers?

Pretty hard task.

We have to thank the influence
of Islam for this invention.

al-Razi, a Persian scientist,
was the first to use alcohol in medicine.

Quite ironic, isn't it?

Who here hasn't heard
of the "One thousand and one nights"?

A poetry masterpiece.

Again, this was written
under the influence of Islam.

The Taj Mahal -

an architectural prowess.

It was both requested
and designed by Muslims.

For those who have seen it,
you know how beautiful it is:

in the details, the arts,

the little stones
that make the beauty of it all.

Then, finally - belly dancing.

Oh, yes, we have to thank
Muslim influence for this, as well.

You can have a real impact in fighting
racism and discrimination around you,

simply by speaking out

and by using racist tools against them

because nothing hurts more

than being beaten
at your own game, with you own tools.

Imagine a golfer

being beaten by his opponents;
but with his own clubs.

He would probably disregard
the importance of the clubs

and just admit his opponent was better.

I believe it goes
the same way with racism.

If you can fight their ideology
with their logic,

then you put them in a position

where they are not able to say
that your argument is invalid.

So I urge you to speak out.

All people are countable
for what they say.

Don't be afraid of arguing with someone.

Don't be afraid of being a fool,

because in front of a racist,

they will always be the fool.

I'm just a student.

I don't have more credentials than you do.

I don't have more knowledge than you do.

I just have the will to be
on right side of history.

So tap into your origins,

your story, and your history,

and use them to fight discrimination
and racism around you.

Before I finish,

I'd like to share with you a quote

than I saw when I was visiting

the Genocide Museum
in Kigali, Rwanda, this summer.

And to this date, it's stuck with me.

"When we said never again
after the holocaust,

did it concern only certain people
and not others?"

Thank you very much.

(Applause)