Response post

I found this quote on Alex’s essay on The Kite Runner.

“Even Hassan`s play mate, Amir, doesn’t consider him a friend because the culture tells him that he isn't worth his time. I think this connects to American society, because African Americans were discriminated against for the same unreasonable reasons the Harzaras were: Just small differences in features. I think the author wanted to show that racism not only happens in America, it happens everywhere and sometimes it is even more brutal.”

I completely agree with what Alex is saying.  Racism is not simply limited to whites hating blacks, or well known hate groups like the KKK, it is very much more then that, and sometimes indirect forms of racism can harm someone even more then direct forms.  Assef is for sure a direct racist.  He openly says everything on his mind, especially his hatred of hazaras.  Although Assef constantly harms Hazaras, he never really hurt Hassan, of course he harmed him, but who really hurt Hassan, was Amir.  Amir is an indirect racist, he is the best friend that Hassan has, and because of this, he can hurt him the most.  If your enemy were to say he hated you, would you be hurt?  Probably not, because you share the same feelings, and don’t even want him to like you.   Best friend said that he hated you, then would you be hurt?  The answer would be of course, because you like them, and want their love.  I believe that what caused Hassan to finally move what I just explained.  Hassan knows that Assef is evil so he is not harmed by what he does.  After Assef does “it” to him he looses his best friend.  Although Hassan completely understands why Amir shuts him out of his life, he still can’t live with a friend that pretends to hate him.  It makes him feel unimportant and insignificant in Amir’s life.  Indirect racism is much more common then direct in America, and happens when someone stays away from someone because of their race, or denies someone a job because of subconscious stereotyping.