The Mark of the Plural, a permanent condition.

The Mark of the Plural is a concept introduced by Shohat and Stam. This concept refers to the representation, or should I say misrepresentation of a person or entire ethnic group based on the idea that all colonised people are the same. For example in New Zealand, an all too common racial stereotype tossed around is that many people of Maori descent are lazy alcoholics. This may seem harsh of me to write, but I am only repeating a twisted idea that many people in society maintain due to a lack of information and education on the matter. What these concrete stereotypes tell us however, is that people are programmed to group colonised people together. It has become natural to assume that any disadvantaged Maori person in society is a result of their own mistakes and poor choices. What we lack is the information behind why there is a big percentage of poorly educated Maori and Pacifica with poor educational backgrounds. From this stems a lack of empathy and understanding and the automatic human need to place the blame on someone else. This is far easier than reflecting on the historical context of colonised people and how they were supposedly assimilated into a western society. We do not look to see how colonisation lead to both advantages but also many disadvantages for our indigenous people.

The Mark of the Plural is a treatment of people that tends to be a permanent condition in the sense that society sometimes gets caught in a bout of historical amnesia, not realising that colonisation has remaining effects and damage on people today. It's important to look past stereotypes and delve into why then even exist and how they continue to perpetuate the cycle of disadvantage. If society continues to judge and categorise an entire ethnic group, this will only maintain the disconnect between cultural groups.