Life Challenges with Humor in 'Born a Crime': Trevor Noah’s Life

In Trevor Noah’s 2016 book Born a Crime, he relates his youth in South Africa under the politically-sanctioned racial segregation government known as the Apartheid, and the first couple of long periods of a fair standard by the country's dark greater part. The story is based on a mischievous young man, who battles to end up in reality as we know it is where he was never expected to exist. It is additionally the narrative of Noah’s association with his daring, defiant, and intensely religious mother--his partner, a lady resolved to spare her child from the cycle of neediness, brutality, and misuse that would eventually undermine her own life. Born in 1984 to a Black Xhosa mother and a white Swiss father, Noah isn't just an abnormality in the politically-sanctioned racial segregation of South Africa, but his reality is really illegal in the light of the fact that the system prohibited connections between individuals of various races. In my essay, I will be explaining how comedian Trevor Noah dealt with the issues of language, race and ethnicity in South Africa growing up under the Apartheid and the different sociological concepts that can be related. As well as, explaining how Noah was able to live in a society where being biracial was not accepted.

In Part 1 of Born a Crime, Noah explained the Apartheid in South Africa as a social isolation arrangement of race, language, and ethnicity. “The genius of Apartheid was convincing people who were the overwhelming majority to turn on each other.” “Apart hate is what it is. You separate people into groups and make them hate one another so you can run them all”. This allowed the separation of South Africans into different tribes by different languages such as Zulu, Xhosa, Tswana, Sotho, Tsonga, etc. Different tribes had different levels of rights and privileges, turning the tribes against one another. This separation allowed for whites to have the majority of the power and control over South Africa’s population. With Noah learning different languages it definitely had its good and bad moments at the age of nine years old, Noah, his mom, and his newborn sibling was riding in a minibus in South Africa when the driver starts driving insane. The driver has made sense of the fact that Noah’s mother was from an alternate tribe due to her speaking in Xhosa, and starts making dangers comments. Noah’s mother comes to a realization that if she doesn’t take action her then her children's lives were at jeopardy. Suddenly, as Noah is falling asleep, his mom throws him out of the minibus, and at that point hops out with the infant wrapped in her arms: 'What was that?! Why are we running?!' 'What do you mean? “Why are we running?' “Those men were trying to kill us.' 'You never told me that! You just threw me out of the car! “I did tell you”. “Why didn't you jump?' 'Jump?! I was sleep!' 'So I should have left you there for them to kill you?' 'At least they would have woken me up before they killed me'. With Noah only be nine at the time he didn’t understand the circumstances and dangers he was in if his mother wouldn't have tossed him out the minibus. As Noah continues to grow he is able to investigate his initial acknowledge about his differences and battles to characterize himself in connection to South Africa's different local ethnic gatherings. By learning various diverse languages, Noah acknowledged, he could interface with nearly anybody and fit himself into circumstances where it is hazardous to be an outcast. Noah saw it as a way to navigate, cross boundaries, and handle situations. There was an incident where Noah was walking down the street in South Africa, when a group of Zulu guys was walking behind him, closing in on him. The Zulu guys speaking in Zulu said, “Let's get this white guy. You go to the left, and I’ll come up from behind”. In fear Noah spun around and responded in Zulu, “Yo guys, why don’t we just mug someone together? I’m ready. Let's do it”. The Zulu boys were shocked at the fact Noah was one of them and began to apologize because all they wanted to do is steal from white individuals. Noah did not allow his social identity such as race or ethnicity to define who he was. Noah faced a daily reality that he self-recognized as black yet was viewed by others as mixed race. Noah went against the norms of being identified as a colored South African and used his diverse language to his advantage. Noah having such a diverse vocabulary allowed him to be accepted into different social groups within South Africa, which would usually be frowned upon for going against the social norm.

When Noah was born in 1984 during the Apartheid era, he was born into a racialized society. His mother was a black woman and father was a white man and since miscegenation laws condemned sexual relations between races, the introduction of a biracial kid violated the law and Noah was known as “born a crime”. To illuminate any interracial couples who had a child they would threaten to execute them. In particular, blacks and whites. As Noah was growing up he faced the struggles and dangers with being a biracial child, but he did not allow that to change who was. As a child, Noah’s mother had to constantly hide him because of his complexion. He was considered colored, known as having a mixed race which was independent and separate from both blacks and whites. During the Apartheid a few families had their dads run away to different nations or urban areas to get away from the destiny, to protect themselves and their families. Noah’s father was one of them, Noah and his mother had to sneak around to see his father. The only time Noah could see his father was indoors and if they walked outside, his father would walk across the street because it would raise many questions. As a child, Noah couldn't leave the yard like the other kids because his family was too frightened he’d get grabbed and removed by the police. Noah felt oddly segregated from his cousins and neighbors, however not yet understanding why he was considered so unique. If children were in the wrong colored area, children could be taken by the police and stripped from their parents' custody and sent to an orphanage. When Noah was three years old, he was fed up with the fact he was kept inside the fence while everyone else got to go play. So he dug a hole under the fence and managed his way out. His family panicked and a search team went out and found him. Not knowing he had put his family in danger, they could have been deported, grandma could have been arrested, mom sent to prison, and Noah could have been sent away. For many years Noah had to navigate and learn the ways of society with consciousness to protect himself and his family. Growing up as a biracial child I can relate to Noah in terms of similar aspects. People used to frown or look at my mother funny for having mixed kids. My grandparents did not accept the fact my mother was with a black man at first. As well as my friends and family would tease me for being mixed race. They would make comments such as “Oh so I see your acting white today” or “Oh so I see your acting black today” or “So who you acting like today?.” Growing up mixed helped shape who I am today, I did not allow others to identify who I was. The negative comments allowed me to become wiser in different aspects of life, not allowing anyone judgments to perceive who I am just like Noah.

However, the United States is a multi-racial and multi-ethnic nation, individuals from around the globe have been moving to the United States for hundreds of years. While the primary influx of foreigners originated from Western Europe, the greater part of individuals entering North America was from Northern Europe, at that point, Eastern Europe, trailed by Latin America and Asia. There was likewise the constrained movement of African Americans, which brought upon slavery for hundreds of years. Since its initial history, Native Americans, African Americans, and European Americans were considered as various races in the United States. The distinctions credited to each gathering, in any case, particularly the differences used to assign European Americans as the unrivaled race. Rather, these racial assignments were a way to think, influence, riches, land, and benefit in the hands of European Americans. Which is very similar when compared to the Apartheid era of South Africa. The Apartheid allowed for South Africans to separate and go against one another allowing the whites to become the superior race. Stripping blacks from their rights and keeping them under total control. The whites were seen as the capitalist, those who controlled the laws of the land and created conflict and inequality amongst society. While blacks were seen as proletarians, working to be able to survive in an injustice society. In the United States today, individuals are still facing the inequalities of language, race, and ethnicity. Through the criminal justice system, workplace, immigration, and from an economic stance. As well as in South Africa, even after the Apartheid black individuals today are still facing inequalities amongst whites, with the economy at a downfall being one of the major issues within the nation.

Noah was born in 1984 to a black mother and a white dad, considering that Noah was known to be born a crime during the Apartheid. Being a child of mixed race and not being accepted as the usual norm in society, did not stop Noah from living a normal childhood. He still managed to make his way and living in society as being biracial. Noah was able to be accepted in different social groups for knowing multiple different languages in South Africa. He did not allow others to identify him, he identified himself. In Trevor Noah's book Born a Crime, he relates his childhood in South Africa under the politically-authorized racial isolation government known as the Apartheid. The story depends on the childhood of Trevor Noah, who fights to finish up as a general rule as we are probably aware it is the place he was never expected to exist. It is furthermore the story of Noah's relationship with his strong religious mother- his accomplice, a woman who made plans to save her child from the cycle of destitution. Noah isn't only a variation from the norm in the politically-authorized racial isolation of South Africa, however, his existence is extremely illicit in the light of the way that the framework restricted associations between people of different races. Trevor Noah managed the issues of language, race, and ethnicity in South Africa growing up under the Apartheid and the diverse sociological ideas that were connected. Just as, clarifying how Noah had the capacity to live in a general public where being biracial was not acknowledged.