Research Paper On The Reflection Of The Colonialism In Today's World

1. Introduction
The paper will examine the colonialism’s legacy in today’s world. First the focus will be on presenting the overall consequences and the legacy of the colonialism. Next the impacts on the colonized countries and regions will be examined. The essay will present three different concrete cases in the world, where the legacy of the colonialism is still seen today.
Colonialism had different effects on the countries and the legacy remained is still seen all around the globe. The legacy is seen in various areas such as food, language, religion, economy, political and social systems, disputes along the ethnic groups and borders, underdevelopment or development, in economy, architecture and changed culture. The seen legacy today was in the past imposed by superior power upon a subjugated people in many cases where exploitation of people and resources occurred in the colonies but in many cases it was also done voluntarily. Assimilation or disputes occurred based on the tactics and techniques used by the colonizers that differ a lot from involvement, violence and in the relationship with the natives. The legacy is a result of the will and also the force.
The paper will use three different colonizing countries: Spain, United Kingdom and Belgium and three legacy leavers: Ruanda, Mexico and Australia. The discussion is confined generally from the year 1400 to the year 1900. The colonizing of Belgium ended in the year 1962, the colonization of Mexico began after the Columbus and the colonization of Australia was seen in the 18th century.
2. Colonialism legacy
2.1. Economy and political systems
Colonialism has affected the economic and political conditions in the colonized countries. The impacts of colonization were in some cases positive and in other negative. Far reaching legacy is seen in the political systems where colonialism has replaced the indigenous institutions and adjusted the administration. The exploitation was a common concept. The imposing of the rule the colonialism in many cases increased the ethnic divisions among the countries groups that further led to the ethnic conflict (Bayeh, 89-91). The economic legacy of colonialism is showing in the exploitation or flourishing economy. The exploitation of natural resources and primary products has led in some cases to the contemporary underdevelopment (Bayeh, 91-92). There are positive and negative sides of the economy since in many cases also flourishing of the economy in the sense of the development of infrastructure and other sector invested in has been seen. The different economy or political systems were many times introduced and people have also accepted them without the involvement of force. Many times the natives and the local people were given the possibility to govern under the foreign rule. Some past colonies are maintaining the economic ties and export to the same country that colonized them which is beneficial to the national economies.
2.2. Disputes and religion
Legacy of colonization is seen in the national borders drawn by the colonizers, which is today resulting in various conflicts around the world. Colonialism can be partly held responsible for political instability. With the colonialism and the divisions that decide the country boundaries without the regard on the social, ethnic and cultural divisions. Because of the enforced borders the massive migration, social tensions, resentment and even eruption into civil war across past colonies were seen (Young, Chap. 8). The borders were done without the consent of the people and were enforced by using also the military power to secure them. Colonialism legacy is resulting in various contemporary conflicts has its roots in the deliberately fostered ethnic rivalries to weaken the local control and citizens with attaching the greater importance to the ethnicity (Ali, Fjeldstad, Jiang, Shifa, 1).
Religion is one of the most visible legacies of the colonialism. With the colonization the culture and religious practices were brought in the new region and countries in the word. Missionaries of various religions were seen through the history of colonialism. There was usually connection between the military, economy and missionary endeavors. The assimilation and force was seen in the implementation and introduction of the religion in the colonies. The religion was not merely religious imperialism (Netland, 30-34).
2.4. Food and language
The legacy of colonialism is also spread of culture of eating and food preparation. Prior to the colonialism more diverse food on specific geographical location could be found. Food is a legacy because of the different eating habits and because exporting of the products from the colonies. The fact that the colonizers were involved in the wars with the indigenous people and stayed in the territory for longer periods of time with a lot home personnel that have other eating and dietary habits. Food distribution was in the hand of governing elite which greatly affected eating habits (Cwiertka, 169-171).
With the colonialism the disappearing of the native languages has been seen and led to the “globalization of language” because of learning the new ones. In many cases the people were forced to learn a foreign language or did it out of the necessity and for better and possible cooperation. The language spread in various ways. The history of colonialism is also known for burning the original native books and destroying their written works which resulted in more assimilation many times under the repression. With the growing numbers of conquistadors and people that spoke the foreign language which was usually imposed as the official one in the country the people started to using it more which led to the reduction of speaking the native languages (Lee, 67). Beside the language also the writing is the legacy of colonialism, which allowed the legacy of colonialism to continue till today.
3. Examples of the colonial legacy
The examples of the countries where the legacy of colonialism is still seen today are going to be discussed in the next chapters. Frist, the focus will be on the explaining each legacy in terms of how the colonies were imposed through the force or with the assimilation upon the colony and why the legacy lasted until today. The three different ways and legacies will be discussed on three different examples of the countries in different part of the world.
3.1. Belgium colony in Ruanda
Africa is a continent that is the most associated with the colonialist legacy. The colonizers imposed the centralized state system which resulted in the ethnic and authoritarian political culture. The state was used an exploiting through the colonial era (Bayeh, 90). In the African country Ruanda where German and Belgium were calorizators the legacy of the colonialism resulted in the dispute and further into the genocide, the use of French and English language and not their domestic one, and in the political system that is very similar to the European one. The religion and church were used as a medium. All three legacies will be further examined. The fact that the legacies of colonialism are still seen today is in the assimilation of the colonial rule that was regarded as a state owned and was forcefully imposed only on one part of the citizens by making the privileges and divisions among the ethnic groups.
The rule was forcefully imposed upon the Ruanda population. The divide and rule concept where the Europeans – German and after them Belgians ethical divided the Hutu and Tutsi with assuming the superiority of one ethnic group over another the Tuts were given the possibility to rule. By establishing the posts and administration, they branded the people at birth, which also resulted in the genocide in 1994 that was done based on the ethnicity. The elitism was refashioned into racism. By preventing the Huts to higher education, entering the political arena, administrative jobs they defined the clear ethnic boundaries. With the clear division that is the result of the colonialism the nation was segregated and involved in the genocide that resulted in the international involvement in the country where consequence of the genocide and divisions are still present (Kiwuwa, 82-99).
The political system in the country is a legacy of colonialism and is very similar to the German and Belgium political system. It derived from the colonial administration of Belgium. The reason that the legacy of colonialism still exists today is because they used the divide and rule concept where the empowered the minority to control the majority and was seen as a legitimate. The political system changed from the colonial times, but is the reflection of the European political systems (Kiwuwa, 70-73).
The English and French language were widely used in the country and even today where the majority speaks the native language their official language is from 1994 changed from French to English. The church was a part of this colonial design. The religious division with the majority of the population being Catholics is also the legacy that remained from the colonial ages. The school, church and education were the medium that the propaganda of the superiority of one ethnicity over other was established. The religion played an important role in educating the Tutsi in various fields. It was once again not enforced with the use of violence or hard power, but done through the education (Kiwuwa, 70-74).
3.2. Spanish colony in Mexico
The legacy of Spanish colonialism in Mexico will serve as the second case. Spanish imposed forced legacy of Christianization. The Spanish conquest of Mexico left the religion, architecture and social class system that are seen even today. The legacy is seen in the Spanish culture, language and ethnicity. The use of force was the factor that led to the uprisings, but the Spanish remained in the country and have assimilated the country’s culture. They used the repressive colonial regimes. The reason the legacy is still present today is the long presence of the Spanish in the country and the assimilation of the next generation with caring on both European and Mexican values.
Stratified society was imposed with the domination of the Spaniards dominates the every aspect of life in the colony from land, government and maintained the strong coalition with the church. The harsh government was resulting in the growing of the resentment (Garcia, 6). Spanish colonizers shaped the education systems and have destroyed many native languages. The native language was put to the fringes in the Mexican society. Various resistant movements were violently broken. The purpose of the Spain was to get new land, resources and to spread Christianity. The disputes were occurring with the natives with enslavement. The heritage of colonialism is also the social class system which is seen today as ethnic distinction. Till today the country has many elite families and groups that are assimilated in the Mexican culture, but also proud on the European heritage (Lee, 775). Not just the social systems also the food and language have been adjusted at that time and changed. In the country, much gothic architecture that differs from the native can still be found today.
3.3. United Kingdom colony in Australia
Australia is also the country that shows the legacy of colonialism. The colonization was violent and repressive with the inhuman acts against the indigenous people. The colonization of the British almost entirely erased the previous civilization where new values, political system with the food and culture were brought from outside. It has remained since the majorities are immigrants with the few Australian aborigines inhabiting the continent.
The British invaded the country in 1788 and after that the invasion of the native land began. At first the aborigines welcomed the invaders as their precentors but after time the clashes broke out with destroying the traditional way of living with violent reprisals (Midgley & Piachaud, 175-180). The British had with the Christian missionaries educated the native children. The legacy is today shown with the Australia being part of the Commonwealth with the parliamentary government and English language. The common law is seen through many of the British colonies. Flag and military are another visible legacy in the country. Beside the flag there is also the culture and metric system used (Midgley & Piachaud, 175-193). Australia is a special case among the three examined since the majority today living in the country are immigrants and not the native people, which is not true for the Ruanda and Mexico. The values, language, food and customs, with the political system and social order are therefore even more common to the country that colonized it. The fact that the legacy remains is also not surprise with the indigenous people living in minority and not in charge of the leading of the country.
4. Conclusion
The paper examined the legacy of colonialism that had different impacts on the colonies, where some were positive and other negative. Three cases researched showed that the legacy of colonialism was imposed by force or with the assimilation and voluntary. The techniques and methods differ from every case. The legacy today is shown in the religion, culture, food and cuisine, language and education systems, political and social situation and architecture just to mention the most important and visible ones. The legacy of colonialism on different continents showed that they have left similar impacts on the nations and countries, but they differ in methods used in the colonial times. The regulation and governance had different phases with involving the segregation of societies. In all cases there are long term consequences seen. There were various reasons from economic ones, informal empires, exploitation, trade, settlement, humanitarian reasons such a belief that the religion must be spread and looking for the prestige that have led to the colonization legacy.
5. Work cited
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Bayeh, Endalcachew. The Political and Economic Legacy of Colonialism in the Post- Independence African States. 2015. International Journal in Commerce, IT & Social Science, Vol. 2 num. 2. Web.
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Garcia, M. Alma. The Mexican Americans. United States of America: Library of Congress Catalo. 2002. Print.
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Young, E. M. Food and Development. New York: Routledge. 2012. Print.