I definitely agree that Ishgard does provide an in for those who do not meet the usual requirements to earn a position in the stratified hierarchy, in the military in particular, and likely through earning favor within an existing Elezen House.
In a sense their religious nature, and the common cause of the war against the Dravanians, will serve as a crucible in which racist tendencies are tested and broken down. But it does not take much to infer that in a society where power is held firmly in the hands of a racial and class elite, that they view the rest of their people through a racist lens. How far does this racist lens percolate down? That's hard to say - does the common Elezen street vendor find more in common with his Elezen House Lords or with the Hyur down the street? There's really no way to conjecture.
What I think is more obvious is that non-Elezen have a harder time earning their place in this society, and are met with an eye of greater judgement from Elezen officialdom. I am not suggesting that this is strictly the case, only that it is a natural and logical inference from the things that we do know about Ishgard. I think drawing the opposite conclusion would fly in the face of what we know.
In a sense their religious nature, and the common cause of the war against the Dravanians, will serve as a crucible in which racist tendencies are tested and broken down. But it does not take much to infer that in a society where power is held firmly in the hands of a racial and class elite, that they view the rest of their people through a racist lens. How far does this racist lens percolate down? That's hard to say - does the common Elezen street vendor find more in common with his Elezen House Lords or with the Hyur down the street? There's really no way to conjecture.
What I think is more obvious is that non-Elezen have a harder time earning their place in this society, and are met with an eye of greater judgement from Elezen officialdom. I am not suggesting that this is strictly the case, only that it is a natural and logical inference from the things that we do know about Ishgard. I think drawing the opposite conclusion would fly in the face of what we know.
![[Image: 21282370099_a814a08664_o.png]](https://farm1.staticflickr.com/590/21282370099_a814a08664_o.png)
