"Hassan would grow up illiterate..."

This is an example of ethnic discrimination and its affects on Afghan people because with the use of "the minute he had been born" reveals that Hassan's fate was set for him the moment he enters the world. This is because Hassan is of Hazara decent. Ethnic social status is a social issue because the value of Hazaras being the inferior while  Pashtuns are considered superior is what creates conflicts and wars in Afghanistan.