When do we expect a racism free Australia? May 31, 2009

It’s too un-Australian to bash Indian students just because they don’t have the color or because they can’t speak in an Australian accent. Very recently, I was going through newspaper articles about some of the incidents that happened with international students..which shocked me. I am also shocked that the authorities are silent with this issue. The international students come to this country, they study, pay their tuition fees, pay taxes, and eventually gets a knock from the local Samoan thugs. I am not outrageous about general Australians but we do face many social realities as new citizens or migrants which we never spoke about even though some of those realities are worth mentioning to others. Last month I went to Amsterdam and a local guy asked me whether Australians are too racist or not because they read and hear lots of incidental stories. I really felt a shame that time.

We choose this country because we love this country, it’s weather, liberal lifestyle and multiculturalism. What I believe is Australia is a land of beauty where all citizens regardless of race, color & ethnicity should live with harmony. We should learn how to be tolerant to  cultural diversity.

These days, things have changed.  Australia is now no longer a nation like it was when there was a “White Australia Policy“. In those days, the country’s legitimate owners (Aborigines) were being deprived of their rights other than some benefits.  Then there was the infamous Pauline Hanson and some others. Pauline is neither the immigration minister nor she has the right to speak racist comments since her ancestors were migrants. Lucky Pauline, she was not raised in a different country; otherwise who would have led this low minded and prejudiced one nation party!

I reckon these racial tensions have escalated just because of two reasons. 1) There are some people like the racist and fraud Pauline Hanson who tries to influence the general population; 2) The government or the state is unaware how to handle a multicultural society (try learning from US or UK).

From my little knowledge about the history of Australia, the country can no longer be labeled as a racist country since racism exist more or less everywhere on earth. But the silence from the government authorities in mob attacks represents a lenient approach to diversity. Bruce Haigh’s article can provide more insights about the Rudd government’s governing methodology. If the authorities and the law enforcement bodies do not take necessary actions or steps to eradicate these tensions, it will escalate to a serious peak which may lead towards a low profile Australian image to the world. Tourism, trade realtions, people perception and off course revenue earnings from higher education will be in jeopardy.