Interesting.

The author quotes

"The media reveal some of the hostility they may face. “Melbourne’s Indian and Pakistani taxi drivers are being bashed and robbed by African youth gangs” (Herald-Sun). “The hot spot for inter-racial violence … Between May 8 and August 2 [2008] there were 12 reported robberies on taxi drivers in (western Melbourne suburbs) … In every case the victims told police their attackers were African and there was always more than one. Knives are the weapon in most taxi robberies, but meat cleavers and screw drivers have also been used." This news must not be censored, but how can effects on readers’ prejudices be mitigated" see the rest at http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24337433-2862,00.html

So it may well be that white (male) activity, including racism, isn't to blame for all society's faults after all.

This is at variance to an earlier OLO article about Indian bashing "Racist Australia" http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=9017 which appeared to automatically place blame - based on ignorance.

Pete
http://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2009/06/indian-student-protest-over-sydney.html

A few quotes:
...The media reveal some of the hostility they may face.
...news must not be censored, but how can effects on readers’ prejudices be mitigated?
...What can be done? People are a little unwilling to invite strangers
...Much needed aid is also needed
...they may have had to develop tactics to survive which are not acceptable here.
...African refugee youth need as much attention to their needs as our most privileged children.

So, we do everything, think nice thoughts, give them stuff and everything will be fine. I pity these kids. With friends like Ms Yule, they don't need enemies.

She asks nothing of them. She will not condemn their actions. She blames others for having "prejudices" against people that assalt and terrorize. So, immigrants attack immigrants and its Australias fault! This is liberal multiculturalism at its best. She cares little for the boys or the public, but her ego is fine because she is doing good and, oh yes, she is compassionate.

Has anybody noticed how much harder it is now for immigrants to assimulate under multiculturalism?

My question is why do we want people in this country that prey upon us and soak up public monies and ofter so little in return? Have you noticed that there are some immigrants that bring beliefs and behaviors that are at odds with Western traditions and morality?

Yes, there are good immigrants but having 1, 2 or 3 of 10 doesn't promote the public welfare. Of course, most immigrants can be counted on to vote for certain people and to empower certain government agencies -- and make Ms. Yules feel good because she cares, really really cares. I bet the idea of explaining to these youths that there are laws that should be obeyed never passed through the authors brain.

Oh horrors, how dare me speak like this? I am sure that I will be called a racist for being honest about facts, actions and my opinions.

How about an honest discussion of immigration?

Kactuz

The life stories of the African refugees I have met are absolutely appalling. For all your sneering, compassion is the appropriate response to their suffering and oppression, and I certainly don’t begrudge them the desire and opportunity to find a better life here.

But the author is right – the gap in skills, culture and life experiences between these migrants and the broader Australian community can be very wide. Unless we make some effort to help them bridge it, the kinds of social problems we’re seeing from some members of this community, especially alienated teenagers and young men, are much more likely.

I don’t read woolly sentimentalism in the author’s approach, just a desire to do something practical to address a real problem.

Valerie, Rhian, put the hankies away, these blokes aren't worth your tears.

I have seen enough of the type of societies they come from to know, that the only reason they were victims is that they were part of the weaker group. If they had been in the stronger group, they would have been the abusers.

WE have made a big mistake bringing these type of people to Oz. They will not respect our gentle type of law enforcement, & will give the same, or worse, kind of problem we have with people from some other much tougher societies than ours, we are currently having.

I want to see the immediate deportation of any of these people found guilty of ANY crime of aggression against members of the public. It is only with this type of treatment they will be stopped of treating Oz just like home.

A couple of years ago the local abattoir in the tiny country town where I live brought a dozen or so mostly young male Sudanese refugees in to work at their plant. Because of the nature of my business I had frequent contact with these guys while they were here, and the whole thing was a disaster from start to finish.

Firstly, they were accommodated at the local pub, since there is little other accommodation available in the town. Secondly, their English comprehension ranged from non-existent to passable, and they had very little idea about our laws and customs. Thirdly, our little town has very few facilities, and the nearest banks, supermarkets, medical services, government agents etc are 20km away, and there is no public transport.

Essentially, these guys - many of whom were very traumatised individuals - were plonked in our relatively isolated town with absolutely none of the facilities available to them that might assist their integration. While the locals were remarkably tolerant of them, the Sudanese had little choice but to hang around together, often drinking too much alcohol at the pub where they were esconced.

Because of my status in the town and my background as a former anthropologist, I got to know some of these guys quite well, and I was appalled at the way they had been set up to fail, both by their employer and by the Howard government of the time that had grudgingly accepted them as refugees, but had provided virtually no resources that might have aided them to integrate into our society.

I think that many of the social problems we are seeing with African refugees are directly attributable to the pathetic way that the former government dealt with refugees generally. Valerie Yule is spot on in this article, and I sincerely hope that the Rudd government has improved our approach to settling refugees in this country.

As a couple of comments above indicate, there's plenty of us who are only too happy to have their racist prejudices confirmed by what is largely a problem of our government's making.

The biggest racists are those label the Australian public who reject multiculture as a divisive ,abject failure as racists.. Our population is a mixture of those immigrants, mainly European, who have learned to get along, pay their taxes and mostly respect other's rights to freedom of speech, religion and traditions.It was not easy but we were getting there.
Now we have immigration from violent societies where male culture is the strongest and migrants who have and show a complete contempt for western society.Migrants who come from an intolerant religious background who appear to think Australia owes them.
Multiculture has been shown to be the biggest failure of societies world wide. We need an open debate for the truth to be held for what it is.