I would hazard a guess that most 'older' Australians are indeed racist.

I know my parents and all their friends spoke in derogatory terms about Aboriginals, Italians, Chinese, Vietnamese, Germans and Japanese.

To their credit though, they tried to give their children a less racist upbringing than they had, after admitting that many of their racist problems were a follow-on from the world wars, Vietnam and Korean wars.

Maybe there will be less racism in Australian society in the coming generations, as we move further away from the old-fashioned views held onto after these wars.

One can only hope...

Stupidity is the source of racism ! How much racism is there in Australia ? Add to that the imported stupidity & you get a racist society. Quite simple really.
You're not racist if you're peeved off with a racist's stupidity. Only racist people will call you racist.

The question 'are Australians racist ' can't be answered easily. Bully raises an interesting point about being prejudice. All people are prejudice although Australians less so then many other people groups.

You make me laugh though bully when you mention
'For instance, Chinese restaurants dishing up stray cats as rabbit or chicken! This old tale kept me off Chinese food for years! '

Sorry mate this is or was not a tale. Some of my recent immigrant friends gladly tell me they eat dogs and cat. A number of restaurants were also fined and lost licences years ago in Australia for that practice (although probably not as many as were made out).

I think many people discriminate against people on the basis of their belief or behaviour but not on their race. I was very selective about where and whom my kids hung out with when growing up. People discriminate every day by sending kids to Government or non Government schools. The whole racist card issue is used far to much.

As a kid I made fun of Chinese and 'wogs'. I am now ashamed of that as my best friends are wogs and Chinese. I will say however since growing up I have been called a white so and so a number of times. Racism certainly exists a lot harder in the non white community these days.

Australia is not racist, just ask any Australian racist and they'll deny it. Simple as that!

Bully, on this occosion, I have to agree with Rainer. It is an old Chinese tradition that you don't eat young cats or old dogs. On a trip to China a few years ago, there were no stray dogs or cats to be seen. Not until we entered Mongolia was there a stray dog on the railway platform. Incidentally, there were not any pigeons either. Comments about peoples diet are not racist.

David

Money is more of a definition of status rather than race.Being racist is making someone feel inferior by colour.The over riding factor is money.The power of money negates all racial inferiority.