Dickie

Your wondering why Rainier is all revved up?

Maybe because you have failed to see the point she is making?

Maybe because you have distorted her argument?
Rainier please correct me if I am wrong, (but for the sake of those like Dickie) the point you were making was that through the actions of these ‘assimilations’ you have learnt English and been exposed to ‘western culture’, so much so that makes up your national identity.
In turn the bigotry and labeling takes on a new form, it is not enough that you have ‘assimilated’ you then become the indigenous person who mustn’t be authentic (Yes Dickie AUTHENTIC) as you don’t fit the presumed stereotype of your ‘race’.

Words like ‘half caste’ (sic.) are a reflection of this deep rooted racism that exists with these ‘malicious assimilationist’. Like Ghassan suggests, these people ‘openly call on such people to integrate, while they secretly work to see them disintegrate’.

I am from a Lebanese ancestry and often times people are surprised when they discover this, ‘You don’t look or sound Lebanese?’

They are completely oblivious to their racial profiling, and I wonder how I can take this in any way other than an insult?

‘What do they (Lebs) look like?’ I ask

‘Actually, what do they sound like?’ I ask

I'm often met with surprise that I have taken offence to such a comment. It's more the ideology behind the comment, the presumption that an individual who does not fit the preconceived 'non-assimilated' stereotype ('Middle eastern appearance')is assumed to be either not of that race, or not 'authentically' from that race.

This is the evil of 'assimilationists' and the hypocrisy is that we shared most of your views to begin with. The battle is against the cultural boundaries that are being constantly created by those who cannot envision diversity.

- Dr. Ghassan Hage your work continues to be a great resource and inspiration

I've had Italians in Australia (note they don't consider themselves Australian) think I was Italian... guess what?

I never got offended.

I've had Australians think i'm English.

Guess what... no offence taken again.

I have heritage from O/S... but I was born here and consider myself Australian. Not a hyphenated Australian or someone from whence my relatives came from.

You think maybe you've got an attitude problem Jules?

No i don't have an attitude problem.

I guess context is everything, and for me t800 it is in a contemporary western-Sydney context, (where if your Lebanese-Australian, then your a terrorist or related to one) that I am placing my experiences.

I probably should have made that clear.

The point I was making in the other entry was that in certain conversations there is a negative stereotype that I have to constantly challenge. It's this challegning that I resent, I have to constantly re-affirm that 'No I don't fit a typical stereotype, but thats because that stereotype is wrong and unjust'

Again because I choose to call myself Lebanese-Australian (not denying my hybrid culture) I have to defend that right in this forum. I have to defend that right in society because there is a resentment that I think can only come from fear, that I somehow am compromising my Australianess if I identify somewhere else.

Maybe I was being a little forceful, being 'resentful' and 'offended' may be too strong.
Now I am just disillusioned

Dickie wrote, "Strewth - here I go again. What's the definition of "authentical indigenous", Ranier?

Is it a full-blooded Aborigine; half caste or quarter caste?"

Well thats my point exactly. When i don't make the right ideological statments i get judged via quatum blood sciences that were refuted years ago as invalid.

(for you info both my parents are Aboriginal with no known white ancestry) ...i know you're probably not used to having a blackfella write your own language this well.. there's a first time for everything brother.

back to the topic- When you do the same you don't get questioned using the same formula's.

Its because white people don't think 'white' is an ethnicity and everyone else that isn't becomes ethnic, coloured, black, brown, yellow etcetera...how weird is this?

Depite being only 20% of the world's population.

Get it?

recently I got in a taxi with a died in the wool old aussie taxi driver, within seconds he was telling me he hated all Lebanese.
"What, all of them?" I asked him.
"Yep," he said, confidently ( perhaps with just a touch of that other Aussie value - and I am a white aussie - self righteous smugness)
"Even the little babies?" I asked, and he looked at me in surprise, as a racist, seeing my colour and age, he assumed I'd agree with him, and his confidence slipped a little.
"Well.... maybe not all of them."
Is that another core aussie value? Stupidity?

ghassan & rainier have you ever considered taking a really cold shower-it really wakes you up. both of you are a brilliant example of how a mind can be manipulated by the closed circuit institutionalisation of tertiary education. your reasoning simply portrays another but merely parallel side to that of the assimilists. fyi i am a migrant and have lived 3/4 of my 55 years in indiginous communities. i can confidently tell you that you are way off the beaten track with your thinking. european bashing is as futile as is all prejudice. as others have stated you can not legislate to adapt values. values come from within and no matter how hard one tries one can not force values. if the understanding is not there in the first place there is nothing anyone can do. australian way, lebanese way, indiginous way whatever, we all rave on about respect and tolerance. we are preaching but we are not practising. see where it has gotten us to-date !