Protagoras I wanted to tell
Many times people are very hard against mirants not because they are racists but because they take advandage from our weakness for their own benefits.
For example for many years a printer did not allowed me to make packing which we put under the plate because he wanted to avoid dirty work.
Normal the first think which a printer assistant must learn is how to make the packing.
This is very easy simple write the dimensions on the giulitine and press few buttoms to cut the paper. Whe I was working for an other printer I learned to do it in 24-25 seconds.
But he did not allow me to do, saying that I can not do it, because he wanted to avoid the work with the make ready.
He made the packing always during the make read and he did not cut the paper in guilotine but by hand, slowly slowly until i finish the work.

He humiliated me to avoid the work, Of the supervisor was friend with him and I heard one from the two employers was relative with him.
Simply thing victimize a migrant, block any opportunity, destroy a life, to avoid work.
NO ONE SAW ANYTHING, NO ONE CARE FOR ANYTHING, NO ONE WOUNDER WHY?...?
When I had spoked to union Orginizer about the bad conditions for migrants he was laughing! And I wrote the most members for the union in my workplace!
Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide

Groups that are given the victim status seem to be the most racist in this country. Many aboriginals are taught to hate the whites from a young age as they are continually reminded of those 'evil' white 'invaders'. No wonder many of them are so racist against white trash. In South Africa if you are brown skinned, to many you ain't black enough so you will be discriminated against. Yes we Aussies are racist but not nearly as much as France, Germany and most of Europe. The stuck up French are known not to serve people who don't speak the lingo.

When I lived in USA, I found just about every government form carried a requirement for people to nominate their gender and ethnic origin

and depending upon their gender and ethnic origin things like “soft Loans” and government grants, under some notion of affirmative action could be applied for.

Such skewing of economic preference, based on race or gender is

Sexist or Racist

And I wonder how many of the defaulting mortgagees who caused this financial crisis received loans on a “gender” or “racial” preferred basis?

When I lived in UK many people held particularly parochial values. UK has some quaint anomalies, like recognizing where someone comes from because of their accent (Birmingham being more a speech impediment than an accent or dialect) but I recall no special treatment for ones accent, skin colour or gender then, perhaps it has all changed since?

Australia is a tolerant country but the intolerant, like the grumpy old man from the muppets, Sol, is going to find a reason to whine, he is on the nose, a failure and in retreat, nothing to lose but a lot to gain from making himself out to be a victim.. mind you a Mexican heritage is a natural disadvantage, not because of any racist value but a cultural /ethical quality which Mexicans, along with most of Central and South America lack. I recall a tale of some English fellows 150 years ago betting on which would become the next world power, USA or Argentina…

I guess that race to world supremacy has been run and won and the South American came failed to finish… but I still think the reason is because of the deep rooted social values which USA inherited, in large, from colonization by UK, versus the social values South America was left wanting from colonization by Spain and Portugal.

So are Aussies Narrow minded, Prejudiced and Intolerant.. perhaps but most people are and they are free to hold those attitudes…. I know the likes of Sol hold them dear and close… along with hypocrisy and hat dancing.

Why, oh why do Australians have to keep asking themselves such pointless questions? Most nationalities have pride in themselves and their countries. Not Australians! Or, at least not a certain group of Australians who seem to be self-haters and cringers, more interested in what foreigners and a few migrants think than is healthy.

I think “… Australian values…” are a load of crap. No offence to Foxy; she is merely repeating what we hear from mainly politicians and individuals running out of things to say.

As a third generation Australia, I never muse on “Australian values” before I think, say or write anything. My values have been formed by my life experience. I’ve never seen peculiarly Australian values listed in black and white. I think my values are in line with those of other white, European type people all over the world in most areas.

In general, people who single out white Australians to brand as ‘racist’ or ‘xenophobic’ are complete idiots if they are talking about immigration, legal and illegal, and multiculturalism. There are many reasons other than race for my objection to Australian government policy on those matters, and I’m sure, the reasons others take similar views to mine. Yet, I and others have been called racist or xenophobic.

I long ago gave up trying to explain myself because people don’t listen, and still continue with the ‘racist’ nonsense, so I no longer waste time trying to discuss anything with them. If they wish to continue calling me a racist because they don’t like my personal opinions and values, so be it.

So, while my answer to Foxy’s question is a flat NO, if foreigners and some disgruntled immigrants wish to believe that we are racists – so bloody what! Don’t aid and abet them with the big cringe. If some self-hating left-wing Australians think we are racists - again, so bloody what.

To Foxy - “Why is multiculturalism still a problem for some today?” – if you can’t answer that now, you will have to wait until the answer is glaringly evident in the future. There are many, many books that would give you the answer; it has been discussed or at least laid down on OLO many, many times. It appears that you really don’t want an answer and will, therefore, have to wait until the big cultural blow up.

Hello again Antonios

I get your drift about the printer guy, however, your experiences are not exclusive to migrants and I wonder if some migrants are overly sensitive about their “new Australian” status therefore seeing these injustices as racist?

There will always be people in authority who exploit those under their supervision, regardless of the “victim’s” nationality. I recall when I was a naïve but enthusiastic employee in a large department store, where I was selling manchester to the public, the floor manager would, on a daily basis, “squeeze” past me behind the counter – there was plenty of room not to do so.

This gentleman I guess was about forty and married; a close friend of the general manager and I was 17 and intimidated.

One morning, after the usual “scuse me” the floor manager “squeezed” past and “accidentally” latched onto one of my “woofies.” I gave him a good kick in the shins (very therapeutic!) and within an hour, I was walking up the main street, sobbing, clutching a small pay packet and wondering why I was sacked for “entertaining over the counter.”

Years later the tables turned - another story.

I just think Antonios that perhaps you are overly sensitive about your migrant status which could be an impediment to your progress. I daresay that nationalities are barely relevant when the printer and the floor manager select their prey. Remember, like the rest of us, you’re just another Aussie........but don’t go kicking people in the shins – ya hear me?