Paul,
I've been shaving my head for fifteen years, since my hair started receding, it's not an uncommon hairstyle down our way.
As I said, I've never been to Sydney so I'm not up with the fashions north of the border.

Foxy,
As I expected, you know you cannot substantiate your 'racist facts' so you now introduce another item, the white Australia policy. Yep that was a racist policy adopted Labor over 110 years ago and completely abandoned over 40 years ago. And you criticize me for raising your 3 month old comments.

Remember, you said, "People who are in denial about racism in this country are simply ignorant. Lets look at the facts - we imprison
brown asylum seekers, we once celebrated our national day
with a white racist riot. There were assaults on Indian
students, a little political organisation called
One Nation, and of course "the intervention" - the heraldic
beak on our long hawkish treatment of Indigenous Australians".
Foxy, OLO Friday 18-4-2014 12.18.35.

You cannot substantiate any of those 'facts' were or are racist. But I do not expect you to acknowledge that as you do not have the character. Shame you refer to yourself as Australian. I am satisfied to remind others of your wrong and disparaging comments.

I was once, about 50 years ago, subjected to a verbal racist attack on a Sydney suburban train, a mate and I (we both had black hair in those days) were quietly talking and a character a couple of seats away abused us and asked why we weren't speaking English and why we didn't go back to from where we had come.

Most of the seats were taken and just about everyone looked up; my mate (also 5th generation Australian) raised his voice and said
"Introibo ad altare Dei." I twigged and replied
"Ad Deum qui laetificate, juventutem meam".

We had both been Altar Boys and what my mate had launched into was the Latin of the then Mass.

More abuse and more Latin.

Around the carriage one could spot the Catholics/Latinists by the grins of mirth, those that didn't understand were soon told by their neighbours what the joke was and very soon laughter was general.

The abuser got off at the next station, or changed carriages, by now abusing everyone.

I can well imagine though the feelings of people singled out for racist abuse.

go back to from where we had come.
is Mise,
My english workmate & I were told that too when we told a union rep with the german name Ludwig that we couldn't afford to join the AWU that week.
He was an obese white & we were white (& still are)
Was he racist ?

My father spoke eight languages, yet I
can still remember him being told to
"Speak English," on a train whilst dad
was conversing quietly in another language
with an elderly friend. There are many other such
experiences that most immigrants could tell.
Most immigrants simply take these things in their stride.

Even today -if you happen to be in a public hospital with a
foreign surname - you automatically are asked
"Do you need an interpreter?"
To which one is sometimes
tempted to reply, " Why doesn't the doctor speak
English?"

But of course you are trained to be polite
and not rock the boat or stand out.

My own experience
at high school was not a pleasant one at times - even
though I was born in this country - my Maths teacher
took a great delight in calling me, not by my name,
but by " "Hey, unpronounceable, stand up!"
Ridiculing me in front of the entire class.
She convinced me that I was stupid, good for nothing,
and hopeless at Maths. I went on to University and
made a very successful career.

Here's a letter taken from The Age, 24.1.1967
written to the Editor:

"I for one feel no apology owing ...for...'racial
prejudice' against foreign immigration. It is
nothing to be ashamed of to prefer one's own kind
...I want to see Australia great, to be a
united and strong country - a British country with one
people...I make no apology for ... not wishing to see
a mongrel, motley Australia. I believe in a British
Australia."

There are many more such examples to be found in library
archives that make up our country's history - ranging from books,
newspapers, films, oral histories, and so on.

Today,
the Ocker Aussie, the exaggerated image of "Bazza (Barry)
Mackenzie," is an image which many
Australians would no longer be proud of. And it was a critical
self-consciousness that eventually forced both politicians and the
public to revise not only policies but also many of their
long-held and cherished notions about themselves and
the rest of the world.

"Hey, unpronounceable, stand up!"
Ridiculing me in front of the entire class.
Foxy,
Can you provide one of your links of a country where this kind of thing doesn't happen ?
I had that too & it made me think that where I came from immigrants were treated exactly the same. It's not racist, it's human nature, only the Anti racists make it racist.