Dear Individual,

We're discussing Australia - not what happens
elsewhere. And the following link may help
to clarify things for you:

http://www.smh.com.au/national/racism-on-the-rise-in-australia-migrants-report-cultural-shift-20140405-365a5.html

These are migrant experiences - and as such should not
be invalidated or brushed aside. You are in no position
to judge what a person is feeling. In my case - I was
the only one singled out for the treatment I recieved
from the Maths teacher. Nobody else in the class was.
But then I was also the only one in the class with a
"foreign surname." What I experienced over and over again
was more than just her "human nature."

Come on folks, lets not get too precious about racial abuse. In most instances it has nothing to do with racism.

I'm third generation, but my father was a trouble shooter for a company with a chain of stores throughout Oz. As he was shipped to sort out another store very often, I went to 16 schools. We built 3 houses, before dad refused to move again. I at least had my last 4 years at one school.

Being the new chum was treated exactly the same in my day, just after WW11, as the "new Australians" were treated when they arrived.

I was 9 when we moved from Townsville to Sydney. It was as if I was from another planet, not just another country. Thank god we didn't have state of origin back then, or I may not have survived.

My father taught me to fight, as I would have to run away, or fight the bully in the first couple of days. If you thumped the bully, but did not take over his roll, they never quite knew what to do with you. In some schools the teachers were not much better.

I became a pretty good footballer & batsman, by country school standard, as the easiest integration was through playing on the school teams. It is as well I did, I was also in the debating teams, & that was looked on by many boys, as much worse than being a foreigner.

We were getting quite a few Poms, & Italians while I was still at school, & none of the boys had it any harder than a kid from another town, or even a school across town. They all were picked on until a pecking order was established.

I thought the girls had it much easier, they did not have to go through a punch up, but may be I just did not see how the other girls treated them.

So how about a few less mountains out of mole hills. People need to look around to see that have no special claim to harsh treatment.

Oh come on Hasbeen, you can't be that naive.

I am sure every one of us has been bullied at one time or another in our lifetime, but unless we have any other skin colour than white here in Australia then we really have no real experience of what it is like to be a victim of racism in that way.

I have seen and heard multiple instances of absolute racist remarks and actions towards Aboriginal, Indian, Chinese, Italian and Vietnamese people where I live.
Of course I also witnessed the reverse happen to some white people, but in much less numbers.

I have been out working in the community in houses belonging to people of all cultures and ethnic backgrounds for many years, so I have been close to this under-current of racism all my working life. No one can tell me otherwise...

Suseonline, "I have been out working in the community in houses belonging to people of all cultures and ethnic backgrounds for many years, so I have been close to this under-current of racism all my working life.'

Sorry to hear that. Since you have been working in welfare do you consider there is any likelihood that, not to put too fine a point on it, you are often among Bogans, where ignorance is valued? Is there just a teensy little chance you judge all by the behaviour and problems (so often self made) of your welfare clientele?

Anyhow, is it always 'racism' with them or is it insensitivity, with lack of creativity? As well, is it shared about among the (ahem) whites and (multi-)cultures?

There are Bogans in all cultures and they don't even realise they are acting that way. They are not discriminating or being racist, they are just being Bogans. To some, 'Housos' is a reality TV show.

What chance those Beyond Blue anti-racism ads can change any of that? They have already proved they are uninterested in education and unaffected by it.

Maybe don't judge Australians by the few.

OTB, I am not in 'welfare' as you well know, and I go to all areas and all 'classes' of people.

Believe me, one does not have to be a 'bogun' to be racist, although I am sure you mainly have personal knowledge of the sort of people seen on the show 'Houso'....I have no doubt about that.

In any case, I think I have had enough of the usual arguments put up on this issue, so I will see you all on another thread later in the week.

Foxy,
As I said earlier it's the racists who make it racist ! Or the insipid for that matter.