What makes Australia a successful multicultural nation? Is racism widespread and what can be done to tackle it? Some Australians from ethnically diverse backgrounds share their stories.
SUKHDEEP BHOGAL
"I am a 23-year-old musician from Liverpool in Sydney's South West and I am known as L-FRESH The LION. I'm a first generation South East Asian (Indian), born and raised in Australia. I'm also of Sikh faith. Throughout my life I have experienced racism on different levels, and I have become a spokesperson for individuals dealing with race-related issues. This is my story:
Australia. My home. The place where I was born. The country that welcomed my mother and father who emigrated here from India in the late 1980s. I love this country with all of my heart; and I truly do consider it home. Yet this wasn't always the case.
I was a child that often felt torn between two different worlds. My parents were from India and brought with them an Eastern culture, a way of life that was strange and foreign to others. They instilled that culture in me. It became a part of me. But it wasn't all of me. I was an Australian too. And I didn't know what that meant. As a youth, I wasn't accepted as an Australian. I looked too different.
My experiences with racism have varied throughout the course of my life. It has always been a part of my existence. From the usual “go back to where to came from” calls from people yelling out of their car windows to being told that I needed to change my looks if I wanted to be successful. It's all been there.
As a child, I took it to heart, even though my father told me to ignore it and to stay strong. It made me question my identity. Was I an Australian? Was I an Indian? At times, I felt that I was neither, that I was lost in between both worlds, living on my own in a void.
As a teenager, my response was to stand up against it. To fight. To be a warrior, and to be strong. As such, I remember heated verbal battles and unproductive conversations that led nowhere. I recall the fights within myself; a young man trying to find out who he was and where he belonged.
I found my peace in music. In being able to share my stories through song. Giving a voice to my inner self. It was through this process that I became sure of myself. I understood that I was not a being that could be shaped by the perceptions of others. But rather, that I was a human being before anything else. And that I could be whoever I wanted to be. And through my music, I could let the world know.
My views towards racism have always been the same, however, my approach to tackling it has developed over time. Racism cannot be tolerated, whatsoever. It should not plague people's lives. It should not have so much power. It needs to be spoken about openly so that we can address it as such, and remove it from our society. There is no need to be afraid. Fear has had its turn. Now is the time for courage.
Australia is home to people of all walks of life. I love how diverse we are in our cultural landscape. It's why Australia has such a fond place in my heart. We have the potential to be global leaders in the battle against racism.
Multiculturalism is not an idea for us. It is a reality. But racism and discrimination forms a barrier that prevents us from being a multicultural society on all levels, from the top down.
There are no excuses. It's not about being right or wrong. It's about being honest. Pause for a moment and be honest with yourself. Listen to what your inner self says about this issue. Then face the world.
We each have a role to play. Australia must not be a tolerant society. It must be an embracing and understanding one. Because beyond all the cultural differences we are but human beings, aren't we? Nobody is a stranger to you.
MARCELO ROSSI
My family arrived in Australia on the 3rd of August 1979 from Argentina. My father decided to come to Australia because the Australian government was looking for skilled migrants, I was five years of age and my brother was seven. This is my story.
The prospects in Argentina at the time were bleak, the military had taken over and my parents believed a better life would be found in Australia. We lived in a government-funded hostel in South Coogee for six months before being relocated. During my childhood we were constantly surrounded by families of similar background. My mother would look after the children of these families, whilst the parents and my father worked.
I first experienced racism, in the 6th grade at school, when another "Australian" kid, teased me for playing "wog ball" - soccer. My father taught me to stand up for myself and on this occasion I did, with my fists. After many fights and playing the “Aussie game” - Rugby League, I was left alone, “respected” if you will. However other "weaker" ethnic kids would be teased and bullied.
I recall an incident of the "Wogs versus Aussies" fight which became quite serious and other similar fights that had taken place at other schools. There was also an incident around the same time as the Falkland War when a few of the Argentinian kids fought with the Anglo Saxon kids after taunts about our background became rife.
These experiences definitely shaped how I interacted with others and who I chose to mix with. It was sport that broke down many barriers for me and helped me interact more with non ethnic kids.
Due to my parents' struggle with English I noticed that certain sectors of society would treat them with disrespect. Surprisingly this often occurred when dealing with other immigrants rather than with the Anglo-Saxons. I noticed that people of ethnic background would be more racist towards my parents than “True Blue Aussies”.
A recent incident of racism occurred in my social circle when some “hoons” were driving around Brighton Le Sands and a mate of mine commented "bloody wogs", I asked him "You do realise that I am a wog" to which they responded "No you're not! You're Argentinian - that is not a wog".
I feel racism is part of our current culture in different ways to how I experienced it in my youth. It is now seen as exotic or cool to have a European or Brazilian background. The new target seems to be people from the Middle East or Asia. I believe accepting other cultures and their differences is key to reducing racism, as it is accepting the Australian way of life. We cannot live in Australia exactly the same as we would have lived in our country of birth, instead as immigrants we need to find a middle ground to embrace the old and the new cultures.
Multiculturalism to me means to find the best of every culture and adapt it to an Australian way of life. This mantra is not being embraced as too many cultures try and change everything about our current way of life to suit how life was back in the “home country”. This is when we begin to encounter clashes amongst people of different backgrounds.
Racism is not shrinking, rather it is merely shifting. Racism is not only about your cultural background but also about your economic and geographical status. How often do we hear “look at that bogan” or “they must be from the west” when referring to other members of society?
I am proud to say that in my current community in the south of Sydney I have not experienced any form of racism and hope my children never experience it either.
Would you like to share your story? Emails us at sbsnews@sbs.com.au
