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Being Black In Australia

Being Black In Australia

Old Jan 17th 2006, 9:27 pm
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Question Being Black In Australia

I am black and British and thinking about living and working in Australia. However, I have heard a lot of negative stories about how unwelcoming it can be for people of colour. I would be greatful for people's honest reflections and/or experiences on this matter.

I would love to experience the country but do not want to put myself in any danger.

Last edited by CompressedA; Jan 17th 2006 at 9:46 pm.
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Old Jan 17th 2006, 10:17 pm
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Default Re: Being Black In Australia

Originally Posted by CompressedA
I am black and British and thinking about living and working in Australia. However, I have heard a lot of negative stories about how unwelcoming it can be for people of colour. I would be greatful for people's honest reflections and/or experiences on this matter.

I would love to experience the country but do not want to put myself in any danger.

Can't really comment as I'm still in the UK. Most Oz posters are probably just going to work now. Got to give people time to get round to answering you.
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Old Jan 17th 2006, 10:20 pm
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Default Re: Being Black In Australia

Originally Posted by CompressedA
I am black and British and thinking about living and working in Australia. However, I have heard a lot of negative stories about how unwelcoming it can be for people of colour. I would be greatful for people's honest reflections and/or experiences on this matter.

I would love to experience the country but do not want to put myself in any danger.
Why would you put yourself in danger How bad are these 'stories'
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Old Jan 17th 2006, 10:24 pm
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Default Re: Being Black In Australia

Originally Posted by CompressedA
I am black and British and thinking about living and working in Australia. However, I have heard a lot of negative stories about how unwelcoming it can be for people of colour. I would be greatful for people's honest reflections and/or experiences on this matter.

I would love to experience the country but do not want to put myself in any danger.
Hi

Where have you heard the negative stories from????

I live in Mindarie, Perth and there are 'black' (I really dont like stipulating that) people around, infact someone has just gone past the front of my house on a bike, everybody says hi as usual - why shouldnt they!!

Maybe its different in other areas, so I cannot commit on that.


HTH

Kim
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Old Jan 17th 2006, 10:28 pm
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Default Re: Being Black In Australia

Originally Posted by CompressedA
I am black and British and thinking about living and working in Australia. However, I have heard a lot of negative stories about how unwelcoming it can be for people of colour. I would be greatful for people's honest reflections and/or experiences on this matter.

I would love to experience the country but do not want to put myself in any danger.
Where abouts in Oz are you thinking of going?
I wouldn't think you'd have any problems, but then I can only base this on the experiences of other black people I know here.
I have a work colleague, an afro american (is that right?), and as far as I can tell it makes no difference what colour skin he is in. We go to pubs and restaurants, and he is not treated any different from anyone else.
There is no denying that racial hatred exists in this society as much as in any other I have experienced.
hth.
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Old Jan 17th 2006, 10:35 pm
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Default Re: Being Black In Australia

Originally Posted by CompressedA
I am black and British and thinking about living and working in Australia. However, I have heard a lot of negative stories about how unwelcoming it can be for people of colour. I would be greatful for people's honest reflections and/or experiences on this matter.

I would love to experience the country but do not want to put myself in any danger.
Just spoke to the better half and seeing as she's lived in oz all her life, mostly around Brisbane she knows better than me, who's only been there twice. I never seen anyplace less racist to be honest and she agrees with me, nothing like over here in the UK mate.

the stories you have heard about blacks might be to do with the aboriginals tho, they do get a lot of stick.

personaly i think you will be 100% fine and should definatly go for it. oz is full of every type and colour you could think of anyways so you'll have no worries.
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Old Jan 17th 2006, 10:40 pm
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Default Re: Being Black In Australia

My fiance is Indian (Tamil Indian to be precise). He's never suffered any adverse behaviour whilst in Australia apart from a sales assistant in Betts & Betts shoe shop asking him loudly and slowly, what size he was! She must've thought he was deaf as well as not understanding English!!

Anyway he said 'Not sure in Australian sizes but in the UK I take a 9' to which she went 'Oh you speak English' and he goes 'Errr yeah, I'm from England'

Back when he had long hair he did get a few aboriginal Australian's approach him (and 2 during our 10 month stay called him Brother) when we encountered them whilst out and about.

He is concerned that he is very much in a minority in Perth. In fact, when we used to go out and spot another Indian/pakistani/sri lankan he would nudge me and say (almost gleefully) 'look, there's one'!

We are concerned that when we do start a family, we will have to monitor the way our children are accepted in society being that they will be mixed race. I grew up in Australia and know that in some sectors, mixed race children can be victimised for not being one culture or another. (I think this can be the same in any country but am just giving you my point of view). I am not saying that this wouldn't be the case, if we had our children in England...but I must admit, London is much more multi-cultural than Perth is.

My partner is not too worried about how he will be treated in Australia - he worked there for 10 months and has been back and forth on holiday another 5 times, so he has a fair idea of what he's in store for.

With his 'F C UK' t-shirts on or his English rugby shirt, he gets more comments about where in England he's from, than anything else

Anyway....good luck

Susan
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Old Jan 17th 2006, 10:42 pm
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Default Re: Being Black In Australia

I have to agree.... I've only been in Brisbane and Sydney but have found that there is little or no racism. The occassional derrogotary remark made about aboriginal folk but usually made by the idoits you find everywhere in the world. I've found Oz to be the most accepting multicultural place I have been (so far).
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Old Jan 17th 2006, 10:44 pm
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Default Re: Being Black In Australia

Originally Posted by gedge
as far as I can tell it makes no difference what colour skin he is in. We go to pubs and restaurants, and he is not treated any different from anyone else.
I don't think it does make much difference.

Obviously there will be some problems in some areas, with some people, like almost everywhere in the world. But in general, my wife, being non white, feels less concious about it here in Australia, than she did during her short time in the UK.
 
Old Jan 17th 2006, 10:49 pm
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Default Re: Being Black In Australia

[QUOTE=Pickle]
the stories you have heard about blacks might be to do with the aboriginals tho, they do get a lot of stick.
QUOTE]

Says it all really, being black in Australia can be a problem and to think Aboriginals can be treated like second class citizens in their own country.
My Grandma (lived in Aus 40 odd years) never has a good word to say about them much to my shame!!!! but you do not chose your family...
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Old Jan 17th 2006, 10:53 pm
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Default Re: Being Black In Australia

Just asked the other half to confirm what I typed...and he says to add (his words not mine)

Susan

'I never felt like an outcast in that people shunned me but people did do a double take when they looked at me. No real racist comments, but a few thoughtless comments said when they thought I would not understand. As soon as I opened my mouth and spoke English in a London accent, they were shocked and then said no more.

I didn't feel shunned, as I said, But I felt 'isolated' which is the easiest term I can use. But people in general were friendly, but then I spent a lot of my free time in English style pubs full of English people anyway.

I am happy to move over there (to Perth) like anywhere else, I have to accept that Indian's will be a minority (unless I move to India) On the other hand I don't actually percieve myself as Indian - I am British.

My advice to you, is go there for a holiday...give it a go'
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Old Jan 17th 2006, 10:55 pm
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Smile Re: Being Black In Australia

Thank you all for your responses. I feel relieved and more relaxed at the thought of going to Sydney.

Some of the stories I have heard were about Aboriginal people whilst others were from a friend of a friend who went backpacking a few years ago. She felt very victimised by some of the locals. They had called her racist names and treated her very differently to her non-black friends. I was just afraid that this was common practise.
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Old Jan 17th 2006, 10:58 pm
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Default Re: Being Black In Australia

Originally Posted by CompressedA
Thank you all for your responses. I feel relieved and more relaxed at the thought of going to Sydney.

Some of the stories I have heard were about Aboriginal people whilst others were from a friend of a friend who went backpacking a few years ago. She felt very victimised by some of the locals. They had called her racist names and treated her very differently to her non-black friends. I was just afraid that this was common practise.
I wish you well.
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Old Jan 17th 2006, 11:50 pm
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Default Re: Being Black In Australia

Being an white Australian I cant comment based on personal experience however you should know Australia is just like any other Country in the world where you will have good and bad experiences as far as racism goes. I wish it were a perfect world and everyone was treated equally however at this stage that is unrealistic.

You might come here and never ever have a problem, although you might arrive and be unfortunate enough to come across the wrong people and have nothing but problems. I think it will be down to how resilient/sensitive you are as to how much it will effect you.

I think come down here with an open mind and just take it as it comes. I do hope that you have nothing but good experiences tho and enjoy your time here if you decide its worth a try.

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Old Jan 18th 2006, 12:13 am
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Default Re: Being Black In Australia

Originally Posted by CompressedA
Thank you all for your responses. I feel relieved and more relaxed at the thought of going to Sydney.

Some of the stories I have heard were about Aboriginal people whilst others were from a friend of a friend who went backpacking a few years ago. She felt very victimised by some of the locals. They had called her racist names and treated her very differently to her non-black friends. I was just afraid that this was common practise.
As a black Briton you shouldn't have too many problems, although there are always a few idiots around to spoil it. Most of the racism here is directed at the Aboriginies & to a lesser extent, Asians.

Good luck & enjoy Australia.
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