racism? exaggeration??
Aug 10th 2010 | 3:32 pm
#152
Banned
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,855
Re: racism? exaggeration??
Having lived in quite a few countries, I am simply astounded by the way people overseas talk about racism in Australia. I have seen dreadful racism in Korea – discrimination against people from Africa and South Asia, and violence against anybody who looks remotely American (meaning white people). I’ve seen Asians (those British people call ‘Oriental’) treated appallingly in India. I’ve been treated dreadfully in Britain – partially because of my Australian accent, and partly because of my Ukrainian heritage.
I can also say that there is racism in Australia, but it is also one of the most racially diverse countries in the world. I mean, there are more Greeks in Melbourne than anywhere other than Athens! But then people in my family – especially in my mother’s generation – have been treated like worthless crap by Australians of British origin. They were made to change their names and were denied entry to schools and social groups and other things. In my generation it isn’t so bad, but I still have plenty of older people telling me how ‘New Australians’ (i.e. my family) have ruined Australian society.
There are plenty of bogans in Australia who are plenty racist. And sexist. And stupid. There are plenty of ghettos in cities like Sydney in Melbourne – some of them full of racist, feral white Australians, some of them full of racist, feral people of other cultures. It’s no different to any other country made up of immigrants.
Growing up in Australia my closest friends were Chinese, Indian, Maltese and Danish. The only time our different races factored into our friendships were when we attended events with each other’s families. There is a gigantic Asian population in Australia - something that always surprises guests we have from overseas.
I’m not saying there isn’t racism in Australia, because of course there is. But the way the doom and gloom ‘superior Britannia’ British press reports it is inaccurate.
However I have a feeling Queenslanders and people from Western Sydney might beg to differ...
I can also say that there is racism in Australia, but it is also one of the most racially diverse countries in the world. I mean, there are more Greeks in Melbourne than anywhere other than Athens! But then people in my family – especially in my mother’s generation – have been treated like worthless crap by Australians of British origin. They were made to change their names and were denied entry to schools and social groups and other things. In my generation it isn’t so bad, but I still have plenty of older people telling me how ‘New Australians’ (i.e. my family) have ruined Australian society.
There are plenty of bogans in Australia who are plenty racist. And sexist. And stupid. There are plenty of ghettos in cities like Sydney in Melbourne – some of them full of racist, feral white Australians, some of them full of racist, feral people of other cultures. It’s no different to any other country made up of immigrants.
Growing up in Australia my closest friends were Chinese, Indian, Maltese and Danish. The only time our different races factored into our friendships were when we attended events with each other’s families. There is a gigantic Asian population in Australia - something that always surprises guests we have from overseas.
I’m not saying there isn’t racism in Australia, because of course there is. But the way the doom and gloom ‘superior Britannia’ British press reports it is inaccurate.
However I have a feeling Queenslanders and people from Western Sydney might beg to differ...
Aug 10th 2010 | 3:34 pm
#153
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,442
From: Melbourne
Re: racism? exaggeration??
Yes there is racism in OZ but l think its one of the least racist countries in the world. In malaysia arent the Chinese discriminated against l think theres laws where the muslims get preference for jobs and uni places. Imagine the international outrage if the OZ governemnt made a law where white Aussies get first preference for jobs and education in favour of non whites. But countries like malaysia get away with being as racist as they like and they then have the nerve to accuse oz of being racist
Aug 10th 2010 | 4:54 pm
#157
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 828
From: SE suburbs,Vic
Re: racism? exaggeration??
Caste system doesn't exist anymore in India. Lower castes are given more privileges by the govt, lower caste people live more affluent and happy lives then so called upper castes.
Lambasting India with caste system is same as taunting Australia for stolen generations or South Africa for Aparthied. So no point beating the bush.. Talk about present and constructiveness
Also OP who asked for advice might be wondering how come Pandora Box got opened from his naive question
Lambasting India with caste system is same as taunting Australia for stolen generations or South Africa for Aparthied. So no point beating the bush.. Talk about present and constructiveness
Also OP who asked for advice might be wondering how come Pandora Box got opened from his naive question
Aug 10th 2010 | 7:00 pm
#158
Home and Happy
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 94,305
From: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Re: racism? exaggeration??
Aug 10th 2010 | 7:47 pm
#159
BE Enthusiast
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 493
From: Mission Bay, Auckland yay!
Re: racism? exaggeration??
Been reading this thread with interest - having a mooch round away from the NZ forum 
OP I have a Kiwi friend born in Auckland but family emigrated from south India and he's living and working happily in Melbourne and never experienced trouble either in NZ or in Oz. One could say he's got the double whammy of trying to fit in (particularly given that NZ regularly beat Oz at the rugby - sore losers the Ozzies seem to be in my humble opinion 
) but no problems racist or otherwise and he's been in Oz for several years now and loves it. Sure, it's horses for courses innit but his experience has been a positive one.
Similarly, have very old family friends who are Singaporean and Japanese respectively but bought up in Sydney and they never had any hassles. But that's not to say that problems don't exist - but can't comment on that coz I've only heard positive stories and I don't live there
I worked in a proper old school pub in Bradford when I was a student. Got abuse from some old boy who thought I (a southerner) was working a job that could have been filled by a Yorkshire lad/lass (come up here with your Southern money - I was an impoverished student! -, you don't understand Yorkshire blah blah). War of the Roses - I swear that's still not over! would it have been worse if I was from Lancashire??
Sadly racism exists everywhere you go - in different forms maybe, depending on the country, but still the same thing at the end of the day. Good luck with your move.
OP I have a Kiwi friend born in Auckland but family emigrated from south India and he's living and working happily in Melbourne and never experienced trouble either in NZ or in Oz. One could say he's got the double whammy of trying to fit in (particularly given that NZ regularly beat Oz at the rugby - sore losers the Ozzies seem to be in my humble opinion ) but no problems racist or otherwise and he's been in Oz for several years now and loves it. Sure, it's horses for courses innit but his experience has been a positive one.Similarly, have very old family friends who are Singaporean and Japanese respectively but bought up in Sydney and they never had any hassles. But that's not to say that problems don't exist - but can't comment on that coz I've only heard positive stories and I don't live there
I worked in a proper old school pub in Bradford when I was a student. Got abuse from some old boy who thought I (a southerner) was working a job that could have been filled by a Yorkshire lad/lass (come up here with your Southern money - I was an impoverished student! -, you don't understand Yorkshire blah blah). War of the Roses - I swear that's still not over! would it have been worse if I was from Lancashire??
Sadly racism exists everywhere you go - in different forms maybe, depending on the country, but still the same thing at the end of the day. Good luck with your move.
Last edited by londonescapee; Aug 10th 2010 at 8:20 pm. Reason: waffle waffle waffle too early in the morning
Aug 10th 2010 | 11:00 pm
#160
Banned
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,855
Re: racism? exaggeration??
The AUStralian goverment should sue the Indian newpapers for defamation and slander with all these lies that OZ is a racist country, these lies have been picked up by media all around the world giving OZ a bad name. Whenever an Indian person is attacked or murdered in Australia the Indian media without any evidence what so ever says it was a racist attack, then it almost always turns out to be another indian or non white person who did it or it was just a robbery and nothing to do with racism.
Last edited by mohogony; Aug 10th 2010 at 11:04 pm.
Aug 11th 2010 | 12:15 am
#161
Banned
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,157
Re: racism? exaggeration??
Been reading this thread with interest - having a mooch round away from the NZ forum OP I have a Kiwi friend born in Auckland but family emigrated from south India and he's living and working happily in Melbourne and never experienced trouble either in NZ or in Oz. One could say he's got the double whammy of trying to fit in (particularly given that NZ regularly beat Oz at the rugby - sore losers the Ozzies seem to be in my humble opinion ) but no problems racist or otherwise and he's been in Oz for several years now and loves it. Sure, it's horses for courses innit but his experience has been a positive one.
Similarly, have very old family friends who are Singaporean and Japanese respectively but bought up in Sydney and they never had any hassles. But that's not to say that problems don't exist - but can't comment on that coz I've only heard positive stories and I don't live there
I worked in a proper old school pub in Bradford when I was a student. Got abuse from some old boy who thought I (a southerner) was working a job that could have been filled by a Yorkshire lad/lass (come up here with your Southern money - I was an impoverished student! -, you don't understand Yorkshire blah blah). War of the Roses - I swear that's still not over! would it have been worse if I was from Lancashire??
Sadly racism exists everywhere you go - in different forms maybe, depending on the country, but still the same thing at the end of the day. Good luck with your move.
OP I have a Kiwi friend born in Auckland but family emigrated from south India and he's living and working happily in Melbourne and never experienced trouble either in NZ or in Oz. One could say he's got the double whammy of trying to fit in (particularly given that NZ regularly beat Oz at the rugby - sore losers the Ozzies seem to be in my humble opinion ) but no problems racist or otherwise and he's been in Oz for several years now and loves it. Sure, it's horses for courses innit but his experience has been a positive one.Similarly, have very old family friends who are Singaporean and Japanese respectively but bought up in Sydney and they never had any hassles. But that's not to say that problems don't exist - but can't comment on that coz I've only heard positive stories and I don't live there
I worked in a proper old school pub in Bradford when I was a student. Got abuse from some old boy who thought I (a southerner) was working a job that could have been filled by a Yorkshire lad/lass (come up here with your Southern money - I was an impoverished student! -, you don't understand Yorkshire blah blah). War of the Roses - I swear that's still not over! would it have been worse if I was from Lancashire??
Sadly racism exists everywhere you go - in different forms maybe, depending on the country, but still the same thing at the end of the day. Good luck with your move.
Aug 11th 2010 | 2:28 am
#162
Just Joined
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 15
From: London
Re: racism? exaggeration??
Caste system doesn't exist anymore in India. Lower castes are given more privileges by the govt, lower caste people live more affluent and happy lives then so called upper castes.
Lambasting India with caste system is same as taunting Australia for stolen generations or South Africa for Aparthied. So no point beating the bush.. Talk about present and constructiveness
Also OP who asked for advice might be wondering how come Pandora Box got opened from his naive question
Lambasting India with caste system is same as taunting Australia for stolen generations or South Africa for Aparthied. So no point beating the bush.. Talk about present and constructiveness
Also OP who asked for advice might be wondering how come Pandora Box got opened from his naive question
Your comment that the lower castes lives more affluent lives is just so far from reality and extremely ill-informed.
Aug 11th 2010 | 3:42 am
#163
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 255
From: WA
Re: racism? exaggeration??
Australia is being criticized of racism simply because its a white developed country. end of story. White people (I mean white cultures) judge racism more than other races, particularly white racism, while racism of blacks against whites doesnt seem so criminal.
Just watch american movies, its ok for a black character to make racist comments / jokes of whites and a white character would never ever be be able to say anything distantly similar about blacks. Its totally racist of course, and I dont mean racism of the blacks:-) its patronizing to sort of "forgive" funny comments from a black person or have special condition for them meanwhile treat whites like adults and accept no hint of racism
I will tell you what racism is like:-) Russians:-) Theres no comparison to Australia. If you ever visit the stunning Moscow metro have a look how the black people are dressed there, they always have hoods on, not hats, hoods so not to be seen black from behind. Racism is absolutely normal in Russia, not racism is not normal:-) People dont even think theres smth wrong with it or it is actually racism. If they dont attack dark skinned people on streets how they can be racists:-) You get rental and work ads for Slav people only all the time but thats not racism of course , thats personal preference:-) ok..
Russia is an example of racist country, Australia is not. Its just a first world white anglo saxon country, thats why the attitude. higher standards:-)
Just watch american movies, its ok for a black character to make racist comments / jokes of whites and a white character would never ever be be able to say anything distantly similar about blacks. Its totally racist of course, and I dont mean racism of the blacks:-) its patronizing to sort of "forgive" funny comments from a black person or have special condition for them meanwhile treat whites like adults and accept no hint of racism
I will tell you what racism is like:-) Russians:-) Theres no comparison to Australia. If you ever visit the stunning Moscow metro have a look how the black people are dressed there, they always have hoods on, not hats, hoods so not to be seen black from behind. Racism is absolutely normal in Russia, not racism is not normal:-) People dont even think theres smth wrong with it or it is actually racism. If they dont attack dark skinned people on streets how they can be racists:-) You get rental and work ads for Slav people only all the time but thats not racism of course , thats personal preference:-) ok..
Russia is an example of racist country, Australia is not. Its just a first world white anglo saxon country, thats why the attitude. higher standards:-)
Last edited by laven; Aug 11th 2010 at 3:52 am.
Aug 11th 2010 | 3:51 am
#164
Not around much..
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,873
From: San Diego CA
Re: racism? exaggeration??
Caste system doesn't exist anymore in India. Lower castes are given more privileges by the govt, lower caste people live more affluent and happy lives then so called upper castes.
Lambasting India with caste system is same as taunting Australia for stolen generations or South Africa for Aparthied. So no point beating the bush.. Talk about present and constructiveness
Also OP who asked for advice might be wondering how come Pandora Box got opened from his naive question
Lambasting India with caste system is same as taunting Australia for stolen generations or South Africa for Aparthied. So no point beating the bush.. Talk about present and constructiveness
Also OP who asked for advice might be wondering how come Pandora Box got opened from his naive question
Aug 11th 2010 | 12:22 pm
#165
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 828
From: SE suburbs,Vic
Re: racism? exaggeration??
Also Indian govt has done its best to pamper and nourish lower castes.. read here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reservation_in_India .. Its the same which Aussies do for Aborginies and Torres Strait and what NZ does for Maoris.
Regd people preferring to marry in their own caste, its very much a personal preference.
