Racist run-in.
Written earlier at the station, 1:18 p.m.
Things that happened today:
Despite the fact that I live in an area of Sydney that hasn't got the most tolerant or accepting views on other cultures or multiculturalism (read: Cronulla riots), I was shocked. When they yelled it out, I froze. I couldn't believe that they had just said that. But they said it, and meant it. I have to control my crying; I'm at the station, waiting for the next train.
It makes me think, about the state of Australian society. The sheer hypocrisy of those who claim that multiculturalism is alive in this country in action as well as name, then expect immigrants to 'assimilate'. Accept so-called Australian values, values you'd think were universal, but don't seem to actually apply to the people calling for them, when it comes to common courtesy. After 12 years of Australian citizenship, I can categorically say I've 'assimilated'. Not because some dickhead in power told me to, not because of others' insecurities about what constitutes Australian identity, but because I grew up here. My formative years were spent here. My particular way of life is, dare I say, Australian, not that it's ever been reflected in people's perceptions of Australian life. So I was shocked, shocked that teenagers could be blatantly ignorant, prejudiced and racist today, in Australia, to my face. Shocked that those younger couldn't respect someone older than them, that they had no respect for a complete stranger, that they couldn't see past their bigoted, Anglocentric, racist sense of entitlement.
It is sheer hypocrisy to be spouting bullshit about assimilation, and the values testing of immigrants when members of the populace don't even live those fucking values. There was no respect there, no charity, no empathy. After 12 years of Australian citizenship, I am not proud to be Australian. Misguided morons would say, 'If you don't like it, shove off.' But you know what? Saying that just absolves them of any and all responsibility of respecting others. It absolves them of addressing the underlying racism within this country, blatant or subtle. It absolves them of telling off their colleagues, their neighbours, their friends and family, and themselves, when they say ignorant, bigoted and racist statements.
The ability to be aware and critical of everything, even this country, is something that is sorely lacking in these times. Too often people are quick to wrap themselves up in the nationalistic and intolerant rhetoric in today's political climate, hiding behind cries of, 'Political Correctness is killing us!' Well, here's a fucking newsflash: political correctness just means you can't get away with being a dickhead to others just because they're different from you. So I'm not proud to be an Australian. How can I be, when the people who are supposedly on my side think they're entitled to hassle me based on the colour of my skin and the slant of my fucking eyes?
Things that happened today:
- missed my train- I ran but the doors shut in my face.
- subsequently got paid out by a couple of high school students, I believe their words were, "Sucked in, fat Asian mole"
Despite the fact that I live in an area of Sydney that hasn't got the most tolerant or accepting views on other cultures or multiculturalism (read: Cronulla riots), I was shocked. When they yelled it out, I froze. I couldn't believe that they had just said that. But they said it, and meant it. I have to control my crying; I'm at the station, waiting for the next train.
It makes me think, about the state of Australian society. The sheer hypocrisy of those who claim that multiculturalism is alive in this country in action as well as name, then expect immigrants to 'assimilate'. Accept so-called Australian values, values you'd think were universal, but don't seem to actually apply to the people calling for them, when it comes to common courtesy. After 12 years of Australian citizenship, I can categorically say I've 'assimilated'. Not because some dickhead in power told me to, not because of others' insecurities about what constitutes Australian identity, but because I grew up here. My formative years were spent here. My particular way of life is, dare I say, Australian, not that it's ever been reflected in people's perceptions of Australian life. So I was shocked, shocked that teenagers could be blatantly ignorant, prejudiced and racist today, in Australia, to my face. Shocked that those younger couldn't respect someone older than them, that they had no respect for a complete stranger, that they couldn't see past their bigoted, Anglocentric, racist sense of entitlement.
It is sheer hypocrisy to be spouting bullshit about assimilation, and the values testing of immigrants when members of the populace don't even live those fucking values. There was no respect there, no charity, no empathy. After 12 years of Australian citizenship, I am not proud to be Australian. Misguided morons would say, 'If you don't like it, shove off.' But you know what? Saying that just absolves them of any and all responsibility of respecting others. It absolves them of addressing the underlying racism within this country, blatant or subtle. It absolves them of telling off their colleagues, their neighbours, their friends and family, and themselves, when they say ignorant, bigoted and racist statements.
The ability to be aware and critical of everything, even this country, is something that is sorely lacking in these times. Too often people are quick to wrap themselves up in the nationalistic and intolerant rhetoric in today's political climate, hiding behind cries of, 'Political Correctness is killing us!' Well, here's a fucking newsflash: political correctness just means you can't get away with being a dickhead to others just because they're different from you. So I'm not proud to be an Australian. How can I be, when the people who are supposedly on my side think they're entitled to hassle me based on the colour of my skin and the slant of my fucking eyes?
posted by Bless | 4:24 pm
1 Comments:
When you called and told me about it, right after it happened, I was mostly shocked and speechless. Then I went through a period where I was walking around the house muttering to myself the things that I wanted to say to the people involved. That tended to begin with me outwitting them and gradually transmogrify into a long connected string of differing conjugations of the word "fuck". So I was quite surprised by how considered and connected your post is. I am absolutely sick of this kind of bullshit and the way that so-called middle australia is so content to look the other way and delude itself that it's *NOT* them who have the problem.
Post a Comment
<< Home