Racism in Australia’s past and present

"I just couldn't take their racist remarks. Even though I knew it was social suicide, I told them to cut it out and let them know just how stupid I thought they were being. It felt fantastic."    (Roving,. E, 2012)

‘Racism in schools’ by Elisa Roving depicts the concept of racism within school and the detrimental affects it poses on students both mentally and physically. The article entails the story of a seventeen year old named Sarah Gastar who was bullied as a result of her Filipino background in which constant racist remarks were made towards her. Further the author of the article echoes the concept of being ‘white’, a privilege as there are is no racist frameworks and foundation of which individuals are able to work off. Similarly Fozdar’s and Hawkins article reinforces the notion of white being a privilege in their article ‘Race and Ethnic relations’.

Another preconceived notion associated with the term white is the idea of them being wealthy and ultimately being the ones in power, hence individuals main motivations behind striving to be white, as well as the tolerance other cultures present to whites in which case they are less subject to racism. This is supported in fozdar’s article as he says “the meaning of whiteness, then, has always been associated with relative privilege and with a higher status than that accorded to non-white identities”. (Wildings,. Hawkins,. F, 182)

“ The preference accorded a white identity prevailed as a more desirable object than anything that might be gained by joining forces with other, non-white, labourers against a capitalist class” (Wildings,. Hawkins,. F, 182)

The opening lines of Roving’s article states “wishes she was Anglo-Australian, which is just the polite way of saying she wishes she was white”. (Roving,. E, 2012) That although Australia has encountered a long history of racism, it is still prevalent today to the point where this young teenager desires to be of another culture as a result of the bullying she encounters at school. Therefore instead on focusing on her education, she is dealing with discrimination.Fozdar’s explores Australia’s past in terms of the racism promoted during the nineteen hundreds. “Vox pop interactions in city streets demonstrate the continued and open racism that permeated public consciousness and statements beyond the 1960s, and propaganda films demonstrate the ways in which the Australian government aimed to sell Australia as a destination for white, British immigrants.” (Wildings,. Hawkins,. F, 183) The issue that arose in the past was the discrimination towards individuals skin colour, language and culture in general. consequently still the case today, intolerance, of which Sarah feels a victim. More importantly  Sarah recognizes the issue and reason behind the other students bullying, case being that her culture and physical appearance differs from those who are classified 'white'. “She’s convinced that if she looked like the Anglo students in her class, no one would tell her to go back where she came from.” (Roving,. E, 2012)

References:

·         Wildings,. Hawkins,. F, ‘Race and Ethnic relations’ (2009).

   ·         Roving,. E, ‘Racism in schools’, 16 May 2012 <http://www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au/ViewPage.action?&repositoryName=&siteNodeId=515&CurrentFolderID=1966&ItemID=15527&BackToFolderID=1966>