Is Australia A Racist Country

[devilsadvocate]

we are not racist those imigrants that come here and dont learn to speak english are more racist than any of us aussies

Damn racist aboriginals that didn't learn to speak English thousands of years ago!

Spot on. While I think people hoping to immigrate to Australia now should make the effort to speak English as soon as possible, it's very hypocritical of us to hang cag on them given Australia's history.

[Barto]

Sol Trujillo reckons we're a bunch of racists, but what would he know. He's just a filthy Mexican.

[redden whites]

Not too many of the migrants from outside the UK who came here in the 50s, 60s and 70s could speak English when they arrived, and I think most people would agree the vast majority went on to become good and useful citizens and learnt English as well. English skills should not be a basis to reject migrants.

Mick,Hondo,R@B

[fish]

Went to an Australia Day citizenship ceremony yesterday and saw about forty or so people, including a friend of mine, get their citizenship. They came from all over the world and had a varying grasp of English, but all of them had a go at "pledging their allegiance" in front of the 100 or so crowd.

[HH3]

When i was at school i gave a kiwi crap about rooting sheep and got accused of being racist...kinda dumbfounded me coz im pretty sure we are the same race...he wasnt a moari

[dedja]

we are not racist those imigrants that come here and dont learn to speak english are more racist than any of us aussies

spot on
every person seeking refuge in aus or wanting to live in aus should be able to speak fluent english

LOL, should that include my Father who left Europe for a new life in Australia in 1951 at the age of 20? Who couldn't speak a word of English and had no education but worked his arse off from the day he arrived.

The same fella who took out a loan to buy his first house in 1957 and killed himself to pay it off in 2 years. Who was always in work, sometimes in 2 jobs at once?

Who learnt that bloody impossible English language on the street?

Who at 80 years old still hasn't retired?

Do you want me to tell him he's not welcome in this country?

No, you do it ...

[Iron Fist]

we are not racist those imigrants that come here and dont learn to speak english are more racist than any of us aussies

spot on
every person seeking refuge in aus or wanting to live in aus should be able to speak fluent english

LOL, should that include my Father who left Europe for a new life in Australia in 1951 at the age of 20? Who couldn't speak a word of English and had no education but worked his arse off from the day he arrived.

The same fella who took out a loan to buy his first house in 1957 and killed himself to pay it off in 2 years. Who was always in work, sometimes in 2 jobs at once?

Who learnt that bloody impossible English language on the street?

Who at 80 years old still hasn't retired?

Do you want me to tell him he's not welcome in this country?

No, you do it ...

some of these responses IMO are stupid
of course 50yrs ago the country was in a different stage of growth, where we needed people.
So no I wont tell ya old man to leave, he is part of our history, but
Now I think we have sufficent numbers and that if people come in they should be able to speak english
Is that not fair?

[redandblack]

No.

[gadj1976]

interestingly I just had a conversation with a girl from work who has just come back from Melbourne. She saw a fight break out on the street between two groups. I jested "it wasn't Indian's and Australian's was it" and she said "no, it was Indian's and Asian's".

It made me think that the fighting that's going on in Melbourne, as portrayed by the media suggests that it's Australian's fighting the Indian's. Maybe it's spin, maybe this girl just saw a one-off, who knows.

Either way, overall, no I don't think we as a country are racist.

[MatteeG]

I dont think we are racist.

However, the goalposts have well and truly moved on what 'racist' activities are these days. Thats the problem. Too many thin skins.

[dedja]

Not a stupid response I would have thought but others can be the judge.

Thanks for letting my old man stay in the country ... I think the old bastard likes it here now.

[Choccies]

Not a stupid response I would have thought but others can be the judge.

Thanks for letting my old man stay in the country ... I think the old bastard likes it here now.

Has he got himself a 'cool' Southern Cross tattoo yet ?? If yes, then he can stay.

[dedja]

Of course ... didn't do the whole flag though because of that crappy Union Jack.

[am Bays]

I'm not racist, I hate everyone....

[Ian]

I jested "it wasn't Indian's and Australian's was it" and she said "no, it was Indian's and Asian's".

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't Indians (and Pakistanis, Sri Lankins etc) Asians??

[gadj1976]

I jested "it wasn't Indian's and Australian's was it" and she said "no, it was Indian's and Asian's".

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't Indians (and Pakistanis, Sri Lankins etc) Asians??

pretty much, but she was differentiating between the two distinct looking groups.

[Pseudo]

I jested "it wasn't Indian's and Australian's was it" and she said "no, it was Indian's and Asian's".

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't Indians (and Pakistanis, Sri Lankins etc) Asians??

Only if you're a Limey

[The Yetti]

I was born in 1956 in Toorak Gardens. Pretty much of German Grandparents.
My Mum and Dad only spoke English, and that is my one and only language.
My Dad was a jeweller and mum was a housewife. I have an elder sister.
We were brought up as Lutherans in the South east of SA. My Dad played the organ every Sunday and I went to Church every Sunday until I left home at 17 to come to Adelaide and studied to be a teacher at ACAE

My mum called Catholics Pussy Lickers. My dad called anyone who wasn't Australian ...New Australians or Poms.
Went through the Public School System.Both my sister and I were lucky enough to be Tertiary educated.

At School we were taught about assimilation, and how we were trying to get aborigines to assimilate to our way of living, and not be nomadic, hunters and gatherers. We were taught how the Europeans were coming to Australia and assimilating to our culture. We were taught that Indians were Hindu's and would not eat cows yet they starved to death ( I never understood that for a long time). We were taught that the peasants in Asia needed to develop to our standards to be successful. Japanese stuff was sold in Coles for sixpence or less and was inferior

Evey Monday we had assembly and swore an oath to the queen and then marched in to the beat of a big drum which I was selected to bang for grade 6 and 7. ( a great honour). In grade 3 I was second in my class and I got 57 out of 60. The dumb kids or the ones with polio who missed a lot of classes and did not get 30 out of 60 were TOLD to stay in grade 3.
In grade 6 and 7 I was second again But I got 6 A's and a B. Those that got E's stayed in grade 7.

We had about 7 aboriginals in our high school. 4 had white mums and dads and the other 3 lived down the road from us and their dad was a shearer. Little did I know that those 4 kids were part of the stolen generation.

Yep I used to say Chinese, Japanese, Hong Kong Money please. I called Italians and Greeks ..Wogs, Dagoes and their lunch stank. I called Aboriginals,,Boongs, niggers and Black Fellas. I. I saw my first real asian when I was 17. I would not eat chinese food. Meat and 3 veg 7 nights a week.

I was brought up and maybe taught that we were superior to all of these people.

My boss was a Greek, our biggest customer is Vietnamese and my wife is Irish.

If I am racist ...Can you blame me. If I am not racist I have had 30 years of learning that had to be totally changed. I think my mum and dad were good people but like many of the older generation were ignorant. My dad once said to me to explain racism. Once we hated the Poms.
Then came the Italian and Greeks and we hated them and tolerated the poms.
Then came the other Europeans and we hated them tolerated the Italians and Greeks and loved the poms.
Then came the Asians and we hated the Europeans , loved the Italian and Greeks and married the poms.
and then along came the next race etc etc

[Wedgie]

Crikey Yetti, reading some of your post I thought you lived in Germany in Nazi times. It's scarey how not that long ago in this country we had similar ideals to Hitler but it is also very encouraging how far we've come and so quickly.
Personally I'd like to see a new flag and Australia Day moved to January 1. It's funny that the only date we celebrate Australia day is the anniversary of when the only non peaceful folk came to our great country and how the only other flag on our flag is that of the only country who came here using force.
Australia is a multi cultural country represented by people from all over the world. It's time we celebrated our country and not that of the only one that invaded our country by force IMHO. Until we grow up as a country and do that we will probably be seen as immature and racist by others and who could blame them?
Just my opinion and not a pom bashing exercise as in the poms favour when they invaded our country it was the accepted way of aquiring new land by most European nations.

[Booney]

Racism.

If I acknowledge someone has come from a different cultural background as me and acknowledge they may have a different overall appearance than me, yet obviously recognise they are human ( dont say anything FC ) just like me, am I racist?

I laugh when I hear the word "Multi-cultural". We all live in Australia and all enjoy and experience different things. Foods,music,clothing,culture in general. So isn't that what makes our "culture", the fact it is so diverse?

So do we have an Australian culture or are we multi-cultural and in that term breaking our overall culture down into the diverse range we have in this country. Is that being racist?

Its all to bloody hard IMO.

Australia Day is and always should be 26th Jan.