Youth.NSW Have Your Say on Racism Online Forum
A message from the NSW Youth Advisory Council
In March this year the NSW Youth Advisory Council (YAC) invited young people living in New South Wales to participate in an online forum about their experiences of racism and what they thought could be done to promote community harmony.
The response was greater than we could have expected. This is obviously an issue that young people feel passionately about and that they have a great desire to address.
The forum received submissions from young people living in both rural and urban areas, talking about issues specific to their community or their own experience, as well as the issue of racism as a whole. Many people shared their ideas about what we as young people can do to improve community harmony and stamp out racism.
On behalf of the YAC, I would like to thank everyone who took the time to share their thoughts, experiences and ideas in the forum. Your submissions and suggestions will be included as part of the Youth Advisory Council’s report to the Minister for Youth on young people, racism and community harmony.
Thanks!
Kirby Drew
Chair, NSW Youth Advisory Council
Introduction
Following the race-related incidents in Cronulla and other areas in late 2005, the Minister for Youth approached the NSW Youth Advisory Council (YAC), seeking Council’s input on what could be done to address racism and improve community harmony in New South Wales. As part of its response to the Minister, the YAC invited young people aged 12-25 living in New South Wales to submit their views, experiences and ideas for positive action via an online forum.
The forum was promoted to young people via: the Youth.NSW and National Youth Week in NSW (www.youthweek.nsw.gov.au) websites; the YouthGAS and AYIN email newsgroups; the YAPA (Youth Action and Policy Association of NSW) YapRap newsletter and email update mailing list; and, to the NSW Schools Student Representative Council network, via the Department of Education and Training.
The forum was launched on Harmony Day, 20 March, and closed on 30 April. Thirty-nine submissions were made by young people living in both rural and urban communities across the state, including YAC members. Young people used the forum as an opportunity to express their opinions on racism, how it affects their lives and what can be done to address it.
(n.b. The quotes below from submissions to the online forum appear as they were submitted, with amendments to spelling, punctuation and grammar being made only in cases where the meaning was unclear.)
What young people told us about racism
i dont understand how people can hate one another over colour nationality and other religions and stuff…we are all the same colour under our skin and we are all human
mana
Most of the young people who made submissions to the forum expressed the view that racism stems from a lack of awareness about and understanding of other cultures. This was attributed mainly to people not being educated about cultures other than their own – either through formal learning or by spending time with people from other cultures – and to cultural stereotyping.
I think the reason for racism is the fact that people in society don't bother trying to understand each other...they just get stuck on one idea, and don't look further into it.
Samantha
I think it all comes down to the area you live in and how multicultural it is. It's important that you live, work and play in a multicultural environment. You learn to mix with other races and you also learn that not all middle eastern people are 'terrorists' as the media portrays. Or not all asian people are drug dealers. You learn that what the media depicts and who the people really are are quite different.
Christine
Many of the submissions suggested that the media perpetuates racial and cultural stereotypes and inflames volatile situations. The ‘riots’ at Cronulla were given as an example of this.
I think if two groups of different origins conflict it does not automatically mean that they are being racist. If the media stopped portraying this as a racial problem then maybe tensions will cool enough to allow everyone to co-exist peacefully.
Anonymous
i think the media is the main factor that causes racism. All different cultures are stereotyped in the media and the audience is led to believe that some cultures and religions are superior to others… Another example is the december feuds in cronulla between the lebanese and the "australians"…The media made it even worse by showcasing everything and more people were led to believe that the lebanese and aussies were a threat to each other.
Nicole
A number of young people wrote about racism existing within all cultures and communities:
i think that the cronulla riots…showed how some people had racism on their minds for a long time n just went to cronulla to express that. the riots are a classic example of how australia is a racist country, yet theres racism coming from all side and not just from one.
Fatima
As i am a fair with blue eyes and blonde hair but from a Italian/australian background and have a palestinian fiance. I see first hand how some cultures have a stereotype on "Aussie" looking women and no respect whatsoever for them…before people should cry out that they are victims of racism, they should think about the way they treat others of different nationalities and religions and treat other as they would like to be treated. Mutual acceptance is needed before any change will be seen in our society. Just because people are victims of racism does not mean they have the right to be racist to others.
Eleanore
I think the most common form of racism in Australia is indirect racism. The type of racism that allows people to generalise about the ethnicity of others. How many times have we read/heard that an individual was of “Mediterranean or Middle Eastern background”? … As long as we allow ourselves, our friends and our families to assume that stereotypes are true than we will live in a divided country.
Nick
Whether we like it or not, we all have practised it. Who here doesn't expect chinese food to be nice? Who is more likely to by a kebab from someone who appears to be Greek? … No, we mean no harm by it. And most people won't take offence to it. But in reality it is still racism. We are basing our opinion of this person/ the services they offer based on the colour of their skin.
Damien
Young people’s experiences of racism
Young people told us that they felt that they had been judged and experienced intolerance because of their race or culture:
I am a muslim myself, i do face a lot of racism,[whether] it be comments or looks. I decide to ignore people like that and just walk off,but i dont think i have to tolerate it. I love to mix with other cultures and religions, and australia is supposed to be a muliticultural country, however, there is still injustice towards races, because if there wasnt misjustice then i dont think there would be much problems as there is. I think people need to understand that you cant judge the whole race because of a small group...
Anonymous
i am in yr 12 and throughout my high school year from year 7-10 i waz ashamed to be who i waz. i am of lebanese descent and muslim and when people would ask what i was i'd b embarassed to say because i saw how others like me were treated at school and i dint want the same thing to happen to me so id pretend i was something else something that i wasnt. goin to a mulitcultural school after yr 10 made me proud of who i was and proud of what i had.
Fatima
Some said that they were assumed to be racist because of their culture, an experience which in itself was discriminatory:
… people still seem to think that just because some of us who have lived in Australia for generations upon generations are racist, all of us are…which if they took the time to find out, would find it's very untrue. Don't jump to conclusions.
Samantha
Young people living in rural areas said that these issues were magnified by living in smaller, less culturally diverse communities:
I would like to point out that there are areas in NSW where racism is probably even worse than it is in Sydney. Imagine a town where you come in different and there is not many people with the same heritage as you, you are shunned and not accepted. At least in Sydney there are support groups that are easily accessible for most CALD groups.
Anonymous
I feel because of the lack of awareness and exposure to different cultures etc., young people in rural areas are not willing to tolerate or accept people who have a different cultural background etc.
Ryan
Suggestions for change
Involve young people
As young people we have grown up in a world with less borders and more knowledge of communities across the globe through technological advances, we can no longer claim ignorance, so let’s speak up!
Rebecca
…racism stems from ignorance and fear of the 'unknown'. In order to combat this vile disease, we must all promote inter-cultural and inter-faith forums where misconceptions can be corrected and eliminated.
Young people need to take a loud and clear stance on this issue. As young citizens we should boycott any forms of racist propaganda whether it be delivered by politicians or the media. Forums such as these are a great way to start.
Rayann
i feel that the goverment has to put more money into the reconcilliation people and provide support for them to do more reconcilliation projects for youth because at the end of the day our youth are our future and racism and reconcilliation go hand in hand and just isn’t a black and white issue its a whole of community approach that needs to be taken by all Australians
Glen
So i think part of the resolution of racism in sydney is by talking to the youth of sydney and the person who talks to them should be someone they respect - someone who has actually experienced racism first hand.
And the media should play a very big part that make sure the young people understand that its not ok and that it will not be tolerated by any one. And that if you have been a victim to racism you should feel like there is something else you can do other then resort to violence.
Mohamed
Education
For the Government, I think looking at strategies used overseas, such as in schools have 'Mix-it-up' days, where students sit in different groups in lunchtime which has seen some success in America. Encourage activities such as sports that people of different ethnic backgrounds would have in common. Or increase educational and personal contact of people with different ethnicities and religions, such as in small scripture groups cover different religions with representatives or people from those religions coming in to talk about their religion.
Levi
It would be good to have children taught about the evil within racism from a young age. Therefore they will be able to develop their minds about how evil racism is, even though their parents and families can influence them.
To have racism educated at school. Therefore children will be able to have a say about it.
To have a multicultural festival at school or even in every suburbs once in a year perhaps. This will bring different race of people together and have a taste of each others culture.
Clara
Although I don’t class myself as racist I do feel I could relate better someone of a different race to me if I understood a bit more about their beliefs and background. Education is the key.
Casey
some suggestions for increased awareness and less racism could be to…educate young people on multiculturalism because in the end they are the future and they are the only people that can stop racism.
Fatima
The youth of Australia today is realising that "Australian" denotes anyone who lives here, is born here, has claimed citizenship, anyone affiliated intimately with this Country …A subject we all study in our course that helps them realise this is Anthropological Studies and I think this subject should be included, as an option at least, in the school curriculum. Just because it makes humans more sensitive to other cultures, races, etc and more accepting of everyone around them.
Courtney
Conclusion
Racism and community harmony are important issues to young people living in New South Wales. Young people are not only aware of racism in their community, but in many cases have experienced it first hand. This forum gave young people a chance to voice their feelings, concerns and ideas about how to address these issues. These submissions and suggestions will be included as part of the NSW Youth Advisory Council’s report to the Minister for Youth on young people, racism and community harmony.
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