Cowboys, Indians and Cricket; Racially motivated attacks vs Australian culture.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Last week, Vijay (@Scanman) tweeted;
To my Aussie friends: A genuine doubt: Is there a racial motive in the attacks on Indian students? A blog post would be appreciated.
I've had a good long think about it. I'm not sure exactly where the recent acrimony between Australians and Indians started, but I've a strong inking that it began around cricket. The 2007 series in India, where Andrew Symonds was called a monkey, raised the sporting relationship to boiling point at which it simmered through the Australian summer. The kettle blew at the Sydney test and the resultant ill-feeling was splashed across the news media in both countries.
I attended the Gabba ODI in early January, and was disgusted by the behavior of the Australian fans. Within seconds of Harbajhan Singh arriving at fine leg, the drunk twenty-something Ocker lads behind us started shouting "Who's the monkey?!" When the call was repeated I told the bloke to 'can it'. He continued, louder, more obnoxious and more puerile in his language. After an hour or so, even one of his mates told him to 'put a sock in it'.
After the match, I vowed I'd not be returning to a one-day game at the Gabba. The drunken Cowboy who sat behind me had no reason to lambaste the Indian team. Something in his psyche thought it necessary to play 'an eye for an eye' with racial slurs. Whether it was a fear of foreign culture, a need to point out the difference between people, or jealousy of the Indian Cricket teams obvious talents, I don't know.
I believe there is a sectors of Australian society do indeed fear people from the sub-continent. In the same manner as Australian gold miners spoke of the Chinese 'Yellow Peril' during the Gold Rushes of the 1850's, immigrants from whatever background are isolated and begrudged their part in society.
In the 2005 Cronulla riots, racial tension was at the fore; one group branding themselves as 'true Australians', the other comprising predominately first-generation Australians of Middle-Eastern, particularly Lebanese, descent. Several were injured during the riots, which brought Australia's seething race issues to the fore of both local and international media.
Let me be clear; this is not every man, woman and child in Australia. This is a group of narrow-minded, fearful hypocrites. Australia is a country with multiculturalism at its core; Sydney and Melbourne without it would be a shadow of themselves. In the last decade, the majority of immigrants to Australia have been from China and India, the two most populous nations on the planet. Many immigrants have tertiary education and are deemed to be high-functioning members of society. In short, the Australian government has attempted to ensure that permanent migrants can 'pull their weight'. To neglect Australia's multicultural identity is to misrepresent the nation entirely; we are not a nation of blonde-haired surf-bogans with big knives, Akubras, eureka flags and southern cross tattoos.
Vijay has asked if the current attacks on Indian students are racially motivated; I would contest that they are. Perhaps there is a perception that 'International Students' are not full and functioning members of society; disliked for their mercenary learning styles. But I don't buy that; the argument is too high-brow to gel with the people committing the attacks. I believe the problem is driven by a few ignorant, narrow minded, violent tools wanting to pick on someone who looks different to them.
That Indian students have been injured is shameful. That someone has died, abhorrent. I cannot express enough sorrow at these events, the families loss, the student's trauma. It genuinely upsets me.
Australia, both government and citizens, condemns the attacks. Societal change will happen. Violence is not tolerated; the attackers labeled cowards by all. Australia, like all countries, is not perfect. With time, outrage and solid social education, racially motivated attacks will cease. It defies logic to entirely avoid a country because a fraction of a small group of ignoramuses have, in the past, taken the step from untoward thoughts to opportunistic attacks.
No society is flawless; each year Australian tourists are kidnapped or killed in foreign countries, developed, developing and undeveloped. It would be ridiculous to think that any travel is risk-free. This is a less than ideal way for the world to be, but a fair summary; there are bad people in the world. Some of them live in Australia, others live elsewhere. Australia does not have a culture of violence, corruption or crime against guests.
I urge international students to continue or start a course of study here; the education is world class and the lifestyle phenomenal. We are not Cowboys, hicks and red-necks, although there are some here, as in most countries. Australia is a safe, tolerant, multicultural society, where international students are welcome.
I attended the Gabba ODI in early January, and was disgusted by the behavior of the Australian fans. Within seconds of Harbajhan Singh arriving at fine leg, the drunk twenty-something Ocker lads behind us started shouting "Who's the monkey?!" When the call was repeated I told the bloke to 'can it'. He continued, louder, more obnoxious and more puerile in his language. After an hour or so, even one of his mates told him to 'put a sock in it'.
After the match, I vowed I'd not be returning to a one-day game at the Gabba. The drunken Cowboy who sat behind me had no reason to lambaste the Indian team. Something in his psyche thought it necessary to play 'an eye for an eye' with racial slurs. Whether it was a fear of foreign culture, a need to point out the difference between people, or jealousy of the Indian Cricket teams obvious talents, I don't know.
I believe there is a sectors of Australian society do indeed fear people from the sub-continent. In the same manner as Australian gold miners spoke of the Chinese 'Yellow Peril' during the Gold Rushes of the 1850's, immigrants from whatever background are isolated and begrudged their part in society.
In the 2005 Cronulla riots, racial tension was at the fore; one group branding themselves as 'true Australians', the other comprising predominately first-generation Australians of Middle-Eastern, particularly Lebanese, descent. Several were injured during the riots, which brought Australia's seething race issues to the fore of both local and international media.
Let me be clear; this is not every man, woman and child in Australia. This is a group of narrow-minded, fearful hypocrites. Australia is a country with multiculturalism at its core; Sydney and Melbourne without it would be a shadow of themselves. In the last decade, the majority of immigrants to Australia have been from China and India, the two most populous nations on the planet. Many immigrants have tertiary education and are deemed to be high-functioning members of society. In short, the Australian government has attempted to ensure that permanent migrants can 'pull their weight'. To neglect Australia's multicultural identity is to misrepresent the nation entirely; we are not a nation of blonde-haired surf-bogans with big knives, Akubras, eureka flags and southern cross tattoos.
Vijay has asked if the current attacks on Indian students are racially motivated; I would contest that they are. Perhaps there is a perception that 'International Students' are not full and functioning members of society; disliked for their mercenary learning styles. But I don't buy that; the argument is too high-brow to gel with the people committing the attacks. I believe the problem is driven by a few ignorant, narrow minded, violent tools wanting to pick on someone who looks different to them.
That Indian students have been injured is shameful. That someone has died, abhorrent. I cannot express enough sorrow at these events, the families loss, the student's trauma. It genuinely upsets me.
Australia, both government and citizens, condemns the attacks. Societal change will happen. Violence is not tolerated; the attackers labeled cowards by all. Australia, like all countries, is not perfect. With time, outrage and solid social education, racially motivated attacks will cease. It defies logic to entirely avoid a country because a fraction of a small group of ignoramuses have, in the past, taken the step from untoward thoughts to opportunistic attacks.
No society is flawless; each year Australian tourists are kidnapped or killed in foreign countries, developed, developing and undeveloped. It would be ridiculous to think that any travel is risk-free. This is a less than ideal way for the world to be, but a fair summary; there are bad people in the world. Some of them live in Australia, others live elsewhere. Australia does not have a culture of violence, corruption or crime against guests.
I urge international students to continue or start a course of study here; the education is world class and the lifestyle phenomenal. We are not Cowboys, hicks and red-necks, although there are some here, as in most countries. Australia is a safe, tolerant, multicultural society, where international students are welcome.
Thanks for the post, I've had a great experience in Australia apart from one or two unfortunate encounters with some lowlifes.I'm an Indian student studying in Australia, and I sent this post to my parents who are now feeling much easier about me being here.
Thanks so much for this post! I'm an Indian student studying in Australia and I have had a great experience here. It's a shame how just a few lowlifes can ruin the reputation of an entire nation.
Of course there are racist attack and abuse in Australia. Were the recent attacks racially motivated? We have no way of knowing unless we were there.
There are enough racist criminals/jerks around that the attacks may have been racial. I just get sad that the tragedy of this young man's death is being used as a political platform.
I also strenuously object to the current climate where we are all branded as racist because we are white Australians and a nasty minority are taking their fear and loathing out on people they see as "others".
There are racist jerks in Australia. Our society is becoming more violent. We need to address both issues, but the violence is probably something that is easier for the authorities to address.
There are pinheads who hang out with nothing to do and drink a lot (we also need to address alcoholism and drugs!) and then see people of another race and abuse them in opportunistic attacks. They would find another excuse to attack people of their own race who walked past in the same situation, most likely. They are criminals and monsters in this way.
Years ago when I was working in an Emergency Department, a young Indian man had come in after being assaulted. I was part of the team who treated him. He looked at me with so much hate in his eyes and said, "You people did this to me."
I said, "I and the people working here are looking after you and treating you. I didn't do anything to hurt you. I'm helping you." He spent the rest of the examination silent, scowling at me as I examined him.
Racism goes both ways. Tarring all Australians with the same brush is equally flawed. (Clearly you don't do this, but the Indian media seems to.)
Is our society fundamentally racist? I think that our society is fundamentally stupid. Racism is an element of this. One of our evils, of which we have many. I'm glad you speak out. I do, too. I wish more would.
Your blog post is excellent until you 'contend' that the recent attacks were racially motivated. At that point it becomes objectionable.
How on Earth can you 'contend' this without evidence?
Making assumptions about an individual based on racial stereotypes is the essence of racism.
Do not fall into the same trap as the people you abhor.