Australia and the complexities of racism

India press has been awash recently with news of racism in Australia, specifically in the context of claims of attacks on Indian students in Sydney and Melbourne.

From Sydney's west comes stories of violence against Indians in Harris Park. A column in the Sydney Morning Herald puts a bit of context on this. Tanveer Ahmed paints a picture of Harris Park as home to successive waves of fresh migrants to Australia, formerly Mediterranean or Lebanese, and most recently Indians. In fact, when I worked close by there a few years ago, I noticed a heavy preponderance of Indian shops, with no particular signs [left] of previous communities maintaining a distinct identity. As always happens, the waves of migrants tend to blend in over time.

The writer positions recent violence in Harris Park specifically in the context of second-generation descendants of original migrants: "the worst racism encountered by the average migrant is usually from other migrants".

I would add a few anecdotal observations to that, having first arrived in this country something over twenty years ago. Coming from a similar culture, I could blend in barely noticed, yet I observed with fresh eyes the attitudes of Australians to those who were different. First, outward manifestations of violence [and racism] tend to come from young males (of course), say about 15 to 25. There was little overt racism towards earlier migrants, but noticeably more so towards recent arrivals. Those that are obviously different in speech and culture were the most likely targets - and, for example, if someone of darker skin spoke perfect english, they were more easily accepted.

But, I noticed at the time, Australians as a whole seemed to reserve their most vituperous ill-feeling to the original inhabitants - aboriginals. Having seen both sides - through both aboriginal friends and being on the receiving end of violence - I know better than to lump everyone into one basket. Not so your average Australian, who had simply not had any day-to-day involvement with any aboriginals, and so absorbed simply what they were exposed to by tabloids and talkback.

So yes, there is racism here, but I very much doubt that its worse than any multicultural country. And yes, where there is racism, it's most likely to be directed at aboriginals or recent migrants - yet the latter receive the press, while aboriginals just suffer day to day.

I would also add that those of the dominant culture are quite blind to the subtleties of racism, and would be quite ill-qualified to put a believable case against the existence of racism.

My personal feeling is such barriers best break down in situations where people are working together and get to know representatives of a variety of cultures. There's nothing like a multicultural workplace.

Culture: Speed Racer, what next - Gigantor?

The earliest cartoons I remember are from the sixties: Kimba was my favourite, but before that was Speed Racer and my earliest favourite, Gigantor.


Interestingly, I don't have clear early memories of the American ones, such as Hanna-Barbera and Warners. The former had a string of cartoons, the earliest of which I saw would have been Huckleberry Hound. Warners didn't really figure until the later Roadrunner, with a smattering of Bugs and Daffy before.

The production dates of these cartoons may not have been relevant: in New Zealand, I have a feeling they were rather like a bad day at a train station (running late, and out of timetable order). All seen in black and white only.


Those I particularly liked or remembered - mentioned up top - were all Japanese (although I didn't have a clue at the time). Maybe the American ones were too homogeneous: mostly anthropomorphic animals. Those Japanese cartoons were somewhat crude, but stylistically distinctive. But I'm not sure what appealed to my young mind. Plot? Characters? Unusual situations?

So Speed Racer has been revived for the big screen (following Kimba's conversion to the Lion King). Nothing like the original, of course, which makes me wonder what was there of intrinsic merit that compelled the plundering. Maybe no specific spark is needed, bar the producers' childhoods. Hanna-Barbera's been up too, via Jetsons and Flintstones.


Nothing so far has impelled me to see the big screen versions. Gigantor was my earliest favourite... let's see.