Australia
By: Yan • Essay • 546 Words • April 22, 2010 • 987 Views
Australia
Australia has always been and will be a racist nation and the Cronulla riots prove this as a fact. Racism is a form of discrimination based on race, especially the belief that one race is superior to another. Racism may be expressed individually and consciously, through explicit thoughts, feelings, or acts, or socially and unconsciously, through institutions that promote inequality between races. Australians has seen themselves as a benign nation that is comfortable with diversity and accepting of difference under the idea that everyone should get "a fair go". The image of a mob chanting racist slogans and then roaming the streets to beat up any men and women of "middle-eastern" appearance has shattered this benign image. Australia has always claimed to be multicultural but the majority of Australians who have been victimised of racism know this is not true and the Cronulla riots have proven it evidently to some of us who refuse to believe it is not true and the entire world that racism in Australia is a fact, it's here, its been here and its not going away. It has been said that one's past makes one's future and by looking at Australia's past we can see that it was a chauvinistic, bigoted and prejudice nation. Although many people argue that Cronulla was just a minority of Australians who were being racist, but they do not realise how much racism there is here and to experience it you need to put yourself in the shoes of that particular.
Australia has a history of racial tension and violence. There were many incidents that occurred in the past, which has contributed to prove this true, such as the discrimination of Chinese minors, the white Australia policy, terra nullius and the dictation test. The principle behind the settlement of NSW and subsequent colonies was 'Terra Nullius', which that the existing inhabitants, perhaps some 500,000 Aborigines and Torres Strait Islander people held no title to the land, This remained the legal principle of settlement until the late 1990's. What's