Australians like to think of themselves as one people who like to embrace diversity and are respectful of others. We like to think that we give everyone a "fair go". Do Australians really respect people of other cultures?
It is can be hard to draw the line between a misunderstanding of other cultures, and a dislike of other cultures. However, this is not an excuse to hate others, or deliberately choose to misunderstand others on the grounds of their race or national origin. One thing I have noticed is the lack of intercultural understanding when interacting with people of other cultures. This forms a barrier between people of different cultures.
It is understandable that people may not understand other cultures, but the deliberate misunderstanding of other cultures leads to cultural tension. This leads to people forming cliques made of people of their own cultures. People as a result, characterise people in terms of their race.
When have you last heard something along the lines of that "Asian chick", "White guy" or that "Aboriginal dude"? Most people would have heard phrase like that quite often.
It shows that we are a society that is so immune to racism that we embrace it. We think that distinguishing someone for their race is a form of respect. It is not. It shows that one looks another through racial lens.
People of ethic minorities are probably more likely to suffer from racialisation the most, as well as sexualisation by the opposite sex. This sexualisation, however, is probably less likely to be done by people of the same race as them.
It is no wonder the Australian society is one that is individualistic and anti-communalistic. How can a community be built if it is wrenched with disunity and abuse?
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