05-19-2006, 02:53 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->BTW: A side question, I have observed that Australians more than any other Western nation seem really racist towards Indians (and non Whites in general). I see this from reading Australian newspapers and forums on the internet. In my opinon it's because Australians may be fearful that their country of less than 20 million is dwarfed by a giant Asian continent of 3 billion + right above them, and they are afraid of losing their European roots and identity. What do you think ?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I know Australia has kind of an image around the world of being particularly rascist, especially with the Cronualla riots recently. In my experience, although of course youre always going to get a few rednecks everywhere you go, I have found no problems with living as an Indian in Australia, in terms of coming across rascist attitudes or taunts etc. To me, at least in the major cities with a large migrant population, Australia is a lot less rascist than a lot of Western nations, especially many of the European countries. Obviously with the recent riots, there is definetely quite a few rascist views around, but these seem to be more in the white dominated beach side suburbs, and this is why I have had virtually no problem living in Australia, because I live in the inner suburbs, which are a lot more multicultural and tolerant, and go to a very multicultural school.
In Australia actually, fairness isn't an obsession at all, its actually the other way around- people want to be tanned, i suppose because it is associated with a life of leisure and having the time to enjoy yourself and being outdoors a lot, which is what is valued over there. I think fairness is sort of associated with the upper classess and snoberry, and maybe thats why its not very desired.
I was actually going to propose your point but the other way around- (i hope this doesnt make anyone angry, but feel free to refute me if you disagree) but I was wondering if maybe this fair skin obsession sprung about because of a sense of internalised rascism?? Perhaps, because of all our years of British colonialism, and white domination, and globalisation now, there was this sense of cultural inferiority amongst Indians toward thier Asian culture, and this brought about the perception that fair= more beautiful and superior, even when a very small percentage of the country is actually fair? I kind of got this from hearing stories about the way some black tourists are treated over there, especially in comparison with thier white skinned counterparts- but please tell me if you think I'm completely off the mark here.