The concepts of race and racism have a dramatic affect on the daily lives and opportunities of Australians. In this essay I will explain the precedents and the terminology of multiculturalism, race and racism. It is the affects racism and the misunderstanding of race that has hindered the development of Australia’s social cohesion as well as impedes minority Australians personal lives. Here I will address the argument that the prevalence and negative affects of racism are still active in modern Australian society and directly impose inequality on minorities within multicultural Australia.
The Aboriginal perspective on health is holistic, wherein physical, cultural, spiritual and mental health must be harmonious in order for a person to be in good health. Should these not be in balance, ill-health would persist (Social Health Reference Group, 2004). As such, it is important to talk about the history of Aboriginal people as affected by the arrival of the British in 1770 to put Indigenous health into context. Inter-generational trauma, as caused by the effects of colonisation, loss of country and the enforcement of discriminatory government policies over the history of Australia, has negatively
However, there is still hope. While the injustices of the Stolen generation, massacres and centuries of mistreatment against Indigenous Australians can never be erased, we can create future in which these atrocities never occur again. These atrocities emerge from ignorance and fear, so working to understand Indigenous culture must surely be the only path to removing the racism that plagues Australia. We have so must to learn from the rich cultural history of Indigenous Australians, particularly in their spiritual relationship with the land they have lived on for thousands of years. If we embrace this incredible knowledge, not only will we eliminate the barriers preventing equality in our society, we will also be stronger as a nation in both environmental and social relations. Ultimately, we have the potential to become an example to the world of the way a nation’s people can overcome their past mistakes and pave a future of cultural sharing for the benefit of all
This article discusses the speech given by an Indigenous journalist, Stan Grant who participated in a debate where he spoke for the motion “Racism is destroying the Australian Dream’’. Hence, the main points of this article are mostly evidence given by Grant in his debate to support his idea that the Australian Dream is indeed rooted in racism.
Ah Australia. The land of opportunity. The land of freedom and equality. The land of wealth and good health. The lucky country.
The Ngunnawal People have been living within the borders and surrounding mountains of the Australian Capital Territory for over 25,000 years. The way the Indigenous people used the land to live off was extremely efficient and sustainable. They had a bounty of knowledge about the land surrounding them, and over generations, devised resourced management skills to ensure maintenance of the animals and plants, and most importantly, the land in which provided these things. Aboriginal culture existed long before Captain Cook arrived in Australia in 1770. He claimed the land to be "Terra-Nullius", meaning that the land did not belong to any person. This claim obviously seemed ludicrous and crazy to the Indigenous people whom already lived on the land.
The Dreaming gives the Aboriginal people a way to explain on how the world came to be.
The term racism is when people from different cultures are treated differently based on their race. Racism is a disease with endless consequences . Over time it’s shocking that people think that others are different to them only because of their skin colour and culture. Racism has been and still is a prolific evil in the Australian society. Evidence of this includes The Stolen Generation, migrant treatment and social media.
Institutional and popular racism has played a key role in Australia in migration policy, starting from the ‘White Australia policy’, to keep Australia as British as it can. Such discrimination towards Aboriginal was said to be on their behaviour
I have informed myself with the content of the article and after significant reflection I have considered various perspectives on the issues surrounding the health and well-being of the Aboriginal population. I have had little exposure to Aboriginal media items; however, my current enrollment in the course has empowered my curiosity pertaining to the elements of aboriginal culture and the justification of these people. The article is pro-aboriginal and illuminates discerning evidence that the Aboriginal population has suffered from historical trauma that has influenced the lack of notability in today’s society.
The Racial Discrimination Act was implemented in 1975 and was drafted in response to a global push to codify protections for Indigenous Australians and other racial minorities. Section 18C of this act makes it unlawful to offend, insult, humiliate or intimate an individual or a group of people on the basis of race, colour or national origin (Austlii.edu.au.) This clause was brought to the fore front of national debate as popular conservative columnist, Andrew Bolt, was found in violation of this law when he accused mix-raced Indigenous Australians of using their heritage to claim government benefits. The Abbott government pledged to repeal section 18C but has subsequently withdrawn the motion following severe backlash from the wider community (Aston.) South Australian Family First Senator, Bob Day, has since introduced a private member bill to repeal 18C, insisting that
Aboriginal Australian peoples have been placed in unfair situations that have resulted in disconnections from society due to bias in culture, racism and because of previous historical events such as colonisation that led to colonialism and horrible events such as The Stolen Generation. These events act like a scar to the Aboriginal Australian peoples and their culture, those previously mentioned historical events symbolises the cut, the immense pain that was caused in that moment is still a factor and the pain from it is still prevalent and is symbolised by the scar. The scar also represents the factors that still manage to affect the Aboriginal Australians today, such as racism and lack of quality and access to education, money and health care.. The Indigenous peoples are also affected by various other factors such as limited access to health care that may be of poor quality, such resources may also bring fear to the Indigenous peoples because practitioners are not always sensitive or respectful to
The fact that Australia was considered as a global nation, which was ‘open to multiple international cultural, political and economic influences (pp.222), was very contentious. Sheridan makes it clear that Asia involvement has shaped Australia, acknowledging the positive and necessary changes in areas including culture, economy, education, defence and more. Knight indicates that Australia was encouraged to begin the desire for economic gain and civilisation. He states ‘Australia thus inherited from Britain a European country, its sense of cultural identity and its feeling of superiority towards Asia and Asians’(pp.223). This demonstrates that Australia views towards Asia were constantly changing leading to an increase in problems examples including smuggling and entering legally from other states. Australians were worried, as they thought these individuals were inferior and are likely to dominate society. The bulletin magazine had a biased perspective towards others of coloured immigrants as it determined to remain culturally ‘British’. Knight explores the consequences of the White Australian Policy, and the authority that it carried as ‘an important symbol of both Australia’s relations with Asia and its own national identity’(pp.226). The intention was to exclude individuals
Its time to address the indisputable relationship between the enduring impact of colonisation and current health status of Indigenous Australian and Torres Strait Islander people . Throughout the paper key points will be addressed about that will show how the past of Indigenous Australian and Torres Strait Islander people is still affecting to this very day. Three factors that will be spoken about include the Historical and contemporary factors, the role of race and racism and Indigenous Australian and Torres Strait Islander’s perspective on health and wellbeing. Within each of these factors is more proof
The Aboriginals spoke their own language, had their own laws and customs, and mostly a strong connection with the country’s land. The British arrived to the shores and declared Australia ‘terra nullius’ meaning empty land that belongs to no body. The land clearly wasn’t uninhabited but the Indigenous people no longer had the right to use the land as they please freely. Under international law Australia was now British land. As a result, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders occupation of and unique connection with the land weren’t recognised and the British took the land without agreement or payment. Year after there was a debate whose land was Australia? This sparked protests and fights for land between Indigenous and non-Indigenous across the country. Mer islanders then decided they would challenge a legal principle of terra nullius in the high court and that Eddie Mabo would lead