Thursday, September 15, 2005
multiculturalism revisited
alright. i thought i would share a copy of my final draft with you all. this is the paper i have been working so diligently on all day and part of last night. the same one i was procrastinating over last night. have a read over it. give me your input and feedback and what sort of grade you would give me, if you were the teacher. enjoy-
Has multiculturalism overcome racism in Australian schools?
My original response to this question was an adamant “no.” However, during investigation and through research into this exact topic, my response remains the same, yet there are a few beacons of light, representing hope, in a sea of overwhelming prejudice and racist fear that permeates all levels of society in Australia. I still believe that there is a major undercurrent of racism in this country, despite the fact that some of its citizens would say and/or have you think otherwise. Throughout the history of this country, in the past under a “White Australia” policy, racism, bigotry, and prejudices were openly expressed and acted upon. However, in more recent times, due to technological advancements in areas such as; communication, travel, and health, world populations have shifted. Despite the best efforts of some people to keep Australia white, this country too has become multi-cultural, which has vicariously pushed open displays of racism into a category of unacceptability. Being a multi-cultural country has by no means eliminated racism. On the contrary, I think open racist policy and sentiment has become more covert, and therefore become more entrenched in a community that on the surface speaks of racial harmony and tolerance, yet through its actions is still a very racist society. I believe schools and society have a mirror effect of each other, where issues and ideologies are reflective of one another. Thus if multiculturalism has not overcome racism in the community, therefore racism is still present in our schools. However, if there was ever a time, place, or platform to implement change, it would be in schools and within an educational setting.
I was born, raised, and educated overseas. I immigrated to Australia at the age of 25 after traveling to many places on all six of the inhabited continents. I grew up in Los Angeles, California, a very openly multi-cultural city, yet one that is still combating issues of racism, as displayed in 1992 with the LA riots following the acquittal of the police officers who severely beat Rodney King. I would say that Los Angeles and most of the United States is still a very racist place. One only has to turn on the evening news to see evidence of this on an ongoing basis (take the aftermath of hurricane Katrina in New Orleans as the most recent example). So I know first hand that overcoming racism in a society is an extremely difficult challenge. Despite this, I went to primary, junior, and senior high schools that were racially mixed. My classes were culturally diverse, with students ranging from a plethora of backgrounds. It was during these school years (K-12) where I am sure that racist ideas and stereotypes were indoctrinated into me and every other student along with me. This was not by our choosing, it just happened. It was not until I went to university and studied in the area of Anthropology where I first confronted and studied the issues of racism. It was then I was forced to analyze and accept my learned racism. Through this identification, I was then capable of transforming into a much more positive, tolerant, and accepting human being.
My family background is culturally diverse. As children, we were continually encouraged to be “adventurous” in our cultural explorations. This took place in a wide range of forms; music, dance, travel, language, friendships and cuisine. I feel the influences from family have prompted me towards a positive view of multiculturalism, and created a desire to embrace the differences in people, rather than reject them. This support has indeed been crucial in my desire to travel the world, and in the end, immigrate to Australia.
I immigrated to Australia in July of 1999, in order to share a life with my wife, who is Australian by birth. Having had no experience of this country prior to arrival, my only insights were through film and music. In regards to both, very little information was expressed regarding racial interactions between the diversity of ethnic groups in Australia. My only knowledge of racial issues came through songs by Midnight Oil, and the film “Babakiueria,” a film I saw several times at the University of California, at Santa Cruz, depicting the reversal of racial interactions between the whites and Aboriginal peoples of Australia. Thus, I knew before arriving, there were black vs. white tensions, or native vs. colonialist, which was not unlike the history of the United States with its hegemonic policies of the North American Native Indians. So immediately I could draw many parallels. However, when I did arrive I was pleasantly shocked and surprised by the many other cultural groups represented in this country. There was a large Asian population, many people from Pacific Island communities, Africans, North and South Americans and a wide range of proud ethnic Europeans all of whom were alive and thriving. Strangely, in the major cities and large population centers, Aboriginals were predominantly absent, or quietly under shadow. I needed to travel to the country areas before I could meet them. Was this the white Australia I had been expecting? No. Was this the multi-cultural haven the world was in desperate need for? I saw many promising possibilities. I had hope that Australia was a place on Earth that could overcome racism where people from all cultures could live in peace and harmony. After all, there are only 20 million people in Australia, overcoming ignorance and bigotry could be achieved. Yet, over the past six years I have witnessed and experienced a racist Australia, a nation that cannot get past the color of a persons skin. Australia is a nation deeply entrenched in its racist past, which carries over into the present. I have come to view the true idea of multiculturalism in this country as “a declaration predicated on the logic of assimilation,” rather than acceptance (Perera & Pugliese, 1998, pg161). In other words, racially diverse peoples are expected to become Australian by casting off their cultural heritage, language, and traditions in an attempt to become more accepted in a white dominated society. Conversely white Australians are viewed as the standard, therefore not needing to change, thus reinforcing and allowing themselves to maintain their racist ideologies.
Throughout the research of this topic it has become apparent to me that there are several people who are making valiant efforts to implement change in this area, particularly in the educational setting. In most cases, though I feel what is being done is a more reactionary response as opposed to one of pro-action. Basically, the change has come out of necessity and in relation to world events that have affected Australia both directly and indirectly. Most apparent is the reactions by educators to reduce possible racial (or in this case religious) tensions between Muslims and Christians post September 11, 2001 attacks on the world trade center in New York City. One such case was depicted in an article in the Sydney Morning Herald in 2003. This was approached through inter-school dialogue between 25 girls from Wiley Park Girls High School and 24 boys from St. Joseph’s College of Hunters Hill. The headmaster from one school said he “saw a social divide opening up around his students,” and did not want to allow “xenophobia [to] take root.” The overall outcome was extremely positive where there “was an opportunity for the two very different cultures to learn about each other, and the kids from both schools want these exchanges to continue… Once you put the kids face to face, the barriers come down.” (Sheehan, 2003).
Another example of change in Australian education which is creating a move into a more positive direction is the growing involvement of Aboriginal communities in the educational content in some schools. In several communities, Aboriginal people are working in conjunction with educators in order to provide a more historically accurate and relevant history of Aboriginal culture to present to students. Many of these students are of Aboriginal descent themselves, yet the classroom is still culturally and racially mixed. This method provides “learning structures that do not offend cultural sensibilities but work with them. Theory states that all this combined can act as a substitute for the external motivation structures, such as anticipated employment, that are socially absent for minority groups who have faced a history of institutionalized discrimination” (Malin, 1997, pg 4). Having an integrated curriculum where community and schools have worked together has created a better and more positive sense of culture for many students from Aboriginal heritage. They have begun to view themselves as relevant to the world, environment and society, rather than as static peoples with a bleak future.
Despite these two positive examples in schools, Australia as a whole has much to make up for and a long way to go in order to achieve true multiculturalism. This country has a very real and recent past involving the “White Australia Policy” and Terra Nullius, two culturally relevant laws maintaining white, Anglo-Saxon dominance, while keeping any and all other cultural groups second rate. Both laws have become outlawed yet, as Kathy Butler states in her article on Terra Nullius “institutional declarations and changes to legal precedent, however, do not lead to immediate rejection of past mindsets nor the reversal of processes they inform” (Butler, 2000, pg 100). So Australia is still living under these very same ideologies of its racist past. These beliefs are reinforced through the rhetoric and actions of the federal government, the prime minister, and his staff. This is evident in two instances that occurred while I was researching this topic. The first was when Prime Minister John Howard said on August 24, 2005 “intelligence agencies will monitor mosques, prayer halls and Islamic schools to the extent necessary.” This was followed by the federal Minister for education, Brendan Nelson saying on the same day “Muslims who did not share Australian values should clear off.”
So I ask: how can a nation throw off the shackles of its racist past when its own leaders are perpetuating racist ideologies? The federal government has established a celebratory day called Harmony Day. It is an unofficial holiday with some federal backing supported through the Department of Immigration and Multi-cultural Affairs. In theory, it is a wonderful sentiment, yet, I believe that it is only tokenistic in response to a society that is in dire need of addressing a multi-cultural issue. Through having this one day, the federal government can wash its’ hands clean of any accusations of continued racism, despite the actions and policies of the government; detention centers, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mamdu Habib, David Hicks, the Tampa and children overboard, the deportation of the Bahktiari family, Cornelia Rau an Australian citizen wrongfully detained in a detention center for seven months, the recent fear spreading tactics by the government officials themselves about terrorist in our midst, and the governments' failure to truly recognize and reconciliate with the Aboriginal peoples of Australia whom have suffered the most cruelly over the past 217 years of European colonialization.
In regards has multiculturalism overcoming racism in Australian schools, I do not believe that it has. I still believe there is a long way to go in order to achieve this outcome. However, I do believe that it is not an impossible feat to achieve. I still believe, like I did when I stepped of the plane in 1999, that if a true multicultural society was to be achieved anywhere in the world, Australia is the place with the most potential. The whole world was given a small taste of this potential during the two weeks of the Sydney Olympics in 2000, proving that multiculturalism IS possible.! True multiculturalism will not happen over night. It is a dynamic concept that is ever changing and growing with society and world events. However, through sharing and acceptance, especially at an educational level, where dialogue and learning are expected in the school environment, the indoctrinated racism of this country’s past can be cast aside. We are beginning to see wonderfully positive examples of this in many classrooms throughout the country. I for one believe in the possibility of true multiculturalism becoming a reality in Australia. What better way to initiate this change, than through education.
Has multiculturalism overcome racism in Australian schools?
My original response to this question was an adamant “no.” However, during investigation and through research into this exact topic, my response remains the same, yet there are a few beacons of light, representing hope, in a sea of overwhelming prejudice and racist fear that permeates all levels of society in Australia. I still believe that there is a major undercurrent of racism in this country, despite the fact that some of its citizens would say and/or have you think otherwise. Throughout the history of this country, in the past under a “White Australia” policy, racism, bigotry, and prejudices were openly expressed and acted upon. However, in more recent times, due to technological advancements in areas such as; communication, travel, and health, world populations have shifted. Despite the best efforts of some people to keep Australia white, this country too has become multi-cultural, which has vicariously pushed open displays of racism into a category of unacceptability. Being a multi-cultural country has by no means eliminated racism. On the contrary, I think open racist policy and sentiment has become more covert, and therefore become more entrenched in a community that on the surface speaks of racial harmony and tolerance, yet through its actions is still a very racist society. I believe schools and society have a mirror effect of each other, where issues and ideologies are reflective of one another. Thus if multiculturalism has not overcome racism in the community, therefore racism is still present in our schools. However, if there was ever a time, place, or platform to implement change, it would be in schools and within an educational setting.
I was born, raised, and educated overseas. I immigrated to Australia at the age of 25 after traveling to many places on all six of the inhabited continents. I grew up in Los Angeles, California, a very openly multi-cultural city, yet one that is still combating issues of racism, as displayed in 1992 with the LA riots following the acquittal of the police officers who severely beat Rodney King. I would say that Los Angeles and most of the United States is still a very racist place. One only has to turn on the evening news to see evidence of this on an ongoing basis (take the aftermath of hurricane Katrina in New Orleans as the most recent example). So I know first hand that overcoming racism in a society is an extremely difficult challenge. Despite this, I went to primary, junior, and senior high schools that were racially mixed. My classes were culturally diverse, with students ranging from a plethora of backgrounds. It was during these school years (K-12) where I am sure that racist ideas and stereotypes were indoctrinated into me and every other student along with me. This was not by our choosing, it just happened. It was not until I went to university and studied in the area of Anthropology where I first confronted and studied the issues of racism. It was then I was forced to analyze and accept my learned racism. Through this identification, I was then capable of transforming into a much more positive, tolerant, and accepting human being.
My family background is culturally diverse. As children, we were continually encouraged to be “adventurous” in our cultural explorations. This took place in a wide range of forms; music, dance, travel, language, friendships and cuisine. I feel the influences from family have prompted me towards a positive view of multiculturalism, and created a desire to embrace the differences in people, rather than reject them. This support has indeed been crucial in my desire to travel the world, and in the end, immigrate to Australia.
I immigrated to Australia in July of 1999, in order to share a life with my wife, who is Australian by birth. Having had no experience of this country prior to arrival, my only insights were through film and music. In regards to both, very little information was expressed regarding racial interactions between the diversity of ethnic groups in Australia. My only knowledge of racial issues came through songs by Midnight Oil, and the film “Babakiueria,” a film I saw several times at the University of California, at Santa Cruz, depicting the reversal of racial interactions between the whites and Aboriginal peoples of Australia. Thus, I knew before arriving, there were black vs. white tensions, or native vs. colonialist, which was not unlike the history of the United States with its hegemonic policies of the North American Native Indians. So immediately I could draw many parallels. However, when I did arrive I was pleasantly shocked and surprised by the many other cultural groups represented in this country. There was a large Asian population, many people from Pacific Island communities, Africans, North and South Americans and a wide range of proud ethnic Europeans all of whom were alive and thriving. Strangely, in the major cities and large population centers, Aboriginals were predominantly absent, or quietly under shadow. I needed to travel to the country areas before I could meet them. Was this the white Australia I had been expecting? No. Was this the multi-cultural haven the world was in desperate need for? I saw many promising possibilities. I had hope that Australia was a place on Earth that could overcome racism where people from all cultures could live in peace and harmony. After all, there are only 20 million people in Australia, overcoming ignorance and bigotry could be achieved. Yet, over the past six years I have witnessed and experienced a racist Australia, a nation that cannot get past the color of a persons skin. Australia is a nation deeply entrenched in its racist past, which carries over into the present. I have come to view the true idea of multiculturalism in this country as “a declaration predicated on the logic of assimilation,” rather than acceptance (Perera & Pugliese, 1998, pg161). In other words, racially diverse peoples are expected to become Australian by casting off their cultural heritage, language, and traditions in an attempt to become more accepted in a white dominated society. Conversely white Australians are viewed as the standard, therefore not needing to change, thus reinforcing and allowing themselves to maintain their racist ideologies.
Throughout the research of this topic it has become apparent to me that there are several people who are making valiant efforts to implement change in this area, particularly in the educational setting. In most cases, though I feel what is being done is a more reactionary response as opposed to one of pro-action. Basically, the change has come out of necessity and in relation to world events that have affected Australia both directly and indirectly. Most apparent is the reactions by educators to reduce possible racial (or in this case religious) tensions between Muslims and Christians post September 11, 2001 attacks on the world trade center in New York City. One such case was depicted in an article in the Sydney Morning Herald in 2003. This was approached through inter-school dialogue between 25 girls from Wiley Park Girls High School and 24 boys from St. Joseph’s College of Hunters Hill. The headmaster from one school said he “saw a social divide opening up around his students,” and did not want to allow “xenophobia [to] take root.” The overall outcome was extremely positive where there “was an opportunity for the two very different cultures to learn about each other, and the kids from both schools want these exchanges to continue… Once you put the kids face to face, the barriers come down.” (Sheehan, 2003).
Another example of change in Australian education which is creating a move into a more positive direction is the growing involvement of Aboriginal communities in the educational content in some schools. In several communities, Aboriginal people are working in conjunction with educators in order to provide a more historically accurate and relevant history of Aboriginal culture to present to students. Many of these students are of Aboriginal descent themselves, yet the classroom is still culturally and racially mixed. This method provides “learning structures that do not offend cultural sensibilities but work with them. Theory states that all this combined can act as a substitute for the external motivation structures, such as anticipated employment, that are socially absent for minority groups who have faced a history of institutionalized discrimination” (Malin, 1997, pg 4). Having an integrated curriculum where community and schools have worked together has created a better and more positive sense of culture for many students from Aboriginal heritage. They have begun to view themselves as relevant to the world, environment and society, rather than as static peoples with a bleak future.
Despite these two positive examples in schools, Australia as a whole has much to make up for and a long way to go in order to achieve true multiculturalism. This country has a very real and recent past involving the “White Australia Policy” and Terra Nullius, two culturally relevant laws maintaining white, Anglo-Saxon dominance, while keeping any and all other cultural groups second rate. Both laws have become outlawed yet, as Kathy Butler states in her article on Terra Nullius “institutional declarations and changes to legal precedent, however, do not lead to immediate rejection of past mindsets nor the reversal of processes they inform” (Butler, 2000, pg 100). So Australia is still living under these very same ideologies of its racist past. These beliefs are reinforced through the rhetoric and actions of the federal government, the prime minister, and his staff. This is evident in two instances that occurred while I was researching this topic. The first was when Prime Minister John Howard said on August 24, 2005 “intelligence agencies will monitor mosques, prayer halls and Islamic schools to the extent necessary.” This was followed by the federal Minister for education, Brendan Nelson saying on the same day “Muslims who did not share Australian values should clear off.”
So I ask: how can a nation throw off the shackles of its racist past when its own leaders are perpetuating racist ideologies? The federal government has established a celebratory day called Harmony Day. It is an unofficial holiday with some federal backing supported through the Department of Immigration and Multi-cultural Affairs. In theory, it is a wonderful sentiment, yet, I believe that it is only tokenistic in response to a society that is in dire need of addressing a multi-cultural issue. Through having this one day, the federal government can wash its’ hands clean of any accusations of continued racism, despite the actions and policies of the government; detention centers, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mamdu Habib, David Hicks, the Tampa and children overboard, the deportation of the Bahktiari family, Cornelia Rau an Australian citizen wrongfully detained in a detention center for seven months, the recent fear spreading tactics by the government officials themselves about terrorist in our midst, and the governments' failure to truly recognize and reconciliate with the Aboriginal peoples of Australia whom have suffered the most cruelly over the past 217 years of European colonialization.
In regards has multiculturalism overcoming racism in Australian schools, I do not believe that it has. I still believe there is a long way to go in order to achieve this outcome. However, I do believe that it is not an impossible feat to achieve. I still believe, like I did when I stepped of the plane in 1999, that if a true multicultural society was to be achieved anywhere in the world, Australia is the place with the most potential. The whole world was given a small taste of this potential during the two weeks of the Sydney Olympics in 2000, proving that multiculturalism IS possible.! True multiculturalism will not happen over night. It is a dynamic concept that is ever changing and growing with society and world events. However, through sharing and acceptance, especially at an educational level, where dialogue and learning are expected in the school environment, the indoctrinated racism of this country’s past can be cast aside. We are beginning to see wonderfully positive examples of this in many classrooms throughout the country. I for one believe in the possibility of true multiculturalism becoming a reality in Australia. What better way to initiate this change, than through education.
