Contemporary Racism in Australia

Re-imagining anti-racism as a core organisational value

“…Contemporary anti-racism research indicates that anti-racism works better if it integrates diverse approaches and methodologies of countering racism (Ben et al, 2020; Byrd and Sparkman, 2022; Elias et al, 2021). Decades of anti-racism practice and movements impacted the discourse on racism, leading to the transformation of racist ideas and thinking (van Dijk, 2021).…”

“…In Australia, historical racism towards Indigenous peoples manifested through riots, massacres and exclusion while discrimination against immigrants from mainly non-white groups was expressed through negative public attitudes and enacted through state legislations (Elias et al, 2021; Hollinsworth, 2006; Jupp, 2002). Racism today remains an ongoing legacy of the country’s settler colonial history, impacting on the lives of Indigenous peoples, and manifests in terms of intergenerational traumas, over-incarceration, deaths in custody, as well as poverty, poor education and health inequalities (Elias et al, 2021; Herring et al, 2013; Markwick et al, 2019). While this article draws on broader, global literature, it also discusses anti-racism within the Australian context.…”

“…White majority societies have historically rejected the equality of ethno-racial minorities (Baker, 1998), through social, political and economic forms of exclusion. In addition, scientific racism as a belief in racial hierarchy has been invented for the privilege of Western white societies (Elias et al, 2021). Thus, creating solidarity among all racial groups with more proactive engagement of white stakeholders becomes a logical direction for anti-racism.…”

Transcultural capital and emergent identities among migrant youth

“…Will’s experience reflects the fact that, for many Australian teachers and schools, the ability to create a truly inclusive and multicultural environment remains limited by the persistent superficial celebration of ethnic difference that has become dominant at the expense of deeper and more meaningful action against racism and educational inequalities (Watkins & Noble, 2019). Recent studies show that racism remains rampant in schools and that experiences of racism are multiple and complex, ranging from being identified as an ‘Other’ to being excluded or bullied based on skin colour or other visible markers (Baak, 2019; Elias et al, 2021; Mansouri & Jenkins, 2010; Uptin et al, 2013). Will’s narrative indicates that due to constant pressure to negotiate his identity and adjust to White normative cultures, he felt a need to change who he was to fit in.…”

“…Among our participants, recent arrivals to Australia spoke at length about practical challenges, such as their inability to have their overseas qualifications recognised and their knowledge and skills valued by society (Kellock, 2016; Ressia et al, 2017). Similarly, participants who grew up in Australia spoke about the challenge of managing intergenerational divides within their own families and ‘ethnic’ communities (Mansouri & Johns, 2017; Renzaho et al, 2017), while many others spoke of old and new forms of racism and discrimination at work or at school, which weakens their sense of belonging and their access to opportunities (Elias et al, 2021; Wyn et al, 2018). These barriers point to the fundamental need for dominant social and political institutions and structures to value and foster diversity as an asset, and to transform accordingly, in ways that truly recognise and support migrant youth (Butcher & Thomas, 2006; Jakubowicz et al, 2014).…”