An Anti-Racism Framework: Experiences and Perspectives of Multicultural Australia An Anti-Racism Framework: Experiences and Perspectives of Multicultural Australia The experiences of participants in consultations have shown the difficulties of trying to isolate ‘race discrimination’ from other forms of discrimination. When asked about their experiences of racism, they often referred to racism in association with physical appearance, gender, language, country of birth, migration status, cultural practices, religion, and even food habits. Without naming ‘intersectionality,’ many of those experiences were classic examples of the multiple and overlapping forms of discrimination that shape racism in practice: Key Findings from Consultations What is Racism? “ Racism is the process by which systems and policies, actions and attitudes create inequitable opportunities and outcomes for people based on race. Racism is more than just prejudice in thought or action. It occurs when this prejudice – whether individual or institutional – is accompanied by the power to discriminate against, oppress or limit the rights of others.” (Australian Human Rights Commission)19 19 12 Australian Human Rights Commission’s webpage, https://humanrights. gov.au/our-work/race-discrimination/what-racism Racism is more than individual attitudes, beliefs, or behaviours. Deeply rooted in the European colonisation of the Americas, racism has historically relied on the constructed idea of ‘race’ to justify hierarchisation of human beings and systems of oppression (see Terms and Definitions). 20 In Australia, the British settlement and colonisation were implemented through land dispossession, and a logic of elimination of First Nations people and substitution by settler-colonial structures and institutions. Settler colonialism also relied on whiteness, as an ideology and practice. 21 Whiteness positions Western-centric modes of being, thinking and organising societies, as well as those individuals who embody them, as a ‘universal’ norm, and relies on ideas of race to categorise as inferior all those who do not correspond to those specific norms. 22 The ways in which the colonial systems of domination were built upon racism matter to understand Australia’s past and present, as their legacies continue to influence institutions today. 23 Racism can manifest through various dimensions, including: • Interpersonal racism, through interactions between individuals or groups of people. • Institutional racism, through policies, practices and behaviours that are normalised in organisations and institutions. Systemic racism, through the dominant norms (informal and formal) and practices that frame behaviour in society and lead to discriminatory treatment and opportunities between individuals and communities. 20 For a core reference, see Quijano, A (2000). ‘Coloniality of power, Eurocentrism, and Latin America.’ Nepantla: Views from South 1 (3): 533–80. 21 Wolfe, P (2006). ‘Settler colonialism and the elimination of the native.’ Journal of Genocide Research 8(4), 387–409. https://doi. org/10.1080/14623520601056240 22 For an analysis of whiteness in Australia and Indigenous representation, see Prof Aileen Moreton-Robinson (2004) ’Whiteness, epistemology and Indigenous representation’ in Moreton-Robinson, A (ed) (2004). Whitening race: essays in social and cultural criticism. Canberra, Aboriginal Studies Press. 23 For an analysis and account of how the settler colonial structures continue to impact the daily lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, see Watego, C (2021). Another day in the colony. St Lucia, University of Queensland Press. “You have been told that there are LGBTQ people in this land, and that makes us feel like we wanted to come to this country. When we arrived in this country, the expectation was not there. We’re not the type of LGBTQ people that we need or want in this country. I guess it’s because of the colour of our skin, the accents we speak, how we speak, and how we dress up and perform ourselves in the public area.” – Consultation with LGBTQIA+ communities “I think it [racism] is when somebody is treated less than other people in terms of skin or culture or denomination. Some people get favours, yet you are less treated.” – Consultation with refugees and asylum seekers “Racism is discrimination in language. When I arrived in Australia, I felt it was impossible to live because I didn’t speak the language. To fit in, I had to lose my identity.” – Community member in Sydney While examples of racism were based on behaviours such as microaggressions, derogatory remarks, bullying, and stereotypes, participants also discussed how these interpersonal manifestations were connected to broader systems: “Sometimes when you are facing racism, there are two different aspects, like the macro and the micro.” – Consultation with people with disability “We need to recognise institutional racism... There are so many prejudices to be faced; when we should be celebrating the fact that many people from multicultural backgrounds speak more than one language. But power doesn’t shift because you want it to. We have a 200-year colonial history behind us that shapes why our institutions are like that.” – Consultation with multicultural media “At times it is difficult to deal with racism like when it is more in the system itself, like when it comes against elder people accessing some service.” – Consultation with new and emerging communities Some participants spoke specifically about racism as part of Australia’s history and how its effects are still being seen today. Racism against First Nations people in Australia was identified both in their local areas and in the broader society: “My ten-year-old daughter was sitting outside of Kmart and she noticed the lady that was checking the bags were letting non-Indigenous people go through and checking Indigenous people’s bags. And she said to me, she commented to me, “Mum, I don’t like that lady. What she’s doing is wrong.” And you know if a ten-year-old can see that that’s wrong.” – Consultation with faith community “First Nations people are treated even more poorly than migrants, especially in outback Australia. Derogatory remarks are made...” – Consultation with migrants in NT “Australia is the most racially comfortable country, racism is so much accepted here as a community. From the start you are saying the Aboriginal people but when you say Australian, you’d imagine a white person. Even the white Australians are racist against their own people which is the Indigenous people.” – Consultation with young people A well-known characteristic of racism is that it homogenises those negatively racialised, denying them recognition in their individuality as human beings. People in consultations mentioned how terms such as ‘African gangs’ were harmful, projecting all ‘young Black men’ as a dangerous category. That language not only stigmatises people from different countries, cultures, languages and communities, but mistakenly named as ‘Africans’ many young people who were born in Australia, with African heritage. 24 Women also spoke of how stereotypes have been imposed on them, compromising their voice and individuality: “Interracial marriages (Filipino + Australian) are seen as made for the purpose of getting citizenship… The mail order bride stereotype” – Consultation with new and emerging communities “My mom is Caucasian Muslim and wears the (hijab) scarf and abaya. When we went to Centrelink, the people that work there thought that she was not from here…The counter worker asked if my mom wanted a translator and my mom told her that she is Caucasian Australian, and the behaviour of the worker changed.” – Consultation with young people 24 During the COVID 19 pandemic, Asian Australians also experienced high discrimination, being blamed for the pandemic. See Kamp, A., Sharples, R., Vergani, M., & Denson, N. (2023). ‘Asian Australian’s experiences and reporting of racism during the COVID-19 pandemic.’ Journal of Intercultural Studies 45(3), 452–472. 13