Racism rears its ugly head

Anyone remember Pauline Hanson? Yes, the Pauline Hanson who almost won Dancing with the Stars. Oh and she also was a politician some years back. She wanted fewer immigrants coming into Australia because “they” were supposedly eroding Australian culture etc. Just Google her, you’ll get the picture.

Well, in the trend of what’s-old-is-new-again, here’s a story that has been doing the rounds with a similar theme. Only this time, I get to comment.

An associate professor in law at a reputable Sydney university wrote a letter to the editor of the Parramatta Sun (a local rag), saying that a high number of black immigrants would invariably lead to increased crime in Parramatta.

His letter was a reaction to the front-page news article a week earlier, where a Sudanese family had gained Australian citizenship.

Ipso facto?

Prof. Genius didn’t back his claim with any hard evidence, studies or surveys. When questioned, he referred to data on black-on-white crime. This data was collected in the USA and none of the “hard” current affairs programs on TV have verified this data to date. But they have done surveys in regards to whether the general public agrees / disagrees with his sentiments. And the result?

80 percent of those who called in agreed that black immigrants were the cause of increased crime. Take a bow Prof. Andrew Fraser. Just like the flared pants, platform boots, afros and fluorescent coloured shirts, you have single-handedly revived Hansonism (Hanson the politician / dancer not the teenybopper pop group). At least Pauline Hanson had an agenda to get into Parliament unlike Mr. Fraser who is currently unable to teach his law classes because the university has shut him down. Tsk! tsk! should have thought of the consequences before writing that letter and signing it with your credentials, which included the name of the university. Moron!

Roll up! Roll up!

So, while he fights to teach his classes, the university is in damage control, offering a scholarship to Sudanese students and assuring its overseas and non-white student populace (that bring in a fair amount of revenue) that they don’t have a Nazi in their faculty.

Meanwhile, the media have done their part as usual. Sensationalized the entire issue by making the contents of the letter front-page news (well done Parramatta Sun, a free newspaper with all the hallmarks of gutter journalism), while the ‘’reputable’’ current affairs programs (A Current Affair, Today Tonight) took to the streets and ran the emotional angle. Not a fact in sight. Anyone remember the 5 Ws and H (who, what, where, when, why and how)?

This just in, the African Communities Council is considering legal action against Prof. Fraser for breaking racial vilification laws. ACC president, Lamaz Bah reckons Prof. Fraser ''has incited hate.''

''I can’t understand how this man can vilify people and then expect to hide behind academia,’’ he said in the Parramatta Sun.

Psynical thoughts

Having lived in Australia and western Sydney for almost five years, I can say that racism exists here, just like it exists everywhere else around the world. Its not a big deal until it is made a big deal. Like with Prof. Fraser’s letter, which, if left on the Letters to the Editor section on page 6, would have been a racist rant and nothing more.

I’m not denying the fact that a problem exists, but being non-white has taught me that this problem will always exist. Hell, in the country I was born in, we had people of the same damn colour being racist to each other, so go figure!

But the holier than thou attitudes of those who support Prof Fraser has irked me somewhat. Here’s an example:

Well done Professor Fraser.
You have the spirit that is needed in this country. But, alas, you are outnumbered by the over-populous migrants who unfortunately now call this once-great country home.
They bring with them trouble and have intention of blending in to our way of life.
Australia has to face the facts: there are some people that just cannot fit or live in a Western country.
Name withheld, Parramatta
(Your Say, Parramatta Sun, August 10, 2005)

Name withheld might want to consider the following question:
Who were the very first migrants to settle in Australia en masse? Something about a penal colony, oh that’s right, they were from Great Britain.
You are a migrant as much as I am then, no?
Prof. Fraser’s claim that Australia’s rising ruling class of Asians ( he reckons because they do so well in the Higher School Certificates) is also an exercise in irony. What Asian ruling class? Last time I looked, Mr. Sheen was still running the country. How many Asians are there in Parliament? The only time you hear about Asians is when a radio talk-show host complains about his / her bank customer service query being answered in India or Malaysia.

Maybe, if the big corporations stop outsourcing work to Asia and invest in the knowledge base here in Australia, Australian graduates of all ethnicities would be able to bring prosperity to the country rather than opting for the first opportunity off the island.
 
Enough ranting. The bottom line is that there is a need for people to be colour- blind. If empathy and tolerance is too hard, try some courtesy. At the end of the day, it’s about giving a fair go. Not because its about being Australian, but because its about being human.