Australian culture is based upon an aggressive form of self-imposed conformity, which viciously attacks anyone who is deemed unique. Contrary to the promoted ideals of mateship, having a fair go, and egalitarianism, Australia does in fact function under a subconsciously discriminatory system that vilifies ‘outsiders’ who threaten the status quo. The documentary The Australian Dream directed by Daniel Gordon released in 2019 and the novel After Darkness by Christine Piper published in 2014 both represent this toxic culture in different ways. While the documentary shows the dehumanisation of AFL player Adam Goodes because of his calling out of racism towards Indigenous players, After Darkness deals with the more complex issue of Japanese internment …show more content…
This is shown in The Australian Dream when Adam Goodes called out a young girl for calling him an “ape” during the Swans and Collingwood game in 2013. Goodes quotes, “Whenever I had been racially vilified before it had been by peers or drunk men, It’s more shocking when it’s a 13-year-old child. No 13-year-old is racist”. Ultimately, this is evidence of generational racism and has most-likely stemmed from familial beliefs and assumptions that date back to more severe times of oppression towards aboriginals. Overall, calling out the young girl caused outrage Australia wide which quickly backfired on Goodes and led to AFL fans relentlessly booing at Goodes when he touched or scored, which many speculated to be motivated by racism. This ultimately took a toll on his mental health, prompting him to take a break from AFL in 2015 to discover more about his aboriginal origins. Yet, the dehumanisation of Goodes was not confined to only this incident, like when he was confronted by racist attitudes and treatment, being targeted for speaking up against the accepted values of AFL culture and being depicted as “contentious” and a “troublemaking” person in the media. The media and AFL fans actions ultimately destroyed his dignity, leaving him with no choice but to abandon his …show more content…
This theme occurs throughout The Australian Dream when Adam Goodes was targeted by fans and media that were confronting him with racist attitudes and treatment. Moreover, in the novel After Darkness Dr. Ibaraki was dehumanised as he was deprived of his identity. After Darkness focuses on how government actions and cultural attitudes deprived people of their sense of compassion, identity, and dignity towards Japanese people in WWII. Both the documentary and the novel are relevant in today's society as they highlight how non-European Australians have been dehumanised throughout Australia's history and how little has changed. Furthermore, they both position the reader to feel empathy and angry on behalf of the protagonists due to the displacement, discrimination and racism they’re both impacted by. The Australian Dream and After Darkness overall reveal the truth behind Australia and how it runs under a racism-based prejudiced system that dehumanises outsiders who challenge the status
By including this theme, Silvey is highlighting the ongoing issue of racism in Australia and encouraging readers to question their own attitudes
In Australia, this, the unthinkable to many Australians, is and has been the reality for millions of Indigenous Australians across the nation. And there is a simple name for it. Prejudice. ‘The White Girl’ by Tony Birch and ‘Shame’ by Kevin Gilbert both offer a harrowing insight into what prejudice looked before a modern-day Australia, and both are vital to look at then, now and moving forward. Racial prejudice is embedded in the tapestry of Australia's
The recent racist abuse against footy stars Lance Franklin and Lewis Jetta again highlights the ever-present racist nature of Australian citizens, installed in their thoughts, beliefs and shown through their actions. This again happened on the most holy, sacred ground in Australia’s contemporary history, the footy field. A venue of joy, mateship and passion for the sport all Australians love; but also a place of unwavering criticism, controversy and abhorrent racist attitudes and actions from fans as witnessed from the continuous booing and hate over the 2015/16 seasons towards Indigenous footy star, Adam Goodes. In the last IQ2 debate in 2015 on ABC, acclaimed journalist and First Nations elder Stan Grant, delivered a comprehensive and thought-provoking
For non-Australians and even for many Australian citizens, knowledge of Australian policies such as the Half Caste Acts, Aboriginal Protection Act and non-indigenous policies such as the White Australia policy and the Assimilation policy stained Australian culture as incredibly racist. This context would help the audience of Stolen to understand just how much cruelty Indigenous Australians experienced. Harrison pushes the thematic concern of inequality through the five children institutionalised. The children are played by adults who symbolises the transgression of pain from child to adult; sexual abuse, intellectual abuse and physical abuse never just
The documentary skillfully juxtaposes archival footage that showcases the triumphant moments of Adam Goodes, a celebrated Indigenous footballer, with a deeply affecting interview where Goodes shares a chilling anecdote about the racial abuse he endured during a game. By giving Goodes a voice to recount his personal experiences, the documentary humanizes him and exposes the emotional trauma inflicted by racist comments. Through this construction of voice, viewers are led to question the values of a society that celebrates success on one hand but fails to protect and support its Indigenous citizens from racial abuse on the other. The stark contrast between Goodes' achievements and the racial hostility he faced challenges the notion of an Australian Dream built on inclusivity and equal opportunity for
Described as “Australia’s Martin Luther King moment” Stan Grant as part of the IQ2 debate series attempted to confirm the legitimacy of that “Racism is destroying the Australian Dream”. Grant pronounced that racism was not only eroding the Australian dream, but lay at its very foundation. Beginning his speech, Grant references the recent controversy involving former AFL player Adam Goodes and the racist butchery which lead to his eventual retirement. Grant talks inclusively about the incident inciting that "When we heard those boos, we heard a sound that was very familiar to us ...
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. One of the main points is that the indigenous Australians are often excluded and disregarded as non-Australians simply due to their race and skin colour. Grant pointed out the incident where AFL player Adam Goodes was publicly jeered and told that he did not belong to his country as he was not an Australian despite the fact that Australia indeed is the land of his ancestors.
The descriptive language, “cheap, exotic food” even tries to ridicule the cultural food which migrants were expected to prepare for the Australians. “Cheap, exotic food” is a connotation for unsatisfactory food. “Feed the mainstream”, hints that regardless of a migrant’s new identity, they were still considered as different from the majority. The quote, “We’ve given you opportunity for family reunion, equality, and status, though your colour could be wrong” uses racial imagery to create a picture in the audience’s mind of the “incorrect” coloured Australians. This statement maintains the concept of migrants never being able to be fully considered Australian.
Looking for Alibrandi provides valuable insights into the struggles faced by individuals like Josephine in navigating cultural identity and assimilation within Australia's multicultural landscape. By addressing themes of cultural heritage, societal expectations, and the challenges experienced by immigrant communities, the novel deepens our understanding of multiculturalism and its complexities. It sheds light on the need for a more nuanced and inclusive portrayal of Australia's multicultural society (Marchetta, 1992). Moreover, the representation of diverse experiences in popular culture, as depicted in Looking for Alibrandi and its film adaptation, contributes to a more inclusive and representative portrayal of Australia's multicultural
Australia was a racist and bigoted nation. Commonly referred to as ‘Australia for the white man’, society was dominated by colonisers
The narrator describes how the Indigenous Australians in the area were forced to leave their land, saying, "The black people are gone, and so are the dingoes" (Ottley, 2007, p. 5). This quote highlights the displacement of Indigenous Australians by white settlers, as well as the impact of their absence on the environment. Moreover, the artwork in the text portrays the Indigenous Australians as dark and shadowy, emphasizing their marginalization and exclusion from mainstream society. Together, these examples demonstrate how power imbalances are present not only between humans, but also between humans and animals, and between different racial groups. The text serves as a commentary on the
This however can cause conflict when there is a vast difference between how they see themselves and how others such as outsiders, white Australia or the government see them. This has led to the stereotyping of Indigenous Australians which has been perceived in positive and negative views. Negative views have consisted of portraying them as the most disadvantaged group within Australia due to inequalities in employment, income, education, and the over representation within the criminal system (Van Krieken et al., 2017, p. 230). Media representations of these negative views have also played a crucial role in how Indigenous Australians identify. Heiss (2012) writes throughout the autobiography the challenges she has faced with regards to how she identifies and how ‘the other’ thinks she should identify as she states that her identity is not about race.
The poem “Australia’s Silenced History” was written by Nola Gregory from Western Australia in November 2016 as a response to a powerful and provoking video called “Stan Grant talking about racism and the Great Australian Dream.” The poem was written so that our nation would not forget that Australia has a dark past. The subject of the poem is Australia’s dark history and how it impacted many people. The theme is the importance of respecting and acknowledging our history so it can be dealt with. The subject matter of the poem Australia’s Silenced History is about the shameful history of Australia.
Indigenous Australians, in many states, were denied full citizenship on grounds of their race. Migration laws were set up at every opportunity to support "white" European outsiders to Australia. However, gradual change in people’s perceptions began in the late 1960 's. Racism all through the 1960 's impacted the characters in the way that it improved certain qualities, and got the perusers to additionally comprehend the characters themselves, and in addition feel certain feelings towards them. Supremacist mentalities and activities are obvious all through the novel. For instance, the Lu family are over and over separated because of the way that they are Vietnamese migrants.
Australia has always been filled with racism, starting with the treatment of indigenous people in the past. Many Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families as a result of numerous government policies. Most of the indigenous children were adopted into white families. They wanted to create a white society.