X is for Xenophobia
“Fourteen dead and six
more critically wounded. He was still unable to interpret these events, to
decipher the implications. Border protection had never been so deadly. It had
never come at such a cost. What did it mean in terms of the perceived increase
in people smuggling activity through Australia’s northern seas in relation to
the heightened awareness of every citizen. Australians were xenophobes. He knew
that. He’d experienced racism first hand, but he did not hold it against them.
Even the word ‘them’ made him cringe. He was one of them. Why could he not
think, automatically of us, rather than them? We, he thought to himself,
deliberately correcting, are no different to any other nation on Earth. Filled
with people who are afraid of what is different and of what is unknown.
He
finished his cigarette quickly, suddenly aware that he was wasting time.”
From chapter 3, Ashmore Grief
Racism is much more prevalent than most people care to
admit. Many racists would not even consider themselves to be xenophobes even
when uttering statements which are introduced with the phrase, ‘I’m not a racist
but...’ Most people hold prejudice in their hearts and although they are not
necessarily aware of it, it influences they way they think, behave and speak.
My wife was born in Thailand. She has lived in Australia for
over 20 years and is a citizen. She earned a nursing degree here, and is now
working in the Renal Unit of Wollongong Hospital. A qualified and competent
professional, as well as a compassionate person and a diligent worker, she
still experiences racism. People presume certain things about her because of
her appearance and they equate her accented English as sign of inferior
intellect. She has driven herself hard over many years of study and labour to
prove herself good enough, and is only now learning that for some people, there
is no such thing as ‘good enough.’
Photo sources:
http://blog.ryding2health.com/2013/06/02/daily-post-silver-linings-racism/
http://www.astrologer.com/tests/racism.htm
