Australia always boasts its harmonious multicultural coexistence and the tolerance for different skin colors of its residents, no matter whether they are temporary or permanent. Comparatively speaking, Australia seemingly behaves much better than a few other developed countries concerning racism issues. However, quite often, we can see or even experience visible and invisible racism without racists in our daily life. As Ingrid put in the blogpost, skilled migrants had to dequalify or deskill themselves in order to find jobs in the new country. English proficiency is the first visible threshold. But if you are not typical Australian with typical English accent and appearance, there will be so many different thresholds waiting for you in pursuit of typical Australian life. Thats racism without racists!

Utopia affirms the value and dignity of all citizens with regard to their racial or ethnic origins, their language, or their religious affiliations.
Mulitculturalism is fundamental to our belief that some citizens are more equal than others. We ensure that all citizens keep their identitites so that we know who has the access to which job market.

Our multiculturalism encourages racial and ethnic discriminations and the gaps in cross-cultural and inter-cultural understanding.

Mutual disrespect develop common attitude which helps new citizens at the periphery and old citizens in the core.

All citizens are theoretically guranteed equality before the law and equality of opportunity with regard to their origin, language and colour.

Our diveristy is a strategy which helps us know and place who speak many languages and understand culture to Pizza delivery jobs, house-keeping, security and cab-driving.

We believe in multiculturalism and promote it in such subtle manners that who experience it can only know what it means. So welcome to the land of Eutopia.

Thanks for inspirational piece!

Khan

one of my co-workers is Vietnamese and it is clearly the case she is discriminated against because of her English (which is pretty good but strongly accented). She’s been relegated to more or less a secretarial position even though she has high level research skills. However, re the onlineopinion article, I think Australia is incredibly mainstreamed. Any sort of ‘other’ is ostracised and reduced, and the more ‘other’ is the person the greater is the denial of their worth.

I think Language on the Move readers interested in issues raised here will also find Bill Collopy’s article, “Australia racist? Well, der!” useful. The article was posted today at the below url:
http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=10899&page=0

I got the subtext

I think the same system that denies the needs and interests of workers will, in the long run, produce in them a false understanding of what their needs and interests actually are.

best,
vahid