Written on 2010-02-25 20:31:10
As an Australian, I have been disappointed by certain reports in the Indian media about Australian racism. There’s no question that racism exists in Australia. I recall my own father telling me one day when I was a little less than presentable, “If you come to the dinner table like that you can go and live with the blackfellas.” My reaction as a child: horror! I always had an innate sense that vilifying others was wrong. When I grew up and went to university, I was naturally attracted to Asians, and I had good friends from China, Singapore, Japan and yes, India. We went out many times together, and I don’t ever recall any racial incident in my five years with them. Many Indian reports have been vastly exaggerated and actually aggravate racial hatred.
One good thing about the hostile Australia bashing (an irony indeed) in the Indian media is that it has made me realise that I now have a tendency to feel the same way towards China. We all need to discipline ourselves, especially in online environments, where racist slanging matches can quickly get out of hand. It is far easier to see and condemn the darkness in others, than within ourselves. Spiritual teacher Leonard Jacobson once said that if you gaze at the ocean you will see the vastness and eternity within yourself, but if you spend your time peering into the shadows of others and judging them, you will be lost in a world of projection and hate.
Hong Kong (where I live) and China have their own problems with racism. I will never forget my mainland Chinese wife being screamed at on a public bus, by an irate local who could not stand the sight of her being with a white man. “You are a whore! How many men have you slept with?” he demanded to know. Another time a local began yelling at me at a post office because I inadvertently stood in the wrong queue. “Do you think you are special because you are white?” he yelled red-faced, his wagging finger an inch from my nose.
Although I was too shocked at the time to offer an intelligent response, my answer would now be, “No, I’m not much different from you. Thanks for letting me see myself.”
Marcus