Anti-Immigrant, Anti-Indian

This past week has been filled with a sense of overwhelm. On top of work stress, some life stress and mild migraines, I’ve been hearing and reading about anti-immigrant, and especially, anti-Indian rhetoric. It started with the anti-immigration marches nationwide at the end of August. I didn’t think much of it at the time; just a bunch of ignorant people blaming immigrants for things when in fact, they really should be blaming the wealthiest of the wealthy. I also firmly believe we are all immigrants in some way or the other except for the Aboriginal people whose land this is. Whose land was stolen.

Those protests though, took an uglier turn. There were white supremacists at the rallies. They wanted to maintain ‘European’ values. They attacked an Indigenous protest site {clearly, immigration is not the issue. Black and brown people are.} And then, we had one of conservative politicians go on a rant on radio about Indians. Price, an Indigenous Australian but strangely, against a lot of Aboriginal policies like The Voice, made a comment about how Indians were being favoured to migrate to Australia because they would vote for Labor {for those not from here, that’s our left-leaning/moderate government currently in power}. Now, if Price actually knew about politics, she’d know that a lot of Indians in India vote conservatively which is why they too have a far-right government in power. And I’m pretty sure a majority of them vote conservatively here too. But honestly, when you’re looking for someone to blame, why bother doing your research?

Unlike when I moved here 20 years ago, Indians are currently the top community migrating to Australia. So are individuals from China, Nepal. Sri Lanka and the Phillipines. And based on her comments, all of us brown people {because, you know, we all look the same} are fucked.

Reading the anti-Indian/anti-South Asian rhetoric online has been tough. I say this as someone who has been very fortunate to have only had one overt experience of racism as an international student when a bus driver accused me of “taking Australian jobs”. Sure, mate. Of course, I guess there were the subtle things, most of which I didn’t let bother me. Like the ‘Wow, you speak English so well!’ when some people find out I wasn’t born and raised here. Or the ones I did let bother me – not getting jobs as a school psychologist in private schools despite a lot of experience in 2015-16 and then learning later that someone with less experience than me got the job. The difference? They were white. My name on my resume was clearly not. I didn’t dwell on it though. I have been fortunate. I’ve lived in the area where the Cronulla riots of 2005 occurred and still never faced any racism and actually had pretty lovely interactions the 7 years I lived there. I lived on the Central Coast – another very white area. Again, I didn’t face any overt or covert discrimination.

But now, with the hate against brown people being openly endorsed by politicians nonetheless, it’s starting to feel a bit scary. I find myself wondering about the things that could potentially unfold. Of how someone ignorant but filled with hate could act. I know for the most part, I live and work in an accepting area. But it doesn’t mean that a random person with white supremacist views doesn’t exist. I also think about how my immigrant but white partner is more likely to be accepted despite arriving here much later than I did.

I chose Australia as my home 20 years ago. It’s the place I’ve lived in the longest. I always felt at home here; it’s something I’ve spoken about before on the blog and to a lot of people I know. I even gave up my Indian citizenship without any qualms as India does not allow for dual citizenship. In India, I don’t exist because I left long before I could vote, long before they brought in social security cards. But I exist here. I love it here, despite its flaws. And yet, when these racist politicians and people against immigration rally against people like me, all they see is the colour of my skin. Something I cannot hide. Something I do not want to hide.

Through my work with individuals of South Asian and other ethnic backgrounds, I learn more and more about the racism they have experienced over the years. Some of them grew up here, experienced open hate and discrimination through school. Others, like me, came as adults but now are feeling more nervous than they did before.

I remember talking to my therapist about the importance of connection and community for me. I have worked hard to build that. Sometimes, I wish I could speak to the people who spew hate, understand why, and get them to have some perspective. But then, I wonder, will they even listen?

I don’t know the point of penning this post. Maybe it’s to do something about a situation where I can do nothing. Maybe it’s a way to assuage my fears and overwhelm. Or maybe, it’s just a way to connect – with those who experience the same, and those who are anti-racist and condemn people who are racist.

Sometimes, I just have to write the words. And hope for the best.

Featured Image Source: Javardh on Unsplash