About the Eracism Project
Welcome to the Eracism Project blog! The Eracism Project aims to raise awareness of the problems experienced by young Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds as a result of racism.
Racism is alive in Queensland, and young people are suffering as a result.
What is racism? It is more than just prejudice, personal dislikes, or discrimination. Everybody has personal preferences about what they are culturally comfortable with. These preferences are not necessarily racist, (though they may be). But racism is about power relationships between groups of people, or individuals from different groups. Racism is prejudice PLUS power.
Open or overt racism includes what most people generally think of as ‘racism’. Things like calling people by offensive names or nicknames, blatantly refusing to serve people in shops and clubs, or physically attacking members of a minority group are all examples of open racism.
Hidden or covert racism is when people are discriminated against or disadvantaged in hidden ways. There might not be a sign on the door saying “No Aboriginal People” but if the motel, restaurant or real estate agent has an unspoken policy of ‘no dreadlocks or dark faces in here’ then the effect is the same. Similarly, if you are allowed to attend a school, but (unlike other students) you are never believed when trouble erupts, you may very well be experiencing hidden racism.
Institutional Racism can occur sometimes despite the good intentions of most people involved. For example, a school or business may think that it ‘doesn’t discriminate’ but if every sign in the building is written only in English, if all or most staff are from a dominant culture, and if there are no efforts to make people from minority groups feel accepted and valued, then institutional racism is at play. This can explain why some institutions don’t get job applications from anyone from minority groups, and why minority group members feel very unwelcome in some workplaces and settings.
Majority group members (i.e. ‘white’ Christian Queenslanders) often have trouble believing that racism exists. Minority group people (eg Indigenous and other non-‘white’ people) rarely do, because they experience it firsthand. Minority group members are the experts on racism.
Racism can make some young people in Queensland feel unsafe, worthless and even suicidal. Racism affects people’s education, health, relationships, well-being and life chances.
This site is for everybody. If you belong to the majority group of Queenslanders who’ve never had to experience racism themselves, Eracism wants to help you challenge the stereotypes you may not even know you have! If you belong to a minority, we want to hear your experiences and suggestions, and be a platform for your voice to be heard. Racism is a contentious issue, and it can get people very riled up. We want to provide a safe outlet for thought-provoking discussion, but we also want you to be able to relax a bit too.
So drop in here often, let us know your comments, ideas or experiences with racism. We want to hear from you!
If you’d like to contact us, email info@eracism.com.au, or find us on facebook here! You can also follow us on Twitter: @cald_yanq
