At school
Racism looks like: Being bullied for how you look, what you eat or what you wear, being made to feel different from other students or when teachers don’t stand up to racism when it happens.
“My son told me that his teacher said not to bother studying because people like him find it too hard to learn because their family’s big, and that he will just be made to go and get a job to support us all.”
— Mbali, 40
At home
Racism looks like: Family members criticising or making jokes about people from different racial backgrounds.
“In my family there are often racist comments made… I try to set an example by talking about my multicultural group of friends and colleagues and “normalising” the fact that we have an incredibly multicultural Australian community.”
— Emily, 19
Online
Racism looks like: Receiving harassing messages on Facebook, being on an email chain for offensive “jokes” or racist YouTube videos or comments.
“A friend received a Facebook friend request from someone they vaguely know with a swastika as his cover page. We shared his page and our disgust, tagging all mutual friends personally so they would see and encouraged them to do the same. Within 8 hours he had removed the photo and apologised.”
— Owen, 17
In public
Racism looks like: Being abused, being called names, being spat at, having things thrown at you or when people act aggressively to you.
"Around the footy club, humour is very important. But sometimes it can get to you. I was playing with my brother and they started calling us “the bombers”. Or they’ll go in hard in a tackle and call you a dirty Arab.”
— Yussef, 17
At shops or using services
Racism looks like: Not being served or being served after everyone else, being followed around by security or being treated unfairly compared to others.
“A club bouncer did not let me and a friend in. I am Sri Lankan, he is Indian … his excuse was that “we weren’t on the guest list”. A moment later, three of our white friends strolled into the club without so much as a glance from the bouncer.”
— Dinesh, 19
At work
Racism looks like: Being refused a job interview because of your name, being abused, teased or left out by workmates or not being considered for a promotion.
“When I was looking for a job, my resume said I spoke Arabic. I didn’t get one interview. When I took this off my resume I got four interviews. It might have been a coincidence.”