There has been a lot of news lately on Racism in Australia in particular towards Indian students. Last week Indians rallied in Melbourne for a peaceful protest against racism. 

There are news stories that have spread all over the world and I’m pretty disappointed in the way that Australia is being portrayed. My friends and I were talking and had no idea what was going on, except what was on the news. I love people from other cultures, and had not seen the types of exploitation or violence that was being discussed about in the news, I had to dig through many websites to find out what the media was talking about – on TV it seemed so sinister and scary, and that Indians have to fear for their life, etc..? What is that about, it’s certainly not the reality I know. The media is scaring people from coming here over some robberies and a stabbing of an Indian student. Maybe I’m being naive, but robberies and stabbings happen in capital cities all over the world do they not? Stay safe, don’t go anywhere, don’t do anything? The robberies are happening in one part of Melbourne that even us Aussies hate to travel at night – my sister won’t even let me park in those train stations because of the "dodgy" types that hang out there. It’s not just a racial attack when you are talking about those areas of Melbourne, it’s more a case of avoiding those areas no matter who you are – and the problem is that a lot of international students and unemployed people choose to live in those areas because the accommodation there is very cheap. Of course, the media have a lot to do with the way that everything is being portrayed, and I share a couple of those videos below. You can see ‘one side’ of the story by watching the news, usually a one-sided out of proportion ‘scary’ story – because those are the types of stories that make it "global" and get more ‘viewers’. There are dodgy areas in every country that people need to be extra careful to avoid, and I’m pretty disappointed that this point seems to have been missed. On the upside, maybe by having a police presence in these areas, and other security precautions, it may make those areas safer, so perhaps these news stories will allow more funding to the local police in those areas to be able to make those streets safer, and an overall look at all the problems that all international students face in Australia, could prove beneficial by it being so ‘global news’ right now, especially now that the politicians are now "right in the spotlight" and will have to "Do Something" because of all the media attention.

Overall, despite Australia’s bad-publicity about it, I do believe positive things will come from it, especially for International students.

Exploitation of students by employers, rogue colleges mistreating students, landlords demanding high rents for a small room only, racial attacks involving Indian students followed by an Indian student protest in the heart of Melbourne and outrage in politics while students in India burnt the Aussie flag. It all sounds very `Un-Australian`. But it happened last week and it could happen again. A lot has been said about the robbery and assault of Indian students in Melbourne. [Read Full Article - Source: Kangaruni.com Proud to be Australian?] Is Australia a racist country and unsafe for foreign students?

The following couple of videos is what’s being shown on the news down here in Australia: 

This first video is an 8 minute report about the situation from the ABC news. "Tensions have been simmering for some time now because when the students get here the promised lifestyle is not what they were told back home. The students studying in the capital cities find themselves having to rent houses in the outer suburbs and doing night jobs to make ends meet." “There are many university students which don’t have their college accommodation, so that is why we are going to the suburbs,” 

The second video is another news story from the ABC. This is a news story on International student issues (mainly Indian) in Australia. Also interviews many people including Federation of Indian Students of Australia.

This third video is one I’d really like you to watch if you are reading this. Some Sydney University students went out to interview actual international students to find out what they really think (not just what the media is making headlines) and whether students really believe that Australians are Racists. "We hit the streets for guerilla style interviews to see what real people think."

In my opinion, it is difficult for any student studying in capital cities to make ends meet if they are not fully prepared before they come here, it’s hard to get a job if you don’t have the skills (even for locals), harder if you don’t have English fluency because you are ‘judged’ in the interview room and are up against those who are fluent in English, and the living expenses are much higher. Any student coming to Australia who are worried about the cost of living, could consider studying in a quieter, cheaper, rural environment rather than a capital city, the expenses will be much cheaper, although it is much harder to get a job in a rural area as well unless you are not fussy about the kind of work you do.

These types of news stories happen all over the world, not just in Australia, although now that the news has reached global publicity and gone "political", I hope that a greater good will come of it and that more ‘awareness’ is made of the types of problems foreign students and immigrants face in Australia so that good ‘change’ is made to rectify the current problems.

As one of the most multicultural countries in the world, Australia is accepting of all cultures, and all religions and your right to practice your faith without persecution or discrimination is protected by law. University and vocational education and training (VET) institutions often have prayer rooms on campus, and there are many places of worship representing all faiths in towns and cities around the country. 

Although I know that racism exists within Australia (and everywhere in the world), I am one of many who believe it’s not the majority who are racists, and that most people are welcoming of foreigners and find it exciting and interesting to meet with people from different cultures, I have seen first-hand that even those that are vocally against foreigners, are still culturally tolerant and will smile and talk to those that they claim to not like. I have worked with people from almost every country in the various jobs I’ve had over the years and have not seen the problems that are shown on the media now, even when I worked in Melbourne. I’m not naive to think that there isn’t problems at all – I do believe that Australia has a lot of work to do with regards to opening up their understanding of the different cultures, but I also agree that it’s still one of the most safest and best countries in the world to live, work, and study, and is a country that is generally very much accepting and welcoming of people from other cultures.

Related Articles "In the News" this week:

Gilchrist to the rescue
Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney,New South Wales,Australia on Sat, 06 Jun 2009 07:08:21 -0700
A prominent member of Sydney’s Indian community has dismissed as "entirely futile" a planned rally in the city centre today to highlight assaults on Indian …

Indian student body in Australia concerned over ‘anti-Indian Indians’
MSN India, Bangalore,Karnataka,India on Sat, 06 Jun 2009 05:20:46 -0700
Melbourne: An organisation representing Indian students in Australia said Saturday it was "quite disturbed" over how some "anti-Indian Indians" here were …

Cine federation appeals to producers to avoid shooting in Aus
Indopia, India on Sat, 06 Jun 2009 07:11:52 -0700
Mumbai , Jun 6 In the backdrop of attacks on Indian students in Australia, a federation of cine employees&aposunions has appealed to its members and the …

Northeast students question ‘racism’ in India
Smash Hits, India on Sat, 06 Jun 2009 07:08:23 -0700
Guwahati, June 6 (IANS) With stars in their eyes hordes of students from India’s northeast region head towards various parts of the country during admission …

Indians passive by nature? Don’t add insult to injury
WA today, Perth,WA,Australia on Sat, 06 Jun 2009 07:03:28 -0700
INDIAN students have some strange friends in Australia. One major columnist condemned attacks on Indian students last week, deeming them especially odious .

‘No pattern of violence against Indian students’
Times Now.tv, Mumbai,Maharashtra,India on Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:11:15 -0700
Bashing and stabbing attacks on five Indian men in Melbourne prompted a mass protest involving earlier this week that gridlocked a major city centre …

Bollywood body boycotts Australia following racial attacks
Smash Hits, India on Sat, 06 Jun 2009 07:08:23 -0700
However, there are those who believe the attacks should not be allowed to affect the Indian entertainment industry’s ties with Australia. …

Interview of Graduate Felix after the Graduation Ceremony at the Billy Blue College of Design, Sydney Australia. Ask us about studying at Billy Blue for your Graphic Design, Game Design, Digital Media, and Web Design courses. 

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