Racism: Subtle, Soft and Sickening

The little bell on the door tinkers lightly as it swings open. A gust of cool air sweeps in. The chatter of brunch-goers, along with the clang of cutlery sets a cheery ambience in this small coffee shop. At this very moment however, one brunch-goer is experiencing something unpleasant. She stays quiet, she doesn't want to bother her companion, who is tucking into her smashed avo without a clue as to what is happening mere centimetres from her. A couple sitting one table away are making snide remarks about her. About what exactly? Her race. 

There is no doubt that racism towards Asians is alive and well in 2018 Australia. Racism towards those of Asian descent has become much more subtle over the years. While it is no longer socially acceptable to call a Chinese person "ching chong" (you won't believe how many times I heard this in primary school) and a shift away from the portrayal of Asians as the token nerd who tries but ultimately fails to win over a Caucasian love interest, we cannot deny that racist attitudes are still thriving. 

A friend of mine told me about a subtle incidence of racism she experienced recently. She was at work when she, along with other colleagues, met with someone fairly important. This fairly important guy shook hands with the Caucasian colleagues and my friend stuck out her hand, expecting the same handshake. Almost as if she had become invisible in that moment, the fairly important guy turned his back on her outstretched hand and proceeded to walk away. This situation can be explained very simply. In this guy's mind, someone of Asian appearance is immediately less worthy of respect, more likely to be incompetent and generally speaking, socially subordinate. Not to mention, this friend was female, which means (quite logically) that she is far less capable than her male colleagues, probably emotionally unstable and "bossy" (because she's assertive). Sorry- got side-tracked, back to the racism. 

What I want you to take from this is that racism comes in all shapes and colours. Racism is not clear-cut; it's not just the man who walks past you on the street and screams "get the f*ck out of my country you f*cking [insert race]" (based on a true story- we were walking out of a restaurant in our local area when a man started hurling abuse at us, honestly was quite frightening). Racism can be discreet; it can be overlooked even by the people who are victims of it. It can be a seemingly innocent question: "No, but where do you really come from?" or it can be a certain contemptuous tone of voice directed at you and your kind only. So the next time you see someone displaying some subtle bigotry while you're peacefully brunching, make sure you do something about it. Don't let it slide. 

P.S. check out the sibilance in my title! also it's been almost 2 years since I last posted something! wowee