I’ve debated over the last few days with whether or not I would post this because I didn’t want to offend anyone. Then I realised that I’m sick of having to tip toe around everyone else to make sure they aren’t offended when I’ve been offended by this country my whole life. Don’t get me wrong I once had a great love for this country and in some ways I still do. I was once proud to call myself Australian. But I no longer feel that way. I don’t feel like an Australian…
I don’t feel like an Australian when I’m constantly questioned about where I’m from and people can’t accept Australia as being my place of origin because I don’t ‘look’ Australian.
I don’t feel like an Australian when Aboriginal people were made to feel like their culture was wrong and ugly yet it’s suddenly become a trend for non Aboriginal people to appropriate our culture without showing respect.
I don’t feel like an Australian when Australia fails to recognise its black history. My family’s history.
I don’t feel like an Australian when Australia Day is celebrated on the day of invasion. The day genocide of Aboriginal people started. The start of ‘breeding out the black’.
I don’t feel like an Australian when white is seen as the standard for Australians and every person of colour ‘has to be from somewhere else’. No one questions where a white Australian is originally from.
I don’t feel like an Australian when destroying land for resources is seen as more important than sacred sites or preserving land and environment.
I don’t feel like an Australian when Australia treats refugees like they’re not worthy of life because they weren’t born here.
I don’t feel like an Australian when an Aboriginal woman speaks out about racism and white Australian responds with more racism and hate.
I’m with you Miranda Tapsell.
Australia, you should be ashamed.
(NOTE FOR ALL THE SOOKS: obviously #notallwhiteaustralians, just enough for it to be a problem)
I don’t feel like an Australian when thry tell me I can’t be Aboriginal because I “don’t look black enough”.
I don’t feel like an Australian when they use the same terms to describe my ethnicity as they did for those children they took away.
I don’t feel like an Australian when they tell me to get over the Stolen Generation because “we’re all one people now” and I’m “half-white” anyway.
I don’t feel like an Australian when an Aboriginal footie player is called racist slurs on the field, and they still have to have a debate over whether it was a race thing or not.
I don’t feel like an Australian when the same people who are proud of their convict migrant heritage complain about being “invaded” by refugees and migrants.
I don’t feel like an Australian when my culture’s Dreamtime lore is read to children as fairy stories and bedtime books instead of works of legitimate cultural importance.
I don’t feel like an Australian when I’m told “but you’re not really Aboriginal, you’re not a dole-bludger or an alcoholic”.
I don’t feel like an Australian when I’m congratulated twice as much for finishing high school because it’s somehow a greater achievement when I’m “part-black”.
I felt like I needed to add to this, I hope you don’t mind @i-believe-i-can-touch-skye
