“F**K OFF, YOU INDIAN MONKEY!”
Last week revered neurosurgeon Charlie Teo commented about racism being alive and well in Australia.
His Aussie-born and Chinese-featured daughter told him about being on Bondi beach during an Australia Day celebration when someone told her: “Go back to your own country”.
He later discovered an Indian colleague of his had been spat on for being black.
I can relate to both events because both have happened to me.
I migrated here from Bangalore as a 12-year-old in the 70s and, despite a list of prejudiced and race-related atrocities, many fabulous things have also happened.
I am now an Australian citizen. This is my home.
Jessica Rowe’s insightful piece posted on The Hoopla, I’m not a racist, but… reminded me of a couple of tongue-in-cheek columns I wrote for the Byron Bay newspaper, The Northern Star, about racism in sport and what prompted me to write them.
One sunny day in downtown Byron Bay in early 2008, for no apparent reason, a bunch of white blokes drove past me and yelled out, “Fucking Indian monkey! Fuck off back to your own country!” and then the gutless wonders sped off.
Turns out there was a reason. There had been reports of racist incidents on the cricket pitch, involving players from both teams of the India/Australia cricket match the day before.
I’m no sports-person, and although I’m Indian by birth and origin, I’m not a cricket enthusiast. (I do eat a lot of bananas but surely that doesn’t make me a monkey and, as an Aussie, I’m in my own country, so what?)
Initially I was shocked and hurt, but relieved this had happened in broad daylight around other people, rather than meeting these guys in the dark somewhere on my own.
Then I was pissed off. So I went home, researched the “monkey incidents” and wrote a piece at the time called “Cameras don’t lie, reporters do!”
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26 Responses to this article
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shelley January 23, 2012
Sandy you have a fabulously healthy outlook but at the same time racism is still appalling and unforgiveable. My parents are racist, loved Alf Garnett and were embarrassingly rude to our Italian neighbors in the 60′s and 70′ but I am lucky enough to have grown out of any of their habits I may have learned as a child. You are right, racism does come from fear but the ugliness of how it is expressed defies any justification. People are people the world over and no-one is better than anyone just because of the color of their skin etc. Peace to you.
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Joan Woolley January 23, 2012
Hold your head up high Sandy and be proud of your heritage I am and I am a 5th gen aussie and not racist because my husband was an Englishman and I saw what taunts he suffered at the hands of so called aussie mates it hurts and so uncalled for we are all brothers and sisters on this planet my aussie friend.
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Linda Jaivin January 23, 2012
Hello Sandy! Love your work. I think you simply outshone the Northern Star. People who live in inner city Sydney as I do, surrounded by organic cafes and cool little theatres doing edgy little plays like to think that it’s all very progressive here; I think we’d like to believe that racism is a problem on the margins, in the suburbs, in small towns etc. But one African friend and neighbour is regularly abused on racial grounds by morons in our relatively genteel neighbourhood of Elizabeth Bay. And I was once coming out of a dinner party in Vaucluse with an Australian-born friend whose mother was Korean and a group of well-heeled teenagers emerging from a rather posh house at the same time began yelling at her to go back to ‘Asia’. Politicians and community leaders really do have to start acknowledging that it’s a problem in Australian society.
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Carolyn January 23, 2012
You are so right, scratch the surface and you will find racism everywhere.
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Carolyn January 23, 2012
I think this is very timely, with “Australia Day” just around the corner.
Is it just me that sees this day as an excuse for xenophobia?
I missed the memo when this event became such a jingoist flag waving fest.
Cars with flags attached to the windows! Bucket hats adorned with the Aus flag.
I find it all very unseemly. -
Joni January 23, 2012
Racism is in every race—–Our eldest daughter has several Asian friends who say they can’t attend sleepovers with white kids because their parents believe “that they don’t work hard and have bad morals”. Our daughter asks them to parties and the poor kids say “If you were Asian, we could go…”
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TreesRGreen January 23, 2012
and that is what’s called a ghetto, in that case, a self imposed ghetto, but a ghetto all the same. isn’t that the challenge of multiculturalism? No racism, no assimilation and no ghettos. Hard work for us all. Happy Australia Day. We ALL got here by boat after all (yeah yeah or ‘plane).
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Nareen Young January 23, 2012
Joni, I don’t think tha’s racist, I think it’s a reasonable observation from some Asian cultural viewpoints. I love that my son’s class has heaps of kids in it who have a work and achievement ethic that has influenced him. I like most parents worry about what my kids might get up to given what I was doing at that age and I think that our mainstream Australian drinking culture, which I am a part of, needs to be managed with teenagers. Linda, I live in the inner city too and I am neverendingly amazed at the racism I see, especially by relatively new residents towards Aboriginal people. I’ve seen this play out in local schools and in community services over the last fifteen years and it is horrible. Not ‘looking’ Aboriginal means I’ve heard things that I’m still reeling over, and most unforgivably, about children. In dealing in kids sport over the years, my experience has been the posher the school, the poorer the attitude and that includes towards Anglo Australian kids who are scorned for who they are ie dont attend a privare school and called ‘povvo’.. However, I work in diversity practice so I have the privilege of working with lots of people who aren’t racist at all, so I get to see the other side.
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TreesRGreen January 23, 2012
Love the name Sandy Ghandi, perfect! Love it like I love Kylie Kwongs name. Says it all really. I do recall seeing British chef (Aynsley….) on the Today show once, he saw one of Kylie’s cookbooks on the shelf in the studio kitchen they were in, and roared laughing,joked about it, until it was gently pointed out that yes, it was real. Gold.
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Nareen Young January 23, 2012
BTW loving your comments Carlyn about the flags etc. I find it horrible, we go to the beach early, then to Yabun for Survival Day but always full of worry that some poor old Aunty or Uncle will get bashed by celebrators on the way, then we lock ourselves into somewhere safe. Our neighbors, excellent young people, always have a Hottest 100 party that’s loud and boozy (and my kids love that I mentioned that I might put the hose on people shagging on our front fence as they did one year, its only cos Im jealous, promise) they don’t seem to have to dress or flag up to celebrate. I know when this developed, and its so sad. This isn’t the country I knew and loved. I wish it was different.
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Anne Lawton January 23, 2012
Hi Sandi, I find it quite shocking that you have been treated this way – great that you have a sense of humour and have been able to deal with it in your own way. I for one treat people as I find them, no matter what their nationality, colour or creed. I have had both good and bad experiences with all nationalities (including white Anglo-Saxon Australians!) and try not to let the bad experiences colour my judgement. It’s my belief (hopefully not too naive) that most people in Australia feel the same way I do and that it’s the uneducated (and shall we say, unintelligent?) minority that give the rest of us a bad name. I don’t know anyone in my various circles of social and work friends who would dream of such behaviour. I catch the train every day to work in Sydney and it actually gives me great pleasure to see the diversity of nationalities on the train. To me it’s exciting and rewarding that Sydney is such a multicultural city. I understand that in smaller, more countrified towns amongst a conservative, older, middle-class population, there is probably not that degree of acceptance. I guess it all takes time. I believe most people are “good” at heart and it’s fear of anything different and lack of understanding that brings these prejudices out.I’m reading a book at the moment that’s set in Australia just after Gallipoli. It’s set in a small country town in Victoria and there is huge animosity towards the German residents in the area, many of whom are forced to change their name or leave the area. I came to Australia from Scotland in the 1970s from Scotland and had to put up with all sorts of ribbing about the Scots being mean etc – but of course that happens in the UK as well (those bloody Sassenachs in England!) and is more of a good-natured thing – nothing like being spat on in the street or being told to ‘go back to where you came from’. Ironically the idiots who attacked you verbally in the street probably really love their Indian curry takeaway after a day at the cricket or whatever! Thanks for your post!
PS: Racism and prejudice also do exist in other countries and among specific nationalities, sadly. Not that that’s any excuse for Australia. I have heard Catholic Lebanese referring to Muslim Lebanese as ‘dirty Arabs’ for example. It’s all very sad! -
Damian O'Donnell January 24, 2012
Sandi, Australians aren’t racist rather all human beings are racists. For some strange reason ethnic groups (normally those in the majority) must sling off at the ‘lesser’ mortals in a given area. Being Catholic my friends and I had to run the gauntlet of Protestant kids on our way home from school. This lasted until the waves of ‘New Australians’ made an impact on everybody – so began the age of the ‘Refo’. Going to the pictures was an experience, seating was segregated according to race, Front Stalls – Aboriginals; Back Stalls – Chinese and Dress Circle – White, that was central Western NSW in 1969. As I said earlier, racism is not an ‘Australian’ invention it is practiced in all cultures that for what ever reason feel threatened by others groups. Isn’t there a rigid caste system in India with High Brahmins and Low Untouchables? We just have to fight these prejudices where ever and whenever they appear in our World.
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Joni January 24, 2012
Nareen, I know there are “Aussie” teenagers that get drunk and do the wrong thing, but many do not. The Asian parents labelling ALL white kids as “lazy and immoral” are tarring all the kids from one group /race with the same brush, that is racist.
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dramaqueen75 January 24, 2012
Some may say I look at the world through rose coloured glasses- oh, ok, many may say that, however, I have had the most wonderful Australia days over the last few years.
We pack a picnic and head into the Rocks for it’s annual mini music festival
http://www.therocks.com/sydney-Things_To_Do-The_Rocks_Australia_Day.htm
Last year I found my kids and I dancing with a woman and her family to an awesome band on the lawn near the quay.
Let me elaborate- my “whitebread” anglo looking crew dancing with a woman in a hi-jab and her two little girls to the music of an Indigenous band belting it out on the stage. My kids and her kids had the flag tattoos on their faces and we were all smiling and having a ball.
I didn’t think twice about it until I arrived home and found one of those awful “If you don’t like it go back to where you came from” emails from my MIL. I sat and composed a reply, outlining what a wonderful day we had and the effortless and warm sharing of cultures and welcoming. I asked my MIL,in the spirit of a balanced argument, to forward my email to all the people who received the first email.
I don’t know if she did – I would like to think that she did (that’s those roe coloured glasses again).
I think each one of us in a small way can take actions that will lead to change. -
sandy gandhi January 24, 2012
Firstly, thanks to Wendy Harmer for giving everyone a national (and global) voice with The Hoopla and many thanks to all of you who have left a comment so far in support of my piece and good for Jessica Rowe for starting this debate – shame on Veronique, the No 35 comment at the end of Jessica’s piece – an old adage comes to mind, ‘there’s always one!’ Perhaps Veronique doesn’t realise that the words, Advance Australia Fair don’t refer to being white!
I’m so looking forward to Charlie Teo’s Australia Day speech.
Namaste
Sandy Gandhi -
Rosie Lee January 25, 2012
Racism is not only hurtful it is bad for the perpetrators as well as their victims, although they don’t get that. Apart from being ugly and nasty it is just a plain stupid way to interact with another human being. Difference is what makes life interesting ! It does happen the world over, as other people have already said. While I don’t think Australia is worse than any where else particularly, we can only ever be responsible for our own actions and because someone is racist to me doesn’t justify being racist in return. Wouldn’t it be great if there was no reason to say there was ANY racism here at all? We all have to not be shy about calling it as it is. Even if it means having to have an argument even with a good friend or in our own families or a crowded train carriage of people. During the celebrations of Australias’ centenary in 1988 I had arrived in Sydney and to then travel from central to Pymble on a crowded standing room only train. Standing next to me was a very very drunk young Aussie guy who was having a go at some poor hapless Pom who was trying to avoid an argument by saying the minimum. In fact the WHOLE, typically multicultural, train carriage was remarkably silent. The drunk was carrying on, AND on about being a proud aussie “if you live here you should be proud to be an Aussie, and we don’t want wogs and slopes and etc etc here”. This went on AND on continuously through every station from Central (probably before actually) until approaching Chatswood. I had my back turned avoiding eye contact with anyone, as did everyone else. But I was quietly seething and going nuts. HOW can I shut him the hell up without being confronting and inciting worse? I know, I thought. What’s the most inoccuous thing I can say to interrupt his horrible droning rant..So I asked.” What’s the next station. I need to get off at Pymble”. Then he turned to me. ” You’re a Naussie aren’t you! Your proud to be Austra’n arncha?” to which, to my own surprise, (he was a PAIN) I snapped with barely restrained seething and loathing before I could stop myself ” I am too ashamed and embarrasssed to say I am Australian with people like you around behaving like such idiots making us all look like complete fools” The WHOLE train carriage broke their silence and erupted in spontaneous cheering and loud applause!! But THEN, it unleashed everyone else’s outrage. An Italian woman told him off, shouting right in his face, people came up and spat on him, and punched him on the arm. Oh my god what have I done I thought, as I turned away, I’ve started a riot now! Next thing Three big burley Security guards got on at Chatswood and he was escorted off the train. Along with his girlfriend who had stood there by him completely silent and complicit the entire time. I don’t know if that incident made any difference to him, or made him more or less a racist, or how other people felt later when they calmed down, but I couldn’t have done anything other than what I did, it just came out. Thank god for those big burley security guards and whoever called them. Perhaps they should have been called a helluva lot sooner. No one should have to tolerate racism from anybody, witnesses or victims. Hopefully things will have changed a little since 1988. I know I would have called the guards and /or police straight away in the same situation now. We can be the change we want to see.
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Uma Thakar February 4, 2012
Hi Sandy,
That was a terrific piece. I like how you’ve challenged the establishment with your outspoken and humorous piece on racism.
You’re a great role model for Indian women.
Best regards,
Uma
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olive February 6, 2012
Sandy you are a trend setter of a new wave of comedy. How many comedians fall back on out dated thoughtless humour that puts down other people for no reason. You have turned the tide and made the bullies, the people who deserve to be pulled up and take a look at their actions and be the butt of the jokes. Finally the truth is said in jest. I find it hard to believe that the northern star would think that their readers would find your sensible sense of humour distasteful, or give you a chance to remove the swear words.
In a very funny and clever way, you remind us that racism is no joke.
Keep it up
Olive -
olive February 6, 2012
It is a know fact that every week the echo talks about racism, so it is obviously happening in our communities. Sandy you are very brave to broach these issues that people want to ignore, the truth can be hurtful, but only when the truth comes out will change happen.
Sharna -
olive February 6, 2012
I don’t bite, but i would bite a racist.
woof woof
Mr B -
debbie February 7, 2012
Hi Sandy,
Looks like you have quite a following – you are a great writer – strong, to the point, with that necessary tool of survival – a sense of humour. I’m glad you are tackling the racist issue – you speak for the majority – and we sure need your voice. -
melissa February 17, 2012
All isms are ugly and can result in heinous behaviour.
When pointed racism occurs is must be condemned in the strongest terms, likewise sexism or any other form of bullying based on the desire to take advantage of persons differences or vulnerability.What often isn’t mentioned however, is that racism, for instance can swing many ways and it is not always caucasians who are the perpetrators. On several occassions when I have been travelling in India or Indonesia, for instance, I’ve been called things like ” white whore” or tald that ” white woman have no morals about sex” or ” I would never let me child marry a white person”
I once had ” white prostitute” yelled at me my a group of guys in India. A man in Sabah, Mlaysia once said to me
” they are so dirty, those dark Filipino’s who have come here, my skin is not dark like theirs”
Whilst teaching at high school, I heard Middle Eastern or Asia students refer to other students as ” Aussie Trash” or ” white scum” ” bloodu skips” .
I have had an African student, who was behaving horibly and interfereing with the class claim ” you’re picking on me because I’m black” this has also happened with an Asian student .
I read an article recently where a senior police officer admitted that police are more reluctant to intervene in domestic cases involving middle- eastern men as they are wary of being called ‘ racist’I once had a neighbour who’d call out ” blodddy wog bitch, Fxck off” at me but I have also been called derogatory names reserved for foreigners in places like Thailand or China.
My partner’s mother worked in a workplace where just about everyone was Jewish – she was left out and sometimes openly ostracized because she was not ” one of us”Much was made about Australia’s supposed racism
in the aftermath of the Cronulla Riots. However, prior to this, many young Causasian woman were being openly harrassed by middle eastern men at the beach. ” Aussie Slut” ” easy white lay” etc were just some of the comments
yelled out in a memacing manner at a freinds 16 year old daughterWhen one person decides to abuse another – based on their belief in thier own superiority- it is awful, ugly and wrong be it the result of prejuduce regarding race, sex, religion or any form of personal difference. The pattern, however is not always as one sided as is often portrayed.
