Multiculturalism In Australia

I was inspired by KSPigpen's Confessions of a Racist thread.

I hate to give things labels, so I'll use the term loosely - I am an "interracial child". Now, please bear with me because this is when things get confusing! My father was born and raised in Croatia, and my mother was born and raised in the Philippines. However, they are both of mixed blood. My father's father is Croatian, his mother German. My mother's father is Chinese, her mother Filipino. That makes my older brother and I a quarter(?) of each race. To top things off, my brother and I were both born and raised in Australia as Australians. English was our only language. We weren't sent to language schools or treated any differently than any other Australian child would've been. I love me some Vegemite, haha.

Now, those of you familiar with Australian history/politics in the 70's and 80's would know that those weren't the greatest decades for multiculturalism. Europeans and Asians were the main targets for racial degradation. Many white Australians weren't too pleased with the "changes" being made to society due to the growing foreign population. I can only imagine the hate crimes that ensued.

I have heard many sad stories from my cousins who were teenagers during that time. School for them was a living nightmare because many of their "pure Australian" peers were being influenced by the ignorance and bigotry of their parents.

My brother was born in 1983 and I was born in 1986 so, by the time we were teenagers, much of the racism had settled down (not to say that it didn't exist).

Growing up, I recall being viewed and treated differently due to my incredibly diverse heritage. My peers would often comment on my skintone and "mix-and-match" features. However, I was too young at the time to think much of it.

It wasn't until I entered high school that my unique blood would become both my greatest pride and greatest shame. Teenagers are much more abrupt and insensitive than children (who are merely riddled with curiosity), of course. I felt "different" and was never able to find a group of people willing to accept me. European kids didn't see me as one of them, nor did Asian kids. Yes, my high school was infested by racial cliques. As a result, I became an outcast and was bullied to the point of having to drop out at 16-years-old.

Now, at 23-years-old, I'm glad to say that all of that is behind me. I love myself just the way I am and realize that I do not need the validation of others to do so. However, racism is still a huge issue here and around the world.

It is my hope that people will read this and realize the consequences behind hatred. We are all human. Look past the physical differences because, in the end, we all want the same thing; unconditional happiness.