What learning my family history taught me about Australia today
“My family and I have encountered numerous micro-aggressions, faced differential treatment compared to our white counterparts, and experienced added complications during airport security checks. Australia promotes ideals of fairness, diversity, and equality, but it grapples with an inherently racist social fabric that exhibits a preference for the white majority.” (Photo courtesy of Rayana Ajam)
21-year-old Rayana writes about how systemic racism and colonization impact immigration policy globally by pulling from her family’s experience emigrating to Australia.
Australia — the land of “fair go” — a proud democracy, that celebrates freedom, and preaches fairness, respect, and equal opportunity for all. Unless you’re Indigenous, a refugee or a person of colour.
Australia may have “boundless plains to share,” yet it remains bound by its colonial history, marked by the Union Jack imprinted on its flag, and its endless pride in “stop[ping] the boats” ensuring refugees who arrive by boat, are granted a slim opportunity for permanent resettlement. Unfortunately, this policy has inspired countries including the UK to pursue a similar policy of displacing refugees and failing to fulfill their responsibilities as a signatory of the 1951 Refugee Convention.
Last year, a national referendum took place to decide whether to amend the constitution and officially recognise the First Nations Peoples of Australia. The proposed amendment also aimed to establish an advisory body to give them a voice in federal matters. Unfortunately, the amendment was rejected, with over 60% of the population voting against it. This outcome is disheartening, especially considering Australia's history, which is rooted in the genocide of First Nations Peoples, and its constitution's failure to acknowledge their existence and representation, thereby falling short of providing equal opportunities for all.
The plight of First Nations peoples in Australia is starkly evident by the numbers. Despite constituting only 3.8% of the population, they represent a disproportionate 32% of the prison population. The alarming number of Indigenous deaths in custody since 1991, totaling 550, underscores the inherent flaws within Australia's justice and welfare systems, disproportionately affecting Indigenous individuals.
It wasn’t too long ago when the White Australia Policy of 1901, which attempted to establish Australia as a white ethno-state, was abolished. My father’s family migrated to Australia in 1981, leaving South Africa’s apartheid 15 years after the policy’s abolition. Despite the policy’s end, they faced racial prejudice and discrimination, due to their brown skin and Muslim identity. Xenophobic sentiments towards non-whites pervaded the policy and lingered in Australia’s social fabric.
“Australia promotes ideals of fairness, diversity, and equality, but it grapples with an inherently racist social fabric that exhibits a preference for the white majority.”
My mother’s family arrived 26 years after the policy’s demise, encountering a surge of Islamophobia. When I was three years old, the Cronulla riots unfolded in 2005 – an event that marked Anglo-Australians’ attempt to “claim their beaches back from outsiders,” namely from those of Arab and Muslim identities.
I went through preschool in Sydney’s South, where I stood out as the only person of colour in my cohort. This unique position made me acutely aware of my racial difference from a very young age. In 2007, when I was around 5 years old, I vividly remember one of my white friends approached my mom l and declared that she couldn't be friends with me anymore because her mother forbade friendships with "people with dark skin."
Rayana and her parents in 2005. (Photo courtesy of Rayana Ajam)
Since that incident, my family and I have encountered numerous micro-aggressions, faced differential treatment compared to our white counterparts, and experienced added complications during airport security checks. Australia promotes ideals of fairness, diversity, and equality, but it grapples with an inherently racist social fabric that exhibits a preference for the white majority.
Left: Rayana’s dad, his siblings and parents in South Africa before they left.
Right: Rayana around 5 or 6 years old.
Unfortunately, these attitudes that are ingrained within Australian society have given rise to the establishment of many discriminatory policies and laws, that unfairly impact Indigenous people and refugees.
The perpetuation of systemic racial injustices in Australia is deeply rooted in the principles of settler-colonialism and white supremacy, forces that the country struggles to disentangle itself from. Settler-colonialism is a system of oppression that displaces indigenous populations within a nation, replacing it with its colonial settler population. While most countries that have been subject to colonisation rebuild themselves within post-colonial contexts, Australia, among other countries including New Zealand, Canada and the US, have had their Indigenous populations systemically reduced, and replaced by its colonisers or settlers.
Australia is characterised as a settler-colonial society, predominantly populated by its white settlers, as its small Indigenous population has remained displaced, and subject to systemic oppression founded upon genocide and colonialism.
In 2021, the Australian government faced public condemnation from 30 countries in the United Nations Human Rights Council for reported human rights violations within its detention and prison facilities. The criticism particularly focused on severe breaches affecting refugees and asylum seekers trapped in mandatory detention, despite Australia being a signatory and ratifier of the 1951 Refugee Convention. Notably, refugees and asylum seekers deemed "unlawful citizens" under the 1958 Migration Act are subjected to mandatory detention.
“By amplifying the lived experiences of marginalised people — and centering their voices in policies and agendas that affect them — we can bridge the gap between their lived realities and public awareness.”
Despite international legal obligations to safeguard the rights of refugees and asylum seekers, Australia not only falls short but exacerbates the situation. Within its limited humanitarian intake, the government opts to imprison those seeking asylum, causing additional harm and trauma to individuals already fleeing precarious circumstances. Although Australia's High Court recently deemed indefinite mandatory detention unlawful, the country must abolish its mandatory detention policy and 'stop the boats' campaign. Instead, Australia should focus on expanding its intake to provide safety for vulnerable individuals seeking resettlement on its shores.
In addressing the broader context of humanitarian crises, particularly in regions including Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, Iran, and others, western host nations can better fulfill their obligations by ensuring the safety of those seeking refuge.
So, how can we remedy these policies, and strive to better accommodate marginalised groups?
By amplifying the lived experiences of marginalised people — and centering their voices in policies and agendas that affect them — we can bridge the gap between their lived realities and public awareness. Engaging in open discussions and shedding light on the injustices committed by the Australian government against Indigenous, refugee, and asylum-seeker communities at an international level can generate empathy and inspire actionable change.
The more we advocate for improvement while exposing these issues, the greater the chance governments will heed the call, leading to substantial systemic changes.
My hope for the future is that younger generations, both in Australia and globally, will unveil and condemn the Australian government's treatment of Indigenous peoples, refugees, and asylum seekers. This can be achieved by emphasising the imperative for improvement and urging the government to uphold its values, particularly those of fairness, respect, and equal opportunity for all.
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