People Like Us

I am sitting at a table with six young guys. Their cultural heritage ranges from Tonga, the Philippines, Samoa and Asia. Also at the table are James Latu (Tongan Cross Cultural team member for NCYC) and Helen Richmond (NCYC Cross Cultural Chaplain).

We have been instructed to share our experiences of cultural prejudice.

We sit in silence.

James Latu is the first to speak, he tells us of his experiences with a racist neighbour who referred to the education levels of "people like you".

Helen Richmond speaks of a time when she was cold on an aeroplane and wrapped her scarf around her head. Shuffling in her chair in an attempt to get comfortable, she was asked what "you people think you're doing?"

With the spiral of silence broken, the floodgates don't exactly burst open, but slowly people begin to share their lives with a group of strangers. Henry, from Samoa, tells the group how the managers at HMV followed him around the store while he browsed for CDs. I am shocked as several group members mention prejudice from their teachers at school.

An Australian boy claims he sees the importance of cultural traditions but questions the practice of wearing chador or burqa, saying such garments can "impair their peripheral vision while driving" and we descend into silence once more.

Pervasive

What strikes me is the fact that these prejudices are spoken about as if they only occurred outside of NCYC. With 400 delegates identifying themselves from migrant or ethnic backgrounds and a further hundred as indigenous, was NCYC really impervious to racism?

Apparently not. On the first evening of the conference several Anlgo-Australian delegates refused to share rooms with "black people". Derogatory comments were commonplace, as was Anglo's talking down to non-Anglos.

Racism also manifested itself between different ethnic groups, such as indigenous Australian and Islanders — mainly because these people had not encountered one another before.

Similarly a group from Victoria who had no experience with "big Pacific Islanders" found themselves feeling quite intimidated.

It was the aim of the NCYC cross-cultural program to make NCYC an inclusive event, and combat such racism both potential and manifest.

Cross-cultural coordinator Amelia Koh-Butler disputes the idea of a "program", saying, "It was not so much a program as a philosophy."

A significant number of chaplains, carers and interpreters were present at all sites and parts of the Living in Harmony "anti-Racism" workshop were worked into a set of electives as well as a Bible study stream. Many delegates did that Bible study and then started to put what they'd learnt into practice.

Community leaders did intentional work to encourage recognition and understanding of different cultures, spending a significant amount of time workshopping the idea of "inclusiveness" and the importance of valuing other cultures.

It was the cross cultural team that approached the "big Pacific islanders" and asked that they introduce themselves to the anxious Victorians. The islander and indigenous delegates were given time to get to know one another and share their experiences and their stories.

As people got to know one another as people, labels and stereotypes were broken down. James Latu summed this up for those at our table, saying, "Communication is the key to bringing people together."

It was touching to see how, during the event, people's attitudes changed and Christ's values had a visible impact on the way people lived their lives.

Ema Lea