Living in Melbourne, AUS

I’m currently living down under with the roos and wallabies in Melbourne, Australia! My apologies to the Aussies for that sentence. It’s been an interesting 11 months and something I’ve been observing is how bias and discrimination subtly rear their heads on this island. 

This is the 10th country I’ve lived in, aside from the United States where I was born and raised. And in every place, bias, inequality, and discrimination look different, which is due to history, current events, and location. 

In Melbourne, the most common biased statements I’ve heard have been about the Aboriginal people and the Asian communities (both immigrants and those of Asian descent). Nothing ‘overtly’ racist, just subtle comments that you might not even notice if your ears weren’t attuned to them. 

The first step in equity, inclusion, and anti-racism work is being aware of these issues in the first place. A next step is also being aware that they show up differently depending on where you are. Knowing what to observe and what to listen for are essential to taking the step after, which is speaking up.