A good time to be Australian

[spirit_of_town_hall]

I didn't know it was a bad word. I hear that word all the time from Australian people I know living in the UK, they are not rednecks and represent a broad cross section of Australian people from scaffolders to Chartered accountants, men and women.

 

I would be interested to hear from other Australians ( I take it you are Australian) if it is as derogatory as the "N" word; surely not. It is merely a shortening of the word aborigine. I thought Australians used the "N" word themselves when wanting to refer to an aborigine in a degrogatory fashion.

 

STH

[think_too_mut]

In Oz, you never call them "Abo".

 

Unless u want a trouble with the general population, PC people or with the Aboriginals themselves.

 

Calling them "Abo" might put you on the list of people next to lose their jobs.

[spirit_of_town_hall]

I see, I suppose its the intention of the statement.

 

Similar to using the word Paki in the UK. Paki is a word that causes offence to most people from the sub-continent, it is a word which is sometimes deliberately used to cause offence. It is also a word used quite innocently by older, usually working class people, for example they are often head to say " I am going the paki shop to buy some milk"

 

 

 

What terms/words do the Aborigines use when they want to refer to a white person in a derogatory way?

 

STH

[think_too_mut]

Maybe, they don't have words like that. Hate is not what they have in their culture.

 

"White fella" they may say but it's not derogatory.

 

Urban ones, those reduced to drinking and loitering may have some, do we want to talk like them?

 

Finally, what did you contribute to the thread you have started?

[spirit_of_town_hall]

I'm not sure what I've contributed to the thread I started, other than starting off a pertinent topic.

 

I've certainly learnt though, I've learnt not to put my foot in it when referring to aborigines in Australia, as well as learning about a culture/race of which I knew next to nothing about, who don't have hate or prejudice in their culture. That in itself is smashing, wish I got as much out of every post I started.

 

STH

[MooNoi]

Nope... you definitely don't call them "Abo's" here in Australia - unless you're racist or a redneck.

Used to be acceptable in the 80's, but with the PC brigade these days, Abo is not a term heard very often in these times.

And probably a good thing too. We do treat them like shit in a lot of instances. Have a look at the movie "Rabbit Proof Fence" and you'll see what it was like in the past - very sad.

 

I think the profile of people like Cathy Freeman, (the sprinter who won the 400m at the Sydney Olympics), really opened people's eyes a little bit. She's an aboriginal girl, and has done a lot for her people's cause.

 

Calling someone, or referring to them as "an abo" would be like calling an Asian person a "gook" or Mediterranian person a "wog". That's the closest parallel I can come up with.

FlyP

[gobbledonk]

Hi STH,

 

Here in the Deep North, racism is endemic. The term 'Abo' doesnt seem to be used as often as the far more abusive term 'Coon', and the majority of the locals dont seem willing or able to distinguish between the vagrant 'park people' and Aboriginals who want to lead a 'normal' life. I have an aboriginal family living in my street, and they seem almost pathological in having the neatest yard in the street - lawn mowed regularly, no toys in the frontyard etc - happy, smiling kids, no wild parties : if only this rubbed off onto my white neighbours ....

 

The situation for aboriginal people is further exacerbated by trendy white liberals in faraway places who chide those of us who live in regional centres for our attitude towards an extremely unfortunate group. The simple fact is that no amount of money has solved the problems confronting Aboriginal people in a white man's world, but those of us at the 'coalface' have to live with the symptoms of the malaise. Condemn me if you will, but I usually cross to the other side of the street when approached by an Aboriginal, as it often means that they want money or worse. That said, we have a large number of whites in this town that I also try to avoid where possible, for similar reasons.

 

You will also find rednecks who dislike Maoris and Islanders, but the majority of their ire is reserved for our indigeneous people. Whether individual Maoris identify with the plight of aboriginal Australians is a question that I cant answer.

[Nervous_Dog]

Being a ex QLander, while the general population is maybe more reddneck than High So Sydney, there are also a LOT more aboriginals in Brsbane then Sydney,

 

In fact I remember being a bit stunned to go to a park and NOT see some aboriginals in Sydney, very rare, not so rare as you go north,

 

Melbourne, never ever see them.

 

Brisbane, see them every where, Gladstone, Rocky, North Queenlands, they are very common to see, and are Torrist Strait Islands who you NEVER call aboriginal, as they see them selves distinctly very seperate from the Aboriginal population.

 

TI's are more like the Maories, in that they managed to keep some independance, whilst the Aboriginals (Who we did not allow to vote until 1966!) are not a happy group of people as a whole.

 

JB

[spirit_of_town_hall]

I have read quite a few John Pilger books, the respected Australian author and journo.. I'm aware of the enforced sterilisation and taking aborigine children away from their parents at birth which is reprehensible.

 

Incidentally re the recent riots in Redfern, the lad who impaled himself on railings after running from the police... there was a march on the Australian HIgh commission by the " Anti Nazi League" campaiging about abuses of Aborigines.. quite how well up on aboriginal affairs the marches were, I dont know.

 

 

 

 

STH

[SUZIBANDIT]

Actually, Niger is a country in Africa. It's when you add the other 'g' that the brothas get pissed off.