Support NeoGAF

[Dead Man]

Every country has issues with integrating immigrants, but what I find interesting about Australia, is that when there are issues, it's with 2nd and 3rd generation immigrants, rather than those who have come to Australia directly.

I'm not sure why that is. Whether it's due to a failure on behalf of the parents to try and integrate their kids, or a reaction against 'white' Australia that won't welcome them, but it seems unique compared to other countries. I'm thinking it's a little bit of both.

In Sydney the police have actually set up a 'middle eastern crime squad', in response to the high crime rates amongst middle eastern, particularly Lebanese, youths. Whether that's considered a sign of racism or not, I don't know. But from my own personal experience, these are people who were born in Australia. They're pretty much as Australian as I am (my father was English). Yet, they seem to create some romantic notion of their parents homeland, despite the fact that most of the time their parents came here for a better life. It's a strange thing.

What I think it boils down to is that despite all the claims that Australia is really multicultural (and if you look at the statistics, is seems as though were are), a lot of cultures are still compartmentalised. Asians hang out with Asians. Lebanese hang out with Lebanese. Pacific Islanders hang out with Pacific Islanders, and Italians hang out with Italians. Anyone who went to school in Australia knows this is true.

I think there was a post about this in relation to British Muslims in that clusterfuck of a thread about Swiss minarets. From memory they described a similar effect. Can't find the post though, so maybe I'm making it up!

 

[viciouskillersquirrel]

And I, the lone latino kid had no ethnic gang to hang with. In the end, I made friends with the nerdy anglo and asian kids.

 

[legend166]

And I, the lone latino kid had no ethnic gang to hang with. In the end, I made friends with the nerdy anglo and asian kids.

I think I've met like two latino people in my entire life, so yeah I can imagine it being lonely

 

[ClovingWestbrook]

A populated country has xenophobic citizens; news at 11.

 

[universalmind]

I'm not the biggest fan of Australian people. They're the only people in the world I feel comfortable openly discriminating against. If that offends you; deal with it. I think I'll leave it at that.

'kup, B!TCH.

 

[ItAintEasyBeinCheesy]

If you want to get technical about it, they're the first Australasians and first claimants of the land we now inhabit. Since Australasia is mostly taken up by Australia, it stands to reason that these are conflated.

Well technically there where people here before the aboriginals and they all got killed. Same with NZ, before the Maori arrived there where people there........... Maori killed and ate them though.

So lesson is, annihilate your foes down to the last child, eat them, then become them.

 

[ScientificNinja]

In Sydney the police have actually set up a 'middle eastern crime squad', in response to the high crime rates amongst middle eastern, particularly Lebanese, youths. Whether that's considered a sign of racism or not, I don't know. But from my own personal experience, these are people who were born in Australia. They're pretty much as Australian as I am (my father was English). Yet, they seem to create some romantic notion of their parents homeland, despite the fact that most of the time their parents came here for a better life. It's a strange thing.

I actually don't have much of a problem with these ethnically targeted crime squads. Not sure how I put myself in such a position, but I've experienced first-hand how differently Caucasian gangs operate differently from, Asian gangs, and they are wired to think very, very differently.

 

[catchabad0ne]

the lone latino.

When I was living in QLD my Mexican-American friend came to visit me. He is bigger than the average Mexican and every single person who wondered what he was accused/asked him of being something other than Latino/Mexican.EDIT:I said he was bigger than the avg mexican because he mostly was asked if he was Maori. If he was avg Mexican size he'd probably not be accused of being any kind of Islander I'd think. END EDIT He had people accusing him of being Maori/Indian/Random Islander/Arab. It was ridiculous.

Australia as a whole is tolerant and an easy-going place to be. It has racists, it has xenophobes, it has every shitty aspect of modern society. But it is still one of the best places on Earth to live. The whole discussion is kind of pointless.

I did notice however that people in Australia seem to feel very far removed from the rest of the world. They live on a continent all by themselves, isolated from much of the world. This I think creates fascination of other people and cultures by the smarter people in their society, and is a reason you see heaps of Aussies traveling the world. On the other hand the isolation helps feed the racism and xenophobia you see from some of the dumber people in Australian society.

I said it earlier in the thread but when I was at Uni in Sydney the students seemed enlightened and accepting of others. Uni students are probably smarter as whole than the general population. When out in normal society, meeting people on the street or at pubs, you get a whole lot more idiocy, it is just how things are. There are good people and bad people everywhere.

 

[ScientificNinja]

I said it earlier in the thread but when I was at Uni in Sydney the students seemed enlightened and accepting of others. Uni students are probably smarter as whole than the general population. When out in normal society, meeting people on the street or at pubs, you get a whole lot more idiocy, it is just how things are. There are good people and bad people everywhere.

DING DING DING

We have a winner. And it's the same everywhere else in the world.

 

[i_am_ben]

I've only really met one Latino. We gave each other lots of shit. Him for being Peruvian and me for being gay. Good times :lol

 

[viciouskillersquirrel]

Well technically there where people here before the aboriginals and they all got killed. Same with NZ, before the Maori arrived there where people there........... Maori killed and ate them though.

So lesson is, annihilate your foes down to the last child, eat them, then become them.

If you’re going back that far (~60.000 years), the same thing happened in Europe much more recently (10,000 years ago). It was basically farming immigrants from the East taking over land that was previously used by hunter-gatherer nomads and pushing them further west. The Basques in Spain are the only living descendents of these displaced nomads and the last living link to their pre-indo-european language group.

Same thing happened in the Americas and Asia. The people of Tierra Del Fuego in Argentina (this ethnic group is sadly extinct) and the Ainu of Japan are the last remnants of these ancient peoples.

 

[industrian]

I did notice however that people in Australia seem to feel very far removed from the rest of the world. They live on a continent all by themselves, isolated from much of the world. [...] On the other hand the isolation helps feed the racism and xenophobia you see from some of the dumber people in Australian society.

Siege mentality ftl. It's the same reason there's a lot of Europhobes in the UK.

 

[ScientificNinja]

I've only really met one Latino. We gave each other lots of shit. Him for being Peruvian and me for being gay. Good times :lol

I know lots of Latinos in Sydney. Jesus there's even a Spanish Quarter in Sydney. You're either looking in the wrong places or you're just not seeing them.

 

[Stinkles]

Scots have been over-represented in Westminster for a long time though and English students have to pay fees at Sottish universities whilst no other country in the EU has this problem. I understand the reasons why, but that is shameful imo. People are obviously pissed about that and Alex Salmond isn't exactly the most popular figure down here.

Part of it comes from a somewhat misleading idea that Scotland is being massively subsidized by "England" based on some figures related to literal subsidies that ignore commerce and tax revenue from "Scottish" products like North Sea Oil. And ignore the fact that subsidies originating in the Westminster vicinity already contain significant reserves of cash milked (appropriately) from up North.

ALL EU countries except Scotland have to pay fees at Scottish Universities - folks familiar with US State schools will understand this concept. Scotland is in some ways is like a State within a federation, as well as a country.

Part of it comes from centuries of conflict and war. Lots of it comes from plain old Jingoism and it runs both ways. The fact is that with all the significant and insignificant differences, history and friction, we get on remarkably well and we tend to graft onto the "British" collective spirit for largely noble reasons (WWI, II etc) and we still constituted the GREATEST EMPIRE THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN with mixed results, admittedly.

So here's a drink to my English, Welsh and Irish friends. Know that I shagged all yer birds and they wiz pure braw.

 

[catchabad0ne]

I know lots of Latinos in Sydney. Jesus there's even a Spanish Quarter in Sydney. You're either looking in the wrong places or you're just not seeing them.

Have you ever lived in Queensland or the NT?

Of course Sydney has Latinos, it is a global city. It has people from everywhere and all walks of life.

Of course I am Ben might live in Sydney, in that case, who knows...?

 

[shanshan310]

Honestly racism is alive and well in Australia, I'd wonder what part of Oz the OP lived in where he never saw it.

the funny thing is i grew up across the river from Cronulla. But i left just before the riots, and moved over to Perth. When we first arrived there a woman said to my mother "we're so multicultural here in Perth, we've got people from Canada, England, New Zealand and South Africa!" just to show you the kind of mentality they had in the area i lived. Aaaand now i live in Brisbane.

Also i apologise from opening up a big can of worms =\ in hindsight it was a really bad idea, but when i saw what those people were saying last night it just got to me.

 

[i_am_ben]

I know lots of Latinos in Sydney. Jesus there's even a Spanish Quarter in Sydney. You're either looking in the wrong places or you're just not seeing them.

I'm form Melbourne so maybe that explains it. Anyway when i say 'met' i mean those that i've actually spoken to and befriended etc. I've seen others of course.

 

[viciouskillersquirrel]

I know lots of Latinos in Sydney. Jesus there's even a Spanish Quarter in Sydney. You're either looking in the wrong places or you're just not seeing them.

Bris-Vegas here. Plus, a bit of a CBD street with a few restaurants does not constitute a quarter, no matter what you may say. Unless you see people hanging their washing out off their balconies, cooking up tostadas, pumping ranchera, reggaeton and salsa music and the girls are wearing black bras with white shirts and lip liner with no lipstick, it is NOT a latino quarter.

There are enough latinos around that you can get Spanish-speaking churches and clubs etc., but never so many that you could have actual neighbourhoods or gangs. Unless you happen to be Chilean, and even then, just barely.

 

[industrian]

So here's a drink to my English, Welsh and Irish friends. Know that I shagged all yer birds and they wiz pure braw.

It's stuff like this that make you my favourite Gaffer by the way.

And a didnae constrict that tae "BTW" because am a Weegie an aw that shite.

 

[Fusebox]

the funny thing is i grew up across the river from Cronulla. But i left just before the riots, and moved over to Perth.

Everyone thinks Cronulla has always been a racist suburb now but my g/f's dad ran a charcoal chicken shop on Cronulla main street for years, he's about as Chinese as you can get and nobody ever said shit to him. It wasn't until all the middle-eastern gangs starting taking the train line into Cronulla and causing serious shit on the beaches that Cronulla started becoming a magnet for racist morons all around Australia.

 

[ScientificNinja]

It's stuff like this that make you my favourite Gaffer by the way.

And a didnae constrict that tae "BTW" because am a Weegie an aw that shite.

This is only making sense to me when I imagine it in Gerard Butler's voice :lol

 

[catchabad0ne]

And what is up with Australia not having any good Mexican restaurants? Only reason I couldn't live the rest of my days in Australia is the lack of decent Mexican. For awhile there I was seriously considering attempting to open a good Mexican restaurant in Sydney or Melbourne. The only problem is I can't cook good Mexican either, I'd have to steal some locals and bring them with me.

And dude OP, you lived in Cronulla and never saw racism? Did you ever go outside and open your eyes? I had some friends in Cronulla and all I had to do to see racism was go to Northies on a Friday night. Were you like 13 when you left or something?

 

[Tim the Wiz]

I think it's racist to stereotype Australian's as racists.

Most of the racism issues get resolved quietly (gangs of opposing races brawling in the city is common at night).

I must admit that i am concerned by the high level of immigrants (especially illegal) reaches our shores though. Our infrastructure can only handle so much, with the constant rewards for popping out a child (baby bonus) and other incentives for starting a family, we aren't very well placed for the future.

Say what you will about them, but the Liberals know how to throw down a good scare campaign. :lol As already established, it's the most overblown non-issue in Australia.

And as far as the baby bonus and other incentives for population growth go, well, why the hell do you think they exist? To assist population growth.

 

[Fusebox]

And what is up with Australia not having any good Mexican restaurants?

Shit yeah, make tacos at home or don't eat tacos at all.

Gotta admit, 'Had to Happen' in Nth Sydney does a killer all-you-can-eat fajitas though.

 

[industrian]

This is only making sense to me when I imagine it in Gerard Butler's voice :lol

Like aw ma mate tell aes, a deh ken whit am daein teachin weans in Korea English wen a talk like this ken.

Funnily enough I met an Australian girl in Korea who was interested in me solely because of my Gerard-Butler-as-Leonidas impressions when I was drunk. And now you know why I'm working out 5 days a week.

 

[viciouskillersquirrel]

Say what you will about them, but the Liberals know how to throw down a good scare campaign. :lol As already established, it's the most overblown non-issue in Australia.

And as far as the baby bonus and other incentives for population growth go, well, why the hell do you think they exist? To assist population growth.

To be more accurate - to assist with the growth of the taxpayer population.

Like all my mates tell me, I don't know what I'm doing teaching English in Korea when I talk like this, you see?

Translated. One of my bosses used to break into Scots when he was drunk. Freaked me out, it did.

 

[catchabad0ne]

Gotta admit, 'Had to Happen' in Nth Sydney does a killer all-you-can-eat fajitas though.

Never went, how long has it been there? Haven't lived in Sydney since 2004.

I just don't understand the Mexican food situation though. Australia, and Sydney/Melbourne in particular have great restaurants of all styles. There is good world cuisine all over those two cities. I just never found a good Mexican place. Found a handful of shit Mexican places though. I guess there is just not enough Mexicans. Oh well, glad I've been back in California for the last year.

 

[ScientificNinja]

And what is up with Australia not having any good Mexican restaurants? Only reason I couldn't live the rest of my days in Australia is the lack of decent Mexican. For awhile there I was seriously considering attempting to open a good Mexican restaurant in Sydney or Melbourne. The only problem is I can't cook good Mexican either, I'd have to steal some locals and bring them with me.

I must've been the only person in Australia who shed a tear when Taco Bell closed shop a few years ago… but since there are some fucking decent places for Mexican all around Sydney right now. There's the Baja Cantina on Glebe Road (I think there's another one at Chatswood Chase), there's Tex Mex at the Macquarie Centre and there's Guzman & Gomez at Bondi Junction, Newtown and Kings X.

 

[i_am_ben]

To be more accurate - to assist with the growth of the taxpayer population.

yep they really need people to start popping out the children.

pretty soon its going to go from 5 workers for every person aged 65+ to 2.5 workers for every person 65+


scary thought.

 

[catchabad0ne]

I must've been the only person in Australia who shed a tear when Taco Bell closed shop a few years ago… but since there are some fucking decent places for Mexican all around Sydney right now. There's the Baja Cantina on Glebe Road (I think there's another one at Chatswood Chase), there's Tex Mex at the Macquarie Centre and there's Guzman & Gomez at Bondi Junction, Newtown and Kings X.

I don't remember the name but I do remember eating Mexican in either Glebe or Newtown (again back in 04) and it sucked bad. I also had some Mexican in the Broadway shopping center I think. (could have been some other shops) I think I had some Mexican some place near Cronulla/Caringbah if someone could help me out? That was the worst of the lot. Up in Townsville when I was living there in 07/08 they had only one place I ever found, Cactus Jacks. I think it as a chain. Tex-Mex bullshit. I think they even had Hamburgers on the menu. The best thing about coming back home was eating Mexican for about a week straight.



Anyway, When I think about Australia, I think about how much I loved living there for 2+ years of my life. It had its flaws, so does every other place. In general the people are great and it isn't any more racist or homophobic or xenophobic than any other Western culture I've seen firsthand.

I'm working on getting a visa to move back in the next 2 years. (ideally) Hopefully back up to Queensland. I'm about as liberal and accepting as a person can come, and I wouldn't even consider living there if it was "a nation of racists." It is just a diverse society, full of mostly decent people. Nothing more really. Not a nation of racists by any means.

 

[viciouskillersquirrel]

Have any of you guys tried Montezumas? I like it, but I have nothing to compare it to.

 

[catchabad0ne]

Have any of you guys tried Montezumas? I like it, but I have nothing to compare it to.

Where is it? Brisbane only?

 

[industrian]

Translated. One of my bosses used to break into Scots when he was drunk. Freaked me out, it did.

The more drunk I get the more Glaswegian I get.

This has led to problems on two continents.

 

[viciouskillersquirrel]

Where is it? Brisbane only?

There are a few around Brisbane, but I also saw one in Mackay.

Just checking the website, there are a few locations around Sydney and Melbourne, but they're more of a Queensland chain.

http://www.montezumas.com.au/locations.htm

 

[catchabad0ne]

There are a few around Brisbane, but I also saw one in Mackay.

Just checking the website, there are a few locations around Sydney and Melbourne, but they're more of a Queensland chain.

http://www.montezumas.com.au/locations.htm

You know what, looking at that website I remember seeing that place in Cairns. Don't know why I never checked it out. I spent a lot of time up in Cairns. Oh well I guess.

EDIT: Also looking at that menu I can tell it isn't gonna be real 'good' Mexican food. No asada, no carnitas, no lengua. All they have is chicken and shredded beef. It does look better than Cactus Jack's in Townsville though.

 

[Dead Man]

If you're in Adelaide, Zapatas is good Mexican, we have a couple Montezumas here, don't know if it is they same chain but they are terrible here.

Fake edit: LOL at terrible voice over on the website! :lol

 

[The Storyteller]

nation of criminals

How many years ago did that happen again? 5? I don't remember if I was a member yet, or still a harmless lurker.

Have any of you guys tried Montezumas? I like it, but I have nothing to compare it to.

There are quite a few in Sydney. I have nothing to compare it to either, because I've never tried Mexican much outside of this (that will change when I leave for America next week!), but its ok. The portion sizes are always way too big and it looks like vomit on a plate after you've eaten some of it, but its decent enough.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

there's just a lot of stupid people here

which is kind of neat, succeeding is easier as a result

 

[seanoff]

And what is up with Australia not having any good Mexican restaurants? Only reason I couldn't live the rest of my days in Australia is the lack of decent Mexican.

No fucking Mexicans is the main problem. They're all in the US.

(Aus only answer, Victorians can't cook)

anyway all food should bow down to THAI food. I want that place fenced off so no one can fuck up the food. I could live on Thai forever.

mind you, there's some indonesian ladies at the markets here. their food is other worldly.

one of their specialties is what i call indonesian yiros.

beef rendang, peanut sauce, and basically gado gado, rolled in a roti. YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

 

[Kozak]

"we came in planes, you came in chains"

Everybody should watch "The Combination".

 

[HolyCheck]

If you're in Adelaide, Zapatas is good Mexican, we have a couple Montezumas here, don't know if it is they same chain but they are terrible here.

Fake edit: LOL at terrible voice over on the website! :lol

:lol :lol
This place isn't too bad. Skip Montezumas though... not the best food.

 

[krioto]

I know lots of Latinos in Sydney. Jesus there's even a Spanish Quarter in Sydney. You're either looking in the wrong places or you're just not seeing them.

Although the Spanish quarter should really be called the Spanish corner - it's not that big!

 

[Poona]

And what is up with Australia not having any good Mexican restaurants?

Tried Taco Bill? They're pretty widespread in Victoria at least.

http://www.tacobill.com.au

 

[djtiesto]

I've only really met one Latino. We gave each other lots of shit. Him for being Peruvian and me for being gay. Good times :lol

Did you ask him if he could make you some Chicha Morada? I've been addicted to that stuff lately...

 

[DrForester]

 

[methos75]

I definitely think this is limited to the less educated people.

Some of the most raciest people in history have also mean history's most intelligent and creative, intelligence and Education have zero bearing on raciest Thoughts.

 

[udivision]

Some of the most raciest people in history have also mean history's most intelligent and creative, intelligence and Education have zero bearing on raciest Thoughts.

QFT. Knowing how to find the derivative of a function doesn't mean you can't have an Us Vs. Them mentality.

 

[artist]

Some people are arseholes - doesn't matter where they come from.

But the ratio of arseholes to normal joes is a whole another story.

 

[Salazar]

:lol :lol
This place isn't too bad. Skip Montezumas though... not the best food.

I find it alright. We have a few on the Gold Coast, and a couple of 'Aztecs', which are run by the same company.

The nachos is tolerable, and the (chicken) Montezuma's Delight is fine.

 

[Tannhauser]

Which people who say "love Australia or get out" think people should speak English? You're generalizing.

Shouldn't people love the countries they live in, or leave? I don't get the big deal about that shirt.

That might be because you're a massive cretin.

Just a little off topic, but is the UK similar (I mean mainly Great Britain) towards non-English speakers and minorities?


For some strange reason, I've been under the impression that Canada, UK, and Australia were far more tolerant than the U.S.

If I'm going to generalise, I'd say that the UK is the most tolerant towards minorities both ethnically white / non-white out of those. I don't have much of an impression of Canada though, I must admit.