I know what you mean about feeling pressured to be as "white" as possible so you don't stick out. I was very much like that through my formative years. I used to subconciously reject Asian culture - I would never speak Chinese in public, listen to Asian music or date Asian people - it was like that would be admitting failure to assimilate. It wasn't until I went back to China for the first time in 13 years a couple of years ago that I finally realised "hey, being Asian isn't so bad at all!" and having that shame lifted has made me a much happier person!
That's really heartening, I'm so glad you like it! I had some fascinating discussions with a woman in Brazil about racism in the queer community, and I'm really of the impression that queer men of colour can't win - if you date your own, you're a separatist and failing to assimilate, if you date a whitey you reinforce all the colonial connotations of interracial relationship. This manifests differently in the lesbian community...but that's a whole other post in itself!
Although I see the racial driven aspects of these "culture clashes" throughout different suburbs throughout Sydney, I also think there is a lot more at play as well. For me personally, this seems to take form in how these cultures typically respond to different aspects and forms of masculinity. Hip-hop/rap/RnB have a very highly stylised version of masculinity, which general co-insides with the hegemonic versions of masculinity in the popular culture of Australia today. In my experience with my encounters with it tend to be a heavy intolerance and hostility, with an almost constant need to policing (aggressive behavior, teasing) on their part. I also think that although Hip-hop/Rap/RnB does have a African American history, it does have a very varied present in Australia. Growing up in an increasingly ethnically diverse suburb, but still with a European majority I saw that in Australia Hip-hop/Rap/RnB has been able to cross the boundaries of an unshared ethnically based cultural history and speak to people (especially lower class
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I know alot of this has spelling errors all through it and I apologise for that (suprisingly I was born and educated in Australia lol). I hope u get the drift and I do want to thank you for providing me with a board to get that off my chest ..... I have for a long time been thinking about this issue and I have come from a place outside of Sydney , predominately white, have moved to an ethic suburb in Syd and love it here!
So thats where it all came from - hope no one was offended - and if so well I obviously was by the original text (written well though). Thanks again - enjoy life, live large, love happy and soak in all of live - the white, the asian the newtown and the campsie and let you learn something from it all because they all have something amazing to offer. Peace!
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I know what you mean about feeling pressured to be as "white" as possible so you don't stick out. I was very much like that through my formative years. I used to subconciously reject Asian culture - I would never speak Chinese in public, listen to Asian music or date Asian people - it was like that would be admitting failure to assimilate. It wasn't until I went back to China for the first time in 13 years a couple of years ago that I finally realised "hey, being Asian isn't so bad at all!" and having that shame lifted has made me a much happier person!
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I could go on about this all day, call/text me!
Love x
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Newtown known for it's average clothing stores and Thai restaurants.
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So thats where it all came from - hope no one was offended - and if so well I obviously was by the original text (written well though). Thanks again - enjoy life, live large, love happy and soak in all of live - the white, the asian the newtown and the campsie and let you learn something from it all because they all have something amazing to offer. Peace!
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