In partnership with DIGI Engage, Multicultural NSW celebrated the launch of its campaign with a performance by Anti-Hate Ambassador L-FRESH the Lion, an ARIA-nominated hip hop artist from Sydney.
L-FRESH grew up in southwest Sydney, has a law degree and raps about making society a more engaging and welcoming place.
“I think my identity is a combination of many elements,” he said.
“I was born and brought up in South West Sydney, my parents migrated in the late eighties from Punjab ... within that, there is Punjabi culture but there is also our faith, Sikhism, which has its own unique culture as well.”
The Aussie Sikh hip hop artist has made it his mission to “flip the script” on prejudice and hate, particularly toward minority race groups.
The premise of Multicultural NSW’s ‘Remove Hate from the Debate’ campaign is that “everyone should be able to live free from hate”.
Hate speech is language that insults, humiliates or threatens others based on culture, race, gender, disability, religion or sexuality.
It can be directed towards a person or a group.
Once upon a time, many Italians in Australia struggled with work, friendships and “fitting in” because of their ethnicity, particularly in the post-World War II period of the 1950s.
One older Italian based in Hunters Hill, Sydney, recalled being called “dago” constantly throughout childhood in race-fuelled bouts of bullying.
She recounted getting involved in a physical scuffle with a girl after a name-calling incident, and later, as an adult, experiencing racist taunts and a brick thrown through the window of their Italian-owned business.
In the Northern Rivers region of NSW, Italians in the 1950s often had to compete to find agricultural work, which was given to Anglo-Aussies on a preferred basis; similarly, Italians in Mackay were sometimes driven off sugar-cane cutting farms because of their migrant status.
Nowadays, Italians in Australia face “hate” less and less, as prejudiced attitudes are transferred onto other migrant groups.
While the current ‘Remove Hate from the Debate’ is focused on these newer migrant groups, and in particular Arab-Australians, it’s important for Italians to remember what they or their ancestors may have been through in the past, so as to engage in the current battles for other migrant Australians.
Other ambassadors for Multicultural NSW’s ‘Remove Hate from the Debate’ campaign include James Fry, an author whose memoir That Fry Boy addresses the horrific impact that bullying and teen extremism has on young developing minds, and Stephanie Kurlow, who is training to become the world’s first professional hijab-wearing ballerina and wants to inspire young people by breaking barriers and stereotypes through dance.
At the core of the anti-racism campaign are 10 steps to remove hate from the debate, both in person, and online:
- Be safe
Before you respond to a hateful comment, first ask yourself – are you safe? - Stay cool
Give yourself time to reflect and respond in a way that makes you feel in control of the situation. - Humanise the situation
Make people feel heard, even if you don’t agree. - Respond to the issue
If you don’t agree with someone’s comment, talk about the issue and how it affects you. Don’t attack the person back. - Be open minded
Agree to disagree while always modelling your values and being curious about why someone thinks the way they do. - Be respectful
Telling someone they’re racist, sexist, or a hater will just make them defensive. Share feedback with thoughtful consideration and a positive attitude towards others. This way we are modelling the behaviour that we expect other people to demonstrate. - Let people feel heard
You can’t change people’s thinking before you have heard their opinion. - Keep it simple
When you’re having a discussion with someone online, don’t let your point get lost by adding more to your comment than what is needed. - Be prepared for the response
- Debrief
Talking about it helps! So, if you’ve dealt with a difficult hate speech situation online, talk to someone who you feel safe with about it.
Multicultural NSW is an initiative of the NSW state government.
As of 2019, the Minister for Sport, Multiculturalism, Seniors and Veterans is The Hon. John Sidoti.
Head online to pledge to remove hate from the debate.
