‘Racism Pandemic’ Hits Multicultural Youth Of Victoria
A new report by the Australian National University and the Centre for Multicultural Youth has revealed significant rates of direct racism experienced by young multicultural Australians – and it’s having negative impacts on their social and emotional wellbeing.
The pandemic has arguably hit young people the hardest. With job losses, housing insecurities, disruptions to education, and more becoming the new norm, it’s no wonder we’re feeling the pressure. But only some young people, racially diverse young people, face a different pandemic of their own – a racism pandemic.
85 percent of young multicultural Australians experienced direct racism since the COVID-19 pandemic according to the report, with almost 97 percent reporting at least one indicator of low emotional wellbeing.
Other alarming trends include increased hypervigilance (93 percent), where a person adjusts their behavior or appearance to avoid racism, and an overall lack of reporting at just 6 percent.
Kelsey Menzies spoke to Mohamed Semra from Endeavor Youth Australia about his experience and Associate Professor Naomi Priest, who worked on the report.
If you or anyone you know has been impacted by the contents on this story, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Those who want to report an incident of racism can contact the Australian Human Rights Commission. Or, if the incident happened online, you can contact the Office of the eSafety Commissioner.