Trifter

Think Australia, think beaches, and Sydney hosts so many options for a day of city escape. But there is, believe it or not, more to the swarming sands of sun-seekers and surfers. Just like this alliteration, sometimes the beach scene is simply too much, as I discovered what the city’s beautiful interior had to offer…an alternative reality in the heart and soul of Sydney’s unknown ethnicity.

Arriving in late December 2005, I was horrified to hear of the Cronulla race riots occurring earlier this month, involving Lebanese and ‘white’ Australian youths. Cronulla beach is a central social point for the various surrounding communities, including Lakemba, where a large Lebanese Muslim population resides. I wasn’t originally aware of Sydney’s diverse population, let alone the discrimination within it, but I was quickly subjected to the racial tensions floating uncomfortably, but prominently amongst too many locals.

* A Tribute to the Cabramatta Pailau Beautification Association*

I refused to accept such hostility as the consensus for the whole population and so I headed to Cabramatta, a nearby west-Sydney suburb that was once the target for Southeast Asian immigrants, drug dealers and political warfare. Five years ago, anyone could have stepped off the train in Cabramatta and openly purchased heroin…this was no secret, it was a known fact, and the problem was actively overlooked by police officers in order to keep the crime rate down. Finally, when some officers refused to continue turning a blind eye, action was taken to reinstate law and order, and now locals can walk the streets in safety.

The picture painted by the tarnished reputation is no longer valid. As I walked around this oriental wonderland, my eyes were met with colourful shop fronts and bustling market scenes; there was so much life, so much vitality, the air oozed warmth and welcome. Sweltering spices clung to my nostrils and foreign cries burst into my ears, I had been magically transported to an Asian marketplace and my senses were on fire. Dirty drug deals and violent gangs had no place here.

*Cabramatta – Marketplace*

The most radical decision in combating the Cabramatta crime problem was to move police officers to live in the area. They became a part of the community and this led to a genuine understanding of the culture and a sincere desire to help. A similar interaction took place in the creation of the Cabramatta Pailau Beautification Association when local governments and ethnic councils fused forces to totally re-design the face of Cabramatta. Giant decorative archways now welcome visitors into the central plaza, and at every corner, a monument remembers the refugee history of many of the residents. Such improvements not only encouraged visitors and helped eradicate old stereotypes, but more importantly they gave residents an identity and confirmed their contribution to multi-cultural Sydney, as one grinning girl told me, “…here I can be myself, here I have a place…”

*Cabramatta – central square*

Cabramatta is now the place to go for an authentic Asian experience and the residents are flourishing because of their own ethnicity. Attention need now be turned towards such suburbs as Lakemba, as, since the Cronulla race riots, the Lebanese Muslim community continues to be the focus for racial hostilities.

Visiting Lakemba in person dissolved all my previous apprehensions generated by media misrepresentation and stereotypes. I had arranged to meet a member of the Lebanese Muslim Association and as I spoke to him, another perspective materialised. It seems there has been a long underlying disapproval towards the Lebanese population, with demands for them to ‘go home’, and the Cronulla race riots were an explosion of this. I discussed this with my new Muslim friend, who told me that his brother didn’t even have a Lebanese passport, ‘…he can’t go live in Lebanon, he’s not a citizen, he came to me and said, “people are saying ‘go home’, where do I go? I’ve never been outside Australia”, everything about him is Australian.’ Immersion in this community instantly exposed the falsity of general attitudes – smiles were abundant in the streets, a comfortable, quiet atmosphere floated all around and animated cricket conversations were at the ready.

Although the Australian Government passed a Multicultural Policy Statement in 1999, it seems the pledge to ‘promote community harmony and social cohesion’ is not being honoured. An identity is already recognised for Lebanese Muslim’s, but it is attached with a damaging stigma. Only through education can the image be changed, and, despite its limited resources, the Lebanese Muslim community is making all the effort, with little support from local councils. Multicultural harmony is an image Australia wishes to publicize, but its actual existence is questionable.

The integration of cultures led to understanding and acceptance in Cabramatta, Lakemba needs revamping too. Visitors could explore the latest slice of Sydney, residents could proudly identify with a significant suburb and grinning girls could be themselves again. Assimilation is a two way operation and it’s time the finger stopped pointing at Muslim’s at every sign of antagonism, surely the masses can recognise media hype by now, lets show a little ingenuity.

Visitors to Sydney have not one country to experience, but a whole multitude, so to get the true picture a breakdown of the tourist barrier is required. Without such effort, the reality is missed and the local life passes by, unnoticed behind tinted hotel windows and within shielded taxi-cabs. As outsiders, visitors could help bridge the gap in this impressively diverse population and give travel a whole new meaning… instead of being deterred by racial prejudice, visitors can see these places, meet these people, and watch the misconceptions wash away. The people are the essence of this city, it’s their distinctive cultures and exceptional cuisines that give Sydney its living flesh. If you don’t experience the people, you don’t experience Sydney, so give the beach a miss today and see where the train takes you.