
It’s safe to say that this year has been tainted by racism, intolerance and fear.
During this year, I have felt less and less hopeful about the future of Australia’s multiculturalism.
But all of this recently changed. Just one moment on the train is all it took for my hope in Australia’s multiculturalism to be reinvigorated.
I was making my usual commute to work on the train,surrounded by people from diverse backgrounds. People who were chattering away or scrolling through their phones. Nothing out of the ordinary. Then, two young ladies stepped into the carriage and started speaking to each other.

They were both from East Asian backgrounds – I wasn’t completely sure whether they were Chinese or Korean.
They began talking about university and as they talked they slipped easily speaking Chinese. Then they started speaking in Korean. A mere 5 minutes later, I realised they were practicing their Japanese on each other.
All I could think to myself was just how amazing these two Australian women were. All I could think was how incredible their ability to switch between so many languages was, even if they were only speaking in short phrases at a time.
Top Comments
I must say, growing up in Western Sydney, I didn't really experience much racism. I had a few comments here and there but nothing too major. As an adult I have experienced it a lot. It's an easy insult. "Curry muncher, dumb Pacific Islander, mixed race mutt" I've heard it all.
I really hate racism. I can't tolerate it. I just cannot understand how people can categorically group a bunch of people together and make assumptions about them.
I grew up in a mixed race household with a Danish/Fijian Christian Mother and an Indian Hindu father and it was brilliant to see two people living so harmoniously, practising their faith. They're still very happily married after almost 40 years.
Religion was never forced on us. We were allowed to choose our own path. I treat everyone the same, regardless of their background. A persons actions tell me what kind of person they are. Not their colour. I wish everyone thought that way.