# What’s wrong in being an Indian?



## Vineetbahl

Hi I want only true Australians and British migrants to Australia to answer this question please. I am a person of East Indian origin and pretty new to Australia (<6 months). I want to know what exactly do we Indian do wrong that Aussies (and British Expats) hate us so much. 


At office I lead a team which is predominantly White and I fail to understand why members in my team hate me and other people of Indian origin so much. At first I thought that it was me that they didn’t like in person but now I have come to a conclusion that they just don’t like any person of Indian origin. 

The discriminationthat I face is not the extreme kind but rather more subtle such as: 

1.	People (including my team members) don’t like to sit next to me.
2.	If there is an office discussion/gossip happening they would either like to exclude me or if I accidentally join a discussion they all will go quite or leave the spot. 
3.	When I come to office I generally say hello to others either to a Luke warm response or no response. 
4.	Recently I got to know that I have been named General Curry irony is I don’t really relish curry much. 

Apart from this there are a lot of subtle nuances that I won’t be able to put a finger to but they show they treat me a lot differently. Prior to coming to Australia I was working in US for six years and never faced such issues. 
So help me understand what is that makes us Indians so bad and what should we do to help you understand that we not as bad as you think. 

PS: I am not smelly (I use deodorant, and Perfume) and don’t have bad breath issues. My hairs are not messy and above all I am paid more then what if a local was person was hired to do the same job.

All answers shall be appreciated. 

Regards, Vinny


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## Zamaussie

Vineetbahl said:


> Hi I want only true Australians and British migrants to Australia to answer this question please. I am a person of East Indian origin and pretty new to Australia (<6 months). I want to know what exactly do we Indian do wrong that Aussies (and British Expats) hate us so much.
> 
> At office I lead a team which is predominantly White and I fail to understand why members in my team hate me and other people of Indian origin so much. At first I thought that it was me that they didn't like in person but now I have come to a conclusion that they just don't like any person of Indian origin.
> 
> The discriminationthat I face is not the extreme kind but rather more subtle such as:
> 
> 1.	People (including my team members) don't like to sit next to me.
> 2.	If there is an office discussion/gossip happening they would either like to exclude me or if I accidentally join a discussion they all will go quite or leave the spot.
> 3.	When I come to office I generally say hello to others either to a Luke warm response or no response.
> 4.	Recently I got to know that I have been named General Curry irony is I don't really relish curry much.
> 
> Apart from this there are a lot of subtle nuances that I won't be able to put a finger to but they show they treat me a lot differently. Prior to coming to Australia I was working in US for six years and never faced such issues.
> So help me understand what is that makes us Indians so bad and what should we do to help you understand that we not as bad as you think.
> 
> PS: I am not smelly (I use deodorant, and Perfume) and don't have bad breath issues. My hairs are not messy and above all I am paid more then what if a local was person was hired to do the same job.
> 
> All answers shall be appreciated.
> 
> Regards, Vinny


In the words of Mahatma Gandhi himself !

"You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty."


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## ammiy

Its very sad to hear the ways Indians are being treated in Australia.Reading this has really made me thinking.....if it is worth there


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## Nelly87

Hey I'm Dutch but I sound American (I lived in the States for a while) and everyone gets "awkward around the yank".... except I'm not. Anyway.

No, I am not one of those people you wanted answering your question, but I can tell you this much - there are plenty of Australians who are prejudice towards Indians and other Asian immigrants. Hell, I have people directly around me here who are - I tell them they're wrong every time and I try to fight it, but the truth is that people with sticks up their asses all their lives, probably _like_ it that way and you can't make someone change if they don't want to.

Yes there are plenty of Australians like that. There's plenty of every kind of person in a big country like this one... racists and discriminators are certainly NOT a majority - it might just be where you are right now and bad luck.

What I can tell you is that I never thought I would feel "discriminated against" or "treated as less" because, well gee golly, I look European and my English is perfect _they won't treat me like a foreigner_ I thought - which is racist on its own and I realize that now and apologize for it. I thought I wouldn't feel like a minority, but now that I am here, the truth is that I do. I feel like a minority everytime someone looks at me funny, every time people break every conversation with "Sooooo.... where ya from?" or "Are you Canadian?" (just to be safe). I feel like a minority every time I get rejected for a job I am perfectly qualified for, moreso than most Australians are (and I know that for a fact). I feel like a minority when my inlaws keep observing my diet and eating habits like I am a wild animal because apparently the Dutch just eat amazing amounts of cheese. I feel like a foreigner whenever I am told that I am very welcome as long as I adopt the Australian culture (I don't even adopt most of Dutch culture... but ALRIGHT). I feel like a foreigner all the time and sometimes it makes me notice little things more than people probably mean by them.

I'm just saying. It's not _all_ in your head, but at least some of it probably is.


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## Dexter

> Hi I want *only true Australians *and British migrants to Australia to answer this question please


With that kind of attitude (if you show this in the office) no wonder you are not getting along well with them.

As Australians (by birth or by choice, we don't judge people in Australia whether they are true Australians or not) we don't hate Indian race or Indian nation. What we hate is:

- call centres overseas (which somehow are always seen as "Indian"), annoying consultants using scripts more than their own brains.

- Indian telemarketers annoying private residences. Telemarketing is a good thing but not when someone calls you and talks for 5 minutes before explaining why they are really calling. I have learnt to hang up on Indian or any other overseas telemarketers right after they say the first sentence. I started doing this after one of them called me "f**king idiot" after I could not understand his accent

- attitude at work - unfortunately numerous people from that part of the world often live their own life in the company and do not cooperate well with the rest of the team. Again, this often happens with Indian immigrants

Not to mention that you guys are our cricket archrivals. 

What we love about Indians is

- butter chicken and naan
- Indian souvenir shops
- some great looking Indian clothing

I worked with quite a few Indians in Australia. Unfortunately most of them were more of a problem at work than help. They were usually late to work, sometimes not turning up at all. Unfortunately, only minority shows true professionalism (and I have met such Indians too).

Apparently some Australians and Brits are morons and it is best to ignore such...


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## PrincessConsuela

Im malaysian indian and I can safely say I feel discriminated in my own country so I dont expect any much worse elsewhere. My friend who is a malaysian chinese and been living in Aus for 12 years claims that Au is racist. It is an enigma because my husband in australian and he gets so peeved each time someone calls aus racist. He always says 'how can u call us racist? have u see the amount of nationalities that live and work here?' I believe everyone is racist to some degree, I myself am multi racist and find issues with every race in the world..So i guess I dont pigeon hole i hate everyone equally! lol. My husband used to work in a call centre in melb and he and another girl were the only white ppl there. the rest were indians and they treated him like a leper. Just like you he too felt discriminated againts and nobody wanted to speak to him at work. having been there a few times albeit on holiday I havent encountered anything unusual. I wont lie. right up til I met my husband I used to think all aussies were racists. having met a few that come here and ask me 'u dont look indian...ur quite black' I used to be offended, but I came to realize their no more as racist at I would be to assume they all ride kangaroos to work.


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## newinoz

I think it is not easy to integrate oneself abroad.
When you feel discriminated it is always easier to condemn others for that rather than questioning yourself and doing efforts on yourself.
Im sure an australian or european who moves to india will meet idiots and feel discrimination as well as nice guys.
How do u behav in office? Are you the kind who is so career focused that you could step on someone to gain something ? How do u talk to your colleagues ? Do u talk to them like you are the boss and they are inferior ? 
I mean you may behave in a way that colleagues dont appreciate. 
As for general curry (well yes that is funny) you need some sense of humor also.


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## Dexter

I wonder if the author of this post actually tells us all the truth. In December 2010 in another topic he wrote:



> Dear All,
> 
> I am a recent migrant to Australia from India. While in India I was working in the field of Telecommunication/Networking (Unified Communications and Contact Centers) for Avaya as a Presales Consultant/Solution Architect.


And while opening this topic in June 2012 he wrote:



> I am a person of East Indian origin and pretty new to Australia (<6 months).


So... 2 years ago it looks like he was already in Australia and how in June 2012 he writes that he has been here less than 6 months? Something does not add up here.


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## letmein

I really didn't read anyone else post. but as i'm backpacking in Australia right now and have worked many jobs from what i hear out of most of the Australians is there are to many of you here and you need to go home. You don't like your country then change it. Don't move to ours. But they say the same with the asian espically in sydney. i live here there EVERYWHERE. They also think your lazy as hell which i can and cant agree with you meet good and bad everywhere and australians love to be on the dole it seems. Also in general since they have increased the amount of people they let live here violence and crime has gone up alot. all the time on the news its always some lebo or something along those lines pulled a gun and shot someone. its no different then what i see in the usa. You also come over here speaking shit english. If you come to an english speaking country speak it well. I have heard you think your a gift to this earth as soon as a job gives you a decent position like a supervisor or manager you pretty much dont do shit and cant be a team player. This is just what i hear. Good luck


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## Boboa

This thread is pointless in my opinion and it seems to me more of the venting chit chat turning ugly. There is good and bad everywhere regardless of the country, location, ethnicity or colour. There is nothing wrong with people resisting change and there is nothing wrong with people creating the change. Pointing fingers and generalizing be that about Australians (white, brown, yellow or purple), Indians or Martians is wrong. 

"True Australians" your post is more segregative and racist than what you claim. Everyone who comes to Australia and loves this country is a True Australian. 
Please reopen if anyone disagrees.


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