‘Wog’, ‘dago’, ‘coon’, ‘Abo’ – it goes to the very being of a person. Our very being is diminished. Many are hurt by these comments. There was a time when these derogatory terms were part of the everyday Australian lingo. Even then they were hurtful, just as hurtful as they remain today. I know that as a child I was hurt by them. In my many travels, I do come across instances of deeply hurtful comments.
Recently, I came across a gentleman who has been consumed by a battle for an apology from someone who called him an ‘Abo’.
He took immediate offence. But the individual who called him what he did allegedly responded that it was alright to do so “because among yourselves you call each other Abo.”
The battle has degenerated to whether such a term is commonly used. You would think this situation could have been mediated with apologies and redemption delivered. But no, racism has veils and layers, including defending the misuse of even the inadvertent comment. But when a comment is racialised it is not inadvertent.
I provided a supporting statement for the gentleman’s hearing. Part of it reads:
“I have been engaged in the struggles and the affairs of this nation’s First Peoples for more than twenty years, whether in the tertiary sector, whether in the media, whether in suicide prevention work or whether in various research works.”
“I am a researcher in racism, the ways forward and in suicide prevention with two Masters and doctoral research.”
“From 2011 to 2015 I was a correspondent with the National Indigenous Times and the National Indigenous Radio Service and with several online publications. I have written and broadcast thousands of articles, interviewed thousands of individuals from right across the continent.”
“I have written extensively on racism, of its many veils and layers, on anti-racism, on the ways forward. I have also endured the lived experience of racism since I was toddler, and therefore I have first-hand witness. However in my many travels over more than two decades through communities far and wide across this continent – to hundreds of Homelands (‘remote communities’) I have found for whom the racism is worst in this nation.”
“I am originally from Sydney, having grown up with many people who have Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander heritage. I now reside in Western Australia where I have been for two decades.”
I noted that I have been availed “to a suggested proposition that our First Peoples (Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders) may refer to each other as “you Abo” or in similar fashion.”
“In all my travels to hundreds of communities over decades, I have not on a single occasion heard any Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander refer to anyone with this term or in similar fashion. ‘Abo’ is a derogatory term, not dissimilar to ‘wog’ or ‘dago’ or ‘coon’. Whether used intentionally or inadvertently it is a distinctively malicious racialised term with the distinct underwriting to incur alienation, diminution, hurt.”
“Psychosocially this term has a hurtful affect, dissociating people from their rightful appreciation of their selves and their heritage. Such terms should not be used by anyone. Such terms are not used in the everyday conversations of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders.”
“There have been substantial campaigns in the media and in schools sponsored by various organisations to educate non-Aboriginal Australians that derogatory racialised words have a damaging effect and should not be used.”
“Wherever I heard this word used it has been only by non-Aboriginal Australians. First Peoples who this derogation is used towards either look down, turn away, leave or they get angry and respond to the intended or inadvertent racism. This is not a word that educated Australians should ever use. No one should. However I can state without reservation that I have never heard a single Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander call another Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander ‘you Abo’ or ‘you Abos’ or ‘Abo’. I have not heard this in any Homeland – not in anyone’s home, not by any campfire, not in any formal or informal setting. Nor have I heard this in regional or urban settings.”
“The word is very hurtful. Unlike other hurtful words which go to the character and reputation of a person this word – ‘Abo’ – goes to the very being of a person, to the essence of the person.”
“If I can be of any assistance in discussing with you racism, its veils and layers, please feel free to contact me and I will be happy to engage.”
“Racism is not something easily understood by anyone who has never endured it – it is haunting.”
“The ways forward are there for all of us to engage.”
Gerry Georgatos
– Consultant, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Evaluation Project (ATSISPEP)
– Former correspondent, The National Indigenous Times (2011 – 2015)
– Correspondent, The National Indigenous Radio Service
– Journalist of the Year 2013 (Multicultural and Indigenous Media Awards – MIMA)
– Volunteer manager, Wheelchairs for Kids Foundation
– BA (Philosophy), BA (Media Studies), BA (Australian Indigenous Studies)
– G/Dip (Human Rights Education)
– Master in Human Rights
– Master in Social Justice
– Researcher in racism, identity, suicide prevention
Former journalist and filmmaker, Jeff McMullen, also provided a statement:
“(Name deleted) raises a deeply disturbing aspect of Australian racism. In my professional experience of fifty years of journalism I have never observed an Indigenous person use the word ‘Abo’ to an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person.”
“The word’s racist currency is kept in circulation by a cruel and thoughtless display of derision towards Aboriginal people by others who clearly convey a message that their targets of abuse are something less than their fellow citizens.”
“The word ‘Abo’ carries so much historical loathing from the overt racism of the 19th century. When used today it’s deeply hurtful, humiliating and psychologically damaging to Aboriginal people.”
“We need to ensure that our courts and the law are used wisely to prevent all forms of hate speech.”
Jeff McMullen AM
Journalist, author, filmmaker
Aloha Gerry from Hawaii…I was wondering if Australia, like the US, has an antidiscrimination policy in the law? Here, it is illegal to discriminate on the basis on color, religiion, sexual gender or preference, disability, age etc. It is definately hard to enforce sometimes because as you say, it is an insidious thing. Martin Luther King said something to the effect that the racists are the sick ones and we have to show them the way. That is an empowering point of view…ignorant and stupidity are rampant in Australia and it has sadly been this way for a long time. But the only way to change it is in the schools. Until toddlers up are taught that our first people were the original inhabitants and deserve our respect, and include first peoples cultures and traditions in our education system nothing will change. Who do we approach for this DISCRIMINATION in our schools. Who are our legal advocates in the system? thanks so much for all your hard work and I look forward to your reply. Robyn
Hi Robyn,
Australia does have various anti-discrimination legislation in place, federally and by jurisdiction, however it’s a tough gig scoring the justice, the remedy. In my view, courts and tribunals are in general worked over by the sophists.
However, public conversations are the best way forward for the national consciousness.
Hi Gerry: I had to look up what “sophists: means….”a person who reasons with clever, but fallacious arguments”. Now I have to look up what fallacious means and it is “a mistaken or false belief”.
Yes, again, ignorance is rampant, ( but not all, that would be a sterotype and I try not to stereotype). So, here’s a call to all those legal people who are not stereotypes and believe in justice and are willing to fight the good fight. Is there any recourse available to acts of discrimination in education, health benefits, housing etc???
We are listening hard.
Interesting article. Aussie born (’63) & bred I have often considered that people can be overly sensitive to words and that political correctness has gone too far. However, perhaps that is easy for me to say being a white fella & not feeling the impact of racist words. I don’t use the word but I did not consider “Abo” to be in itself a derogatory or racial word only the way or context of its use. I had, now seemingly ignorantly, considered “Abo” to simply be a lazy contraction of the word Aborigine in the common Aussie way to contract words. Either way it is not a word I would use around Aboriginal people out of respect. Thinking about it I think more because of its historical use than my belief of it being a contraction.
That word has always been derogatory.
Sadly, the gentleman never found justice. He passed away last week.
Gerry
Excuse me?!! Your attitude is no better than anyone else if you truly think dago and wog aren’t hurtful and don’t go to the core of the person being racially abused. As a Sicilian and Mediterranean Person we find these words HIGHLY offensive just like you. But you have the AUDACITY to think yourself worthy to judge how hurt WE are by it? You need a reality check. And by the way it is highly racist even for an Aboriginal person to call Mediterranean Peoples white (insert whatever foul name your drunk brethren here in Darwin pick). Y’all are as racist and nasty as the next person
Dago and Wog are derogatory and hurtful.
Gerry