RSL opposes indigenous soldiers’ ANZAC Day march
April 17, 2007 at 7:37 pm (Aboriginal affairs, media, military, race and racism, the state, whiteness)
from the Sydney Morning Herald
WHEN David Williams’s uncle returned from the Korean War - exhausted and recovering from a gunshot wound - the family took him to Greenslopes Repatriation Hospital in Brisbane. The door was closed in their faces.”They basically said, ‘Just another black coon’,” Mr Williams said. “They didn’t want to know us. The fact that he fought for his country - nearly died for his country - didn’t mean anything to them.
“They left him to look after himself and he ended up hitting the booze and just slowly deteriorating.”
This was not an isolated experience. About 500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders fought in World War I and as many as 5000 took part in World War II, according to Australian War Memorial records.
But while they fought alongside other Australians in the trenches, on the battlefields of Europe and in the jungles of Asia, those who made it back often received little or no recognition of their efforts and continued to face racism at home.
Next Wednesday, despite criticism from the RSL, their unique experiences and contribution will be recognised when hundreds of indigenous veterans and their descendants march through Redfern in Sydney’s first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Anzac Day parade.
The RSL is an extremely conservative organisation. They’ve taken many anti-queer stances in the past. It’s hardly surprising that they’re opposing this effort to recognise indigenous soldiers (and subtly undo the image of white masculinity that’s celebrated as quintessentially “Australian” on ANZAC Day). Because of course, so long as white Australians get recognised, everyone else is unimportant!
arielladrake said,
April 19, 2007 at 1:30 am
What I find fascinating, though not really surprising, is this idea that there’s nothing special to be recognised about people who served in wars whilst at the same time not bring considered bona fide citizens of the country they were serving, particularly when you’re talking about World War (both) vets, and Korean War vets, and others I’ve likely missed.
Fire Fly said,
April 19, 2007 at 12:53 pm
Boer War?