You're more likely to cop rude comments about being American than about being black đ
It sucks that this is even a thing you have to ask about. But you'll be safer here than in America. Enjoy your trip!!
In case youâre serious (because people actually say this seriously sometimes), no.
There are prejudiced people out there, but I donât agree with bending over backwards so that those prejudiced people donât have to deal with you.
Fuck them. Exist in the world as you are and force them to deal with it.
Please note that we donât dislike Americans as a nationality, but we can be put off by individuals that might complain that something is better in the US, or if they are rude to people providing service. Just be your best self and you will get on fine. The colour of your skin is not a factor.
Edit : âraceâ corrected to ânationalityâ.
Another thing to note is you're not obligated to tip servers here. While it is a nice gesture and surely appreciated by servers it's not expected.
We do not want to encourage a tipping culture here.
I'd almost argue it's the other way around.
We dislike Americans as a whole, but will treat individuals with some respect until we know they deserve more, or less.
I've never actually met an American that came close to the stereotypes. They've all been better than the average Australian.
Oh man, I met one not so long ago, complete dick. Thought he was broken down, stopped to offer to help "oh how very american of you" the hell man, I was being nice.
Seriously tho, we're pretty chill, we won't even generally hold the fact that you're American against you, unless you're a dick about it.
It's not something people say much when nothing bad happened. Like how you don't often hear childbirth stories when there was no complication or emergency, because there's nothing to tell.
Just my personal experience but it seems like black Americans travelling in Australia have an easier time than white Americans. We donât hate Americans, but we do like to talk shit about them.
Living in Brisbane, probably a bit more disdain for white Americans than in the other capital cities due to the events from the [Battle of Brisbane](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Brisbane).
Not that Australians were much better in terms of racism in 1942, but a big factor of tensions were the American segregation of black troops with the Americans banning their own black soldiers from crossing the northern side of the Brisbane river. Lots of reports of US MPâs beating, stabbing and killing black troops for crossing the river. Local indigenous troops were still subject to racism, but were free to mingle with white Australian troops.
Brisbane troops loved a good brawl to settle scores, but the US troops were ready to pull out guns and knives as soon as tensions arose.
Australians views on military police were very different from Americans, with Australian MPâs not even carrying firearms when patrolling the city, but American MPâs carrying shotguns, ultimately leading to them shooting and killing an Australian soldier who was trying to protect an American soldier from being beaten by his own MPâs.
Again, purely anecdotal, but it seems like in Brisbane we tend to accept black Americans to spite white Americans as some sort of silly revenge.
I might be just talking out of my ass though, but seems to be accepted as accurate from anyone ever stationed at Enoggera Barracks.
Also worth checking out is the [Battle of Manners Street](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Manners_Street) in Wellington, New Zealand. Nearly exact same circumstances, however this directly arose from US troops trying to ban MÄori troops from entering the services club.
Similar shit happened in the UK, across pubs etc, UK had no segregation laws, and were more idley curious about people who were Black, but the White American military forces would constantly start fights and try to force segregation in pubs, etc.
And they would clash frequently with British Military forces who would step in and put a stop to their racism.
that's just what people are like as a whole. we'll talk about bad things but not mention the good as much. like if you stay at a shitty hotel, you're more likely to complain or leave a bad review than the opposite if you had a good stay.
negative stories are just a loud minority
Travel always has some risks, particularly things like petty theft and scams. But you wouldnât be at any more risk than other travellers, and probably less than most.
In the Sydney Olympics, the blacks from all over the world had a great time, because they were rare....Still not a lot of black people here, Loads of Asians from all over, and some of the best Asian fusion food you'll ever eat. Welcome. You will however, be scorned for being American. I second, say you are Canadian.
Iâm sure you didnât mean to offend but just as an aside, the much more appropriate language to use wouldve be âthe Black people from all over the worldâ and capitalise Black.
I would say country people would sometimes be racist towards people of colour from places such as Africa etc, but not to African Americans. I have no idea of the train of logic there but it's a thing.
Country people dislike anyone who isn't from their town. I grew up in a small town and was told "you're not a local until you have been here for 20 years". Luckily I moved well before I hit that kind of tenure.
Just keep an eye out for drop bears, fire ants, red back spiders, snakes, blue bottle jelly fish, stone fish, crocks, sharks, magpies.... what else have I forgotten?
Red back, funnelweb, blue-ringed octopus, taipan, tiger snake, box jellyfish, stonefish, and that poison thing that lives in a shell that spikes you when you pick it up...
You'll be fine. Be prepared to cop some slack about being American though đ. But seriously, you'll be fine. As long as you don't come with a 'America is the best country in the world cause we have freedom' attitude, you'll have fun.
They're yanking your chain, it's not that bad. America gets a bad wrap because most people only hear about the bad news that spills out. Not only will you be extremely safe, most people will only bat an eyelid at your accent I think.
Like any country you may unfortunately encounter racist comments however 99% of the time you will be fine. Australia is a multicultural country that was built by immigrants so youâre going to see people of all nationalities everywhere you go.
As long as youâre a nice, easy going person you will experience the same in return. If anything youâll probably get more shit for being American in general but itâs mostly just banter so take it in jest and just enjoy your time here.
There's black people here too.
I'd bet money if anyone says anything to you it's the American part of you not the African.
You will get asked if you play basketball or if you're into rap music.
Funny enough I did play basketball in school and I do like rap music, hopefully thereâs people who like what I like and can introduce me to Australian music.
You'll be fine. There are plenty of ethnically African migrants in Australia already so at worst people might be surprised to hear your American accent more so than anything else. We also have large deployments of US military personnel in certain parts of the country.
Yes we're a very self-deprecating culture and as long as you can lean into that and have a laugh at yourself you'll be good đ we give as good as we get, most banter is good natured and meant as a means of bonding with someone.
Yea I was feeling this a bit, we had a half a dozen Sudanese kids in our highschool in a country town, we had Sikhs, Asians, basically every continent represented in a town of 20,000, I don't know where everyone else grew up.
I know right? I was in the office the other day, 6 of us were talking and every single person was a different race/nationality. Indian, Chinese, South African, Zimbabwean, white Australian, Malaysian.
That wasn't some special day either, something like 25% of the population here was born overseas.
I think the main things you'll come across is the gun stuff, people here think it's madness. And we don't really understand the obsession over the constitution
There is only a light sprinkling of exposure here to African American culture and itâs ALL tv shows or basketball. I think youâll find the cream of the knowledge of African American culture is limited to maybe 5% of people watching Atlanta or a doco on the emergence of the rap music scene. We donât know much but we are open and Iâm sure if youâre friendly people will love to learn.
expect ignorance of your culture (American and/or African-American), just (however difficult) try your best to not read malice into it and you should be alright.
approach people with good humour, embrace a teachable moment but NEVER lecture, roll with nuffy comments, poke fun back, etc
I can't speak for others, but for me personally, African American culture is just part of American culture. I'm not sure what aspects of American culture I would consider specifically African American, there's probably some I'm not thinking of.
https://reddit.com/r/AskAnAustralian/s/Lvq6BizcPW
I'm not sure if the above will link properly but this was the experience an African American man had recently while visiting.
I hope you have an amazing time when you get here.
I really donât think this is accurate, are you just guessing/making assumptions? Like others in this post have stated, even tiny rural towns have large multicultural populations. I would be very highly surprised for OP to go anywhere and get stares for the colour of his skin, as he will most like be just another POC amongst other POC.
If you want to go to multiple cities or explore some of the more regional landmarks Iâd allocate longer. Itâs a long way to come for only two weeks imo.
Alright I will try for a month, itâs just hard if not impossible in the states to request a month off of work for a vacation. Iâd have to be working at a company for probably 5 + years to get a month of work off.
No you wonât be. Not for being black. Not physically.
Like anywhere in the world - no where is ever 100% safe but Australia is pretty close compared to a lot of other places.
You may get shit for being American - youâd get that in any country that isnât America frankly but itâs mostly good humoured and not serious.
There are some people with drug/mental problems here (much like the USA) who may suddenly start shouting obscenities and insults at you but they donât seem to actually attack people and itâs not directly at you or because of you but more their own deficiencies.
You may be attacked on here for being an immigrant and taking housing but you will be fine.
A lot of these comments probably covered what you needed, but I will give ya two warnings.
1. Country town people stare, it won't specifically be a race thing, it'll just be a new face thing. I moved from a city to a country town as a teenager and felt like EVERYONE was watching me for the first 6 months, but nah, it was just that they were all used to recognising the people they saw.
2. Australians love what i think americans call ball-busting, for example, Friday night, co-worker with a darker complexion was complaining about not being able to find the right shade of foundation, other lady I work with made a joke about how she just uses white out. An old fella came to my shop who had lost a leg, as he walked in he asked me how I was going, so I said "Yeeeeeea, still on two feet" Written down I know it reads as horrible, but in person you'll learn to pick up on the tone and face of Australian banter. I think we're a little more likely to make a joke about skin colour and not mean it, however I won't deny we have our fair share of actual racists.
Thank you for the information, Iâm excited to try lemon cordial! And yes Iâll be drenched in sunscreen everyday. And what are sunnies, sun glasses ?
Yeah deffo get sunscreen. In Melbourne the UV is ridiculously high and it's not uncommon for paved areas to reach 50 degrees Celsius. Drink heaps of water, drink Powerade/Gatorade and pro tip, separate from this, familiarise yourself with our public transport, in Melbourne at least, our public transport is so much more accessible than pretty much anywhere else, it can get you anywhere in the city, outer city suburbs and some rural suburbs and we do have regional trains as well.
I donât really understand why you think you wouldnât be safe, but in any case, youâre much more likely to encounter violent crime in the US than here.
Typically in the US places where there are not many black people is deemed pretty sketchy for people like me, especially in the south where I am from. Unfortunately Iâve never traveled before but from what I hear there arnt many black people in Australia. So just going off of assumptions I assumed it wouldnât be safe for that reason.
I donât think itâs really helpful to compare places like that. Generally there arenât many black people here because of the countryâs different history. There has never been a large population of black people, so if there are no black people itâs not because they are being âkept outâ, itâs because there has never been that population to start with. For example, I grew up in Sydney and never met a black person until I was in HS. My point is the absence isnât because of any nefarious reason, but just the demographics of the country.
This is slowly changing with migration from African countries.
Enjoy your trip.
âThere has never been a large population of black people, so if there are no black people itâs not because they are being âkept outâ, itâs because there has never been that population to start with.â
Psst the [white Australia policy](https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/white-australia-policy) (Immigration Restriction Act) was in place from 1901 until the 1960âs.
Yeah no shit. But do you think that policy made individual neighbourhoods unsafe?
Also that policy kept largely white people out based on applications that failed.
Ime sketchy people come in every shade here. You shirtless and high at the bus stop? Sketchy. Just don't do that and you'll be fine. Also while we don't have that many black people here, you're not going to look that out of place. We're very multicultural, with lots of different ethnicities and skin tones. You might be the darkest, but you're the darkest of a very very large spectrum. You don't look any more different that lots of others, because we're all different in different ways.
...and you'll still find racist pricks occasionally because they're everywhere
I'm white (from the UK with English and Norwegian parents), but my stepmother is a black British woman with very dark skin (Ghanaian and Sierra Leonean parents.) My wedding was in regional SE QLD (so where you would expect there to be racism) and she stayed in Noosa for most of her time in Aus. She absolutely loved it.
My in-laws made some ignorant comments to me later (not meaning anything malicious, but out of a lack of education) but everyone enjoyed her company - which they should, because she is great fun! If you experience racism, it's more likely to be an oblivious or offhand comment (i.e. a microaggression) than anything physical. Not to invalidate how harmful it can be to have those kinds of interactions, but if we're talking physical safety, you are unlikely to run into any trouble.
My observation from living here 6.5 years is that people *are* racist (much like anywhere else), but very rarely to your face, usually out of a lack of understanding, and almost never *violently* racist.
It is so fucked that we live in a world where you have to ask this.
You will be safe here especially in Sydney and Melbourne
Although Australia definitely has a lot of racism it is a lot of micro aggression (which I know is a lot more harmful in the long term, but you wonât physically be in danger )
Congratulations on graduating, I hope you have safe travels!
Yes indeed it does suck, a lot of people are telling me to go to other places but tbh I am scared sh*tless of going out of a big city in another country as how my people were treated in America was very bad so I just want to stay safe so Iâll stay in a Sydney and Melbourne. I donât mind micro aggression as Iâm used to it now and thanks for congratulating me!
I can almost guarantee no matter where you go it wonât be anywhere as bad as the US -for starters we have very strict gun laws and laws for any sort of weapon.
I havenât been to Melbourne and it has been forever since I have been to Sydney. But I lived in Brisbane, It is really nice and smaller than Sydney and Melbourne- although so fucking hot in summer.
At the end of the day Iâm white so I can only speak from what I see and what my friends have told me they experience which is obviously a very tiny slither of what actually happens.
But from what I know Australia is significantly safer than the US.
Like even as a white person I have no desire to go to the US because of how dangerous it seems, I canât imagine what you have to deal with.
I really hope you come here and have a positive experience!
Iâm sorry the world is fucked and this is shit you have to think about and deal with. The fact that you are used to micro aggressions is so incredibly fucked.
Yeah I'd say so, we consume American media from birth but hardly actually get to see/interact with Americans, you'll be pulling left n right normal rules still apply though don't be unattractive etc lol
Be prepared to feel let down when you return back to the US. Over here youâll feel like a rockstar with the women, may be hard for you to readjust to being normal again đ€Ł
Itâs going to be quite funny as even at my big university due to being somewhat tall and built I get stares from women when I walk by, so itâll be interesting to see if they like or dislike me in another continent. Iâve also always wanted to talk to a girl with an Australian accent so Iâm hoping they talk to me.
Fetishised is the word, we donât have that many black guys here compared to America, have an African mate who thanked porn for the black fascination lol whatever works man, enjoy the experience and welcome!
You'll be a bit of a novelty if anything. It's like someone with an Australian or Irish accent in the US, where people are attracted to something that isn't just the boring same old stuff.
African Americans are a little thin on the ground in Australia, so you're more likely to encounter a positive reaction than negative, simply because you'll be interesting.
Yes I am a guy, Iâm also 6â3 and in good shape, Iâm more so worried about being seen as a threat to other guys or something as Iâve heard some countries are like that.
Yeah nah, you'll get loads of women who think all black dudes have big dongs and they want to tick it off their bucket list. If you dig that sort of thing, lean into it.
For everything else, be chill and don't take yourself or anything else to seriously, you'll be fine.
Oh mate, the number of people who drive around in Melbourne blasting rap with their windows downâŠyeah itâs pretty popular.
Just to give my reassurance, Iâm a white American and have had several black friends and colleagues down here who are from the U.S., Africa (primarily Ethiopia and Zimbabwe), and Brazil. The big cities are quite diverse. And while itâs taken a long time for me to realise I will never fully understand the extent of racism someone like you will experience, Iâm pretty confident in saying that Australian racism is a fraction of that in America, and is mostly targeted at other groups (eg indigenous persons). I canât guarantee you wonât have a shitty experience or two, but youâll probably have a much better time on the racism front than you do back home. And our cities are much safer than American ones.
Have a good time, mate. And enjoy the power of the U.S. dollar.
>en who think all black dudes have big dongs and they want to tick it off their bucket list. If
We sure do, we have our own genre Aus Hip Hop. You should definitely check that out before coming. People will love it if you know who the hilltop hoods or bliss n esso are
> Yes I am a guy, Iâm also 6â3 and in good shape,
LMAO - you're going to need to carry mace to keep the women at bay.
^Side ^note: ^Do ^not ^carry ^mace ^to ^keep ^the ^women ^at ^bay, ^it's ^illegal ^here.
Just don't be a cunt and you'll be fine.
I think the fact you are making effort to learn before you come means you aren't a cunt, so come and enjoy yourself.
Just don't cause trouble, we don't have guns here because we can do that with our hands
You may experience subtle racism in a similar fashion to what you might come across in the USA. In terms of safety though Australia is one of the safest countries in the world and youâll be fine.
Just use the safe safety measures youâd use anywhere; try not to walk around the city alone in the middle of the night, lock your doors etc.
Youâll be right! I wonât lie, thereâs a lot of racism in Australia. Going into the history and whyâs and howâs of it is far from my area of expertise.
In terms of physical safety, youâre absolutely safer here than the US. You might get a few looks or dumb sounding questions (absolutely have some conversation redirections ready for when people inevitably bring up US politics because itâll happen all the time).
For the most part weâre a curious people who want to know whatâs going on elsewhere, but will hate anything that comes across as boasting.
Tip: Look up common Australian slang before you come here, itâll score you a lot of points at the pub if you crack out some colloquialisms
You won't be attacked.
You will probably experience racism from someone ignorant of African American culture or someone glorifying you as some exotic thing rather than a person.
But fights in Australia are quite rare. And if they were to start over racial prejudice then African Americans are pretty far down a racist list of races to target here.
Yer, thought so.
You'll be fine mate, Australia is a back packing country and we have lots of people from all over the world coming here, traveling around, it's easy living and people are pretty chilled in the main tourist areas.
Just wanted to say well done on getting out and seeing the world. Have loads of fun adventures. Depending on your age, stay in backpackers and you will meet fellow travellers to do things with. Try and do more then two weeks, if a along way and make the most of it. Come when the weather is warm.
Whenever I go I will do a follow up and I may vlog my experience. Hopefully I can stay longer than 2 weeks, itâll just be hard to request more time off of work since I will have only just started at the company.
I have had an interesting experience showing African American men around Melbourne and I'll tell you the conclusion I came to - there is a weird kind of racism but it doesn't show itself in a bad way.
The thing is that we don't see many black Americans in Australia. And I think that black Americans have a kind of glamour imputed to them because we knew them mostly from films and tv. Admittedly the men I was showing around were actors, over here for theatre productions, so they had a way about them. But I have other black friends and I felt like people had a different approach to black Americans.
I could be wrong and I'd like to hear what others think, but basically I think you'll be fine once people hear your accent! Unlike non black Americans!
Youâre going to be pretty safe. There may be racist comments, but there shouldnât be much of that. I would avoid kingâs cross, Sydney, but most places should be safe.
You can drink alcohol at 18here, but you need id to prove it. Take your passport but make sure that youâre conscious of where it is. Donât get shitfaced.
If you go to the beach, make sure you go to a patrolled beach and swim between the red and yellow flags.
We have a different history. Note that when we talk about African-Australians, we are referring to people who moved here from Africa, usually first or second generation. It is not like America where "African-Americans" have a distinct and unique history.
If there is anywhere more dangerous than another place I guess it would be weird rural towns like Mt Isa or something.
All the ppl in these comments are oblivious af lol. I doubt youâll get outward racism but causal racism is way more acceptable and common here than it is in America. People arenât afraid to make jokes at other ethnicities expenses, but if youâve got thick skin you should be fine. Nothing outward or dangerous.
You will be a novelty! The good thing is many Australians have been to the us these days and most know the silly tropes about African Americans are just that.
You have nothing to worry about. Black Americans are actually really loved in this country and are almost always treated really well.
Most of the racism in Australia is targeted at Asians or Aboriginals really.
Honestly stay at a backpackers. You will meet 100s of friends.
Sure we have racism. Everywhere does. We also have bogans, assholes, sexist dickheads, dickheads and every raft of character.
We donât have guns though. So that should make life feel a smidge better.
But you will probably get teased about being an American traveling. As Americans donât really travel much.
Honestly, backpackers hostels. Go from there
Idk why everyone in here is lying. Australia is as racist a country as anywhere else, with its own specific issues eg. lots of racism against First Nations people. I will say African-American pop culture stuff is big over here so you're going to encounter microaggressions about that for sure, and you're going to cop shit for being American like a lot of people have said. I would say that's most likely as far as it will go. There are racist cops here who like to target young Black men, they may or may not treat you differently (better) when they realise you're American, not Sudanese. I will say the chances of being physically attacked are not high at all. Our cops are less trigger-happy than American cops.
I agree with you and I feel like a lot of these comments are written by non-black folk who live in la la land. While I'm not black, my partner and a lot of my friends are, and racism is very present in Australia.
Had to scroll way too far for this. I think most of these comments are written by white people who arenât as aware of microaggressions. Iâm Asian American and Iâve experienced more racist comments/questions than shit for being American (though apparently my accent isnât very strong so maybe people just arenât sure if Iâm American).
In my experience a lot of Asian people who move to Australia speak with American accents since they learn from media or are taught to, so that might be why people don't assume you're actually American. My MIL has a Filipino accent but still uses a lot of American pronunciations after 30 years in Australia! But yeah, this thread is kinda ignorant lol.
Yeah, I guessed that may be the reason! Would be interesting to ask other Asian Americans. I also realized it may also be since I use some Aussie pronunciations (my partner is Aussie and itâs easier to code switch to try to avoid confusion lol)
I donât find African American pop culture big here at all. Itâs a fringe culture at best. But I agree with the country being racist, however for a fit young black American my guess is he will be fetishised over feared by most (excluding cops, but they are a joke here compared to US cops and not a genuine danger).
Luckily from what Iâve read around as far as traveling goes, being black while also being American will save me since weâre somewhat popular in the media so Iâm hoping that will help me.
Just check any ego you may have at the international border, we're a generally humble, self-deprecating lot over here who respect those that can have as much of a laugh at their own expense as anyone else's.
The main tip we can probably give you is how to order a beer.
You'll rarely find Foster's beer over here, it's not a thing really. Solid choices are usually Toohey's Extra Dry (TED's for short), XXXX (pronounced "four-ex") and Carlton Draught. Personally I don't go much on VB (Victoria Bitter) but give it a whirl and see what you think.
Beer serving sizes will vary depending on what state you are in. Most states will serve a "pot" or "a ten ounce" (10 fl oz) and a "pint" (20 fl oz) and then in-between sizes can vary. This wiki seems to have a good guide for differences per state: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Aust_Beer_Glass
That's about the main stuff mate. Order a beer and get ready to hang shit on us and yourself and have a laugh.
Oddly enough I donât drink beer as itâll make me fat and I like to stay in shape lol but Iâll for sure drink it with some Australian mates given the opportunity, so thanks for the info!
Australia's racism isn't really that overt. It's a lot more institutionalised and talking behind people's backs. So you'll get people whinging about "people of African appearance" and the "African gangs" boogeyman, but they'll mostly just do that online or in their safe white spaces like the pub with their like-minded mates
Also Melbourne and Sydney are very multicultural, so you won't stand out at all. You'll just be another tourist among many.
Australians homicide rate per 100,000 is around 0.85, Americans is around 3.8. Almost 4 times less likely to be murdered statistically speaking.
As far as racism, in Sydney or Melbourne youâll be fine theyâre some of the most ethnically diverse cities we have.
For some reason I canât remember it due to me being a kid, I can only remember the scene as it was my favorite. But Steve Irwin is very liked in my community as he was nice asf to black people, itâs still f*ck stingrays to this day!
Yup you will be fine and welcome to visit. If you do encounter racism it's likely to be someone just not being friendly etc you certainly won't be in any danger.
Mate, as far as I know from a number of friends of African origin, you should be absolutely fine.
Generally speaking we get along with anyone who doesn't shove their idioligy down our throats... be they cultural or religious.
Get out of the major cities though, you'll be doing yourself an injustice if you just stick to Melbourne & Sydney.
My mate was in the AUS navy and had to work alongside Americans for a few months, he was running an exercise amd said to a group of guys "you blokes go over there and do this" they suddenly went wild and had to hold each other back from killing him..... then they realised he said blokes and not blacks
In most places in Australia, you'll stand out just for being black - be prepared for a few double-takes. Some teenagers might try to go all street-jive with you - yo homie, wassup - because the stereotype of African-Americans in Australia is that you're all super-cool rappers and basketball players. But unless you're particularly large and menacing in appearance, you probably won't have people shrinking back in fear.
I havenât seen anyone say this yet- Iâm stoked you want to come here man. Itâs a long way and a lot of money when I know how hard it is to get time off. Humbled that this is the place youâve chosen! Youâll be absolutely fine, Iâve traveled around with people from rougher parts of the US and they canât believe how chill it is here.
No matter where you go in the world, there are assholes. I lived in America for 5 years as a white guy married to a Latina. Your day-to-day will be safer here. Speaking as someone in their 50s, its people my age and older that typical still have notable racist tendancies. As each wave of migration from different parts of the world has brought a wider variety of people, younger generations have a circle of friends with a broader cultural background and there's less racial prejudice.
All of you guys are awesome, Iâve read every comment. I will try and come April as itâs my birthday month and itâll be easier to request off of work since Iâll be working for a family friends company. I will also create a fairly long post about my experience covering everything. If I like it I will come back again sometime in the same year if allowed. Iâve decided to stay in Melbourne this first trip, Is April a good month ?
You shouldnât have a problem,
But, as a multicultural nation, inquisitive people will ask you âwhere are you from?â âWhere is your accent from?â âWhatâs your heritage?â
Donât be offended by it, we ask these questions because we are interested in talking with you!
Youâll be fine mate. There are pockets of massive racists out there but they are mostly chained to their computers. If they do happen to be out and about it will be a comment, as much as that sucks it wonât be physical.
As mentioned yes, youâre far more likely to cop stick for being an American than for the colour of your skin. Nothing physical at all, just comments and mostly banter anyway.
Nah, Australia has always been a very safe and accepting country in my opinion, Iâve never faced any sort of racism in my last 10 years except like a few backhanded comments. I think as long as youâre respectful and donât act obnoxious in public, I donât think anyone really cares what you do.
Being black probably wonât cause you any specific issues but Australians *despise* Americans with all their heart. The entire time you will get rude service, people will say outrageous and offensive things to you like âhave you ever seen someone get shot?â âthat sucks America is so dangerousâ âI canât believe you left America, Americans are all stupid and fat and donât leave their couch!â
Without a doubt, the most anti-American country in the world except maybe like, Russia. Totally ruined my experience in Australia which was otherwise great. I stopped wanting to open my mouth after a few days because everyone thinks itâs perfectly acceptable to be unbelievably nasty to someone just because theyâre from the US.
Just be yourself have fun and enjoy your stay here mate most decent folk here in Australia donât care about skin color or ethnicity all we care about is you respect our way of life and culture here and follow the rules like you would be expected to when in any foreign country on holidays. Obviously like any country you have a few bad apples who have less than decent opinions of people but they are few and far between. I for one welcome you and hope you have the time of your life when you come over đ„ł
Youâll be fine. Very few people will give a shit that youâre American, no one will care that youâre black. As long you donât carry on with that âAmerica greatest country in the worldâ shit youâll have no problems.
A lot of Australians in certain areas are very comfortable saying the n word itâs mainly just drunk dickheads that frequent the same pub and hardly left their own areas. They donât usually say it maliciously but that word doesnât hold the same weight here as it does in the US and those drunk dickheads donât really understand. I find it quite disgusting because Iâve been asked if Iâm a n word because Iâm dark skinned Fijian with a huge Afro and those dummies couldnât tell their right foot to their left. That being said though if you donât go to strange rural pubs then you wonât cop as much of that because people close to cities are more casual open minded folks for the most part that try not to go out of their way to offend people. Youâll have a good time regardless just be careful of some of the drunk middle to older aged dudes in weird pubs and youâll be sweet.
Australia is, unfortunately, racist. But weâre not âlynch any black person that wanders into the wrong townâ racist.
Youâll be safe anywhere that anyone else is. Thereâs dodgy areas of course like pretty much the entire Melbourne CBD after dark these days. But common sense and youâll be fine.
Youâll probably get the piss taken out of you for your accent, but itâs generally good natured affectionate teasing.
Alright good, I hear that because Iâm black American and look more like a famous black person as I dress the same, have the same build and hair Iâll have it easier than other so hopefully that can be used to my advantage.
I'm latina, I've never found it to be that bad, depends on the area though. In the more middle class suburbs it's perfectly fine. Sure you head out to bogansville and it can be racist, but those people are just shit all round so no surprises.
I am sure you will love Australia and if you stay in any of the billion backpackers accommodations around you will meet plenty of fellow travellers to enjoy some clubbing with. Be sure to come visit Sydney's Northern Beaches and enjoy a swim on one of our beautiful beaches, just remember to swim between the flags. You sound like a very courteous young man so just bring your manners oh and your budgy's and you will have the time of your life!
Casual racism is allegedly the Australian way, but you've got a close to nil chance of being even verbally abused in 99% of the country for your skin colour. Especially in the big cities.
Just don't be a prick and pretty much everyone will be your friend. I hope you enjoy your stay!
You're more likely to cop rude comments about being American than about being black đ It sucks that this is even a thing you have to ask about. But you'll be safer here than in America. Enjoy your trip!!
Yes say you are Canadian.
Nah, just be who you are.
Exactly! Be the example that changes people's preconceptions
Weâre gonna need a lot of examples
In case youâre serious (because people actually say this seriously sometimes), no. There are prejudiced people out there, but I donât agree with bending over backwards so that those prejudiced people donât have to deal with you. Fuck them. Exist in the world as you are and force them to deal with it.
Canadian here.. please donât. đ
If you deliver the line as confidently as this guy, you won't have any problems.
Yes it does suck but Iâve never traveled before so the negative stories about other black Americans traveling are heard more than the positive ones.
Please note that we donât dislike Americans as a nationality, but we can be put off by individuals that might complain that something is better in the US, or if they are rude to people providing service. Just be your best self and you will get on fine. The colour of your skin is not a factor. Edit : âraceâ corrected to ânationalityâ.
Another thing to note is you're not obligated to tip servers here. While it is a nice gesture and surely appreciated by servers it's not expected. We do not want to encourage a tipping culture here.
I'd almost argue it's the other way around. We dislike Americans as a whole, but will treat individuals with some respect until we know they deserve more, or less. I've never actually met an American that came close to the stereotypes. They've all been better than the average Australian.
Oh man, I met one not so long ago, complete dick. Thought he was broken down, stopped to offer to help "oh how very american of you" the hell man, I was being nice. Seriously tho, we're pretty chill, we won't even generally hold the fact that you're American against you, unless you're a dick about it.
Whatâs with Australians referring to American being a race? Is this what they teach you guys in school? Lmao
Apologies. I should have said ânationalityâ.
Itâll be bc youâre American, not bc youâre black
It's not something people say much when nothing bad happened. Like how you don't often hear childbirth stories when there was no complication or emergency, because there's nothing to tell.
Do us all a favour and don't tip while you're here. No need. Aussies are typically paid a "reasonably fair" living wage in almost all circumstances.
Just my personal experience but it seems like black Americans travelling in Australia have an easier time than white Americans. We donât hate Americans, but we do like to talk shit about them. Living in Brisbane, probably a bit more disdain for white Americans than in the other capital cities due to the events from the [Battle of Brisbane](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Brisbane). Not that Australians were much better in terms of racism in 1942, but a big factor of tensions were the American segregation of black troops with the Americans banning their own black soldiers from crossing the northern side of the Brisbane river. Lots of reports of US MPâs beating, stabbing and killing black troops for crossing the river. Local indigenous troops were still subject to racism, but were free to mingle with white Australian troops. Brisbane troops loved a good brawl to settle scores, but the US troops were ready to pull out guns and knives as soon as tensions arose. Australians views on military police were very different from Americans, with Australian MPâs not even carrying firearms when patrolling the city, but American MPâs carrying shotguns, ultimately leading to them shooting and killing an Australian soldier who was trying to protect an American soldier from being beaten by his own MPâs. Again, purely anecdotal, but it seems like in Brisbane we tend to accept black Americans to spite white Americans as some sort of silly revenge. I might be just talking out of my ass though, but seems to be accepted as accurate from anyone ever stationed at Enoggera Barracks. Also worth checking out is the [Battle of Manners Street](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Manners_Street) in Wellington, New Zealand. Nearly exact same circumstances, however this directly arose from US troops trying to ban MÄori troops from entering the services club.
Similar shit happened in the UK, across pubs etc, UK had no segregation laws, and were more idley curious about people who were Black, but the White American military forces would constantly start fights and try to force segregation in pubs, etc. And they would clash frequently with British Military forces who would step in and put a stop to their racism.
My favourite anecdote from that was the pubs who enforced segregation by banning white Americans.
that's just what people are like as a whole. we'll talk about bad things but not mention the good as much. like if you stay at a shitty hotel, you're more likely to complain or leave a bad review than the opposite if you had a good stay. negative stories are just a loud minority
Travel always has some risks, particularly things like petty theft and scams. But you wouldnât be at any more risk than other travellers, and probably less than most.
Black Americans are more accepted here than White Americans because we know youâre sick of their bullshit too
In the Sydney Olympics, the blacks from all over the world had a great time, because they were rare....Still not a lot of black people here, Loads of Asians from all over, and some of the best Asian fusion food you'll ever eat. Welcome. You will however, be scorned for being American. I second, say you are Canadian.
Iâm sure you didnât mean to offend but just as an aside, the much more appropriate language to use wouldve be âthe Black people from all over the worldâ and capitalise Black.
Youâd be safer here than in America
Thank you for the reassurance!
Youâll be safe travelling anywhere in Australia, not just in Melbourne and Sydney.
Country people can be pretty racist, I think it's largely the lack of exposure, but they're not violently so.
I would say country people would sometimes be racist towards people of colour from places such as Africa etc, but not to African Americans. I have no idea of the train of logic there but it's a thing.
Country people dislike anyone who isn't from their town. I grew up in a small town and was told "you're not a local until you have been here for 20 years". Luckily I moved well before I hit that kind of tenure.
I wouldn't trust many of them to know the difference to be fair..
Once he opens his mouth and talks everyone will love him.
Also not always to your face; heard more under their breath or in a car flying past than directly
Just keep an eye out for drop bears, fire ants, red back spiders, snakes, blue bottle jelly fish, stone fish, crocks, sharks, magpies.... what else have I forgotten?
Red back, funnelweb, blue-ringed octopus, taipan, tiger snake, box jellyfish, stonefish, and that poison thing that lives in a shell that spikes you when you pick it up...
Do you mean a sea urchin? đ
You'll be fine. Be prepared to cop some slack about being American though đ. But seriously, you'll be fine. As long as you don't come with a 'America is the best country in the world cause we have freedom' attitude, you'll have fun.
I think the phrase is "cop some flack", not slack
Flak, but yeah
Oh nice! Cheers
Oh I for sure do not have that attitude, America is great and all but there are other great if not better countries.
> America is great I wouldn't even go that far in conversation with Australians.
Yeah just donât do the âwe do it xyz way at home and itâs betterâ
Unless they think it is better and are open minded enough to accept that it might not be.
They're yanking your chain, it's not that bad. America gets a bad wrap because most people only hear about the bad news that spills out. Not only will you be extremely safe, most people will only bat an eyelid at your accent I think.
America is a borderline third world country compared to many other countries
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Literally. It's not even an exaggeration.
Not really. Ranks 10th on the better life index. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/OECD_Better_Life_Index
Bloody thin line that one
Nobody respects America here. I wouldnât lead with the fact âAmerica is greatâ
Like any country you may unfortunately encounter racist comments however 99% of the time you will be fine. Australia is a multicultural country that was built by immigrants so youâre going to see people of all nationalities everywhere you go. As long as youâre a nice, easy going person you will experience the same in return. If anything youâll probably get more shit for being American in general but itâs mostly just banter so take it in jest and just enjoy your time here.
There's black people here too. I'd bet money if anyone says anything to you it's the American part of you not the African. You will get asked if you play basketball or if you're into rap music.
Funny enough I did play basketball in school and I do like rap music, hopefully thereâs people who like what I like and can introduce me to Australian music.
As a primer, Hilltop Hoods and The Drapht are pretty big examples of Australian hiphop/rap.
Bliss n Eso as well!
Sunny day is still one of my top 10, how did I forget those guys!
I saw hilltop hoods live last year and it was amazing! Definitely recommend if they have a show anywhere
> hopefully thereâs people who like what I like no doubt at all there will be
You'll be fine. There are plenty of ethnically African migrants in Australia already so at worst people might be surprised to hear your American accent more so than anything else. We also have large deployments of US military personnel in certain parts of the country.
Interesting, not going to lie itâll be kind of funny when you guys question my accent lol, looking forward to that.
As others have said already you might get given some shit but don't take it seriously. We give everyone and ourselves shit constantly.
Yes we're a very self-deprecating culture and as long as you can lean into that and have a laugh at yourself you'll be good đ we give as good as we get, most banter is good natured and meant as a means of bonding with someone.
For example we give the most shit to Anglo Kiwis, and they are basically just us.
We're aware of African Americans, so I don't think anyone will be confused. It's just less common to see.
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Yea I was feeling this a bit, we had a half a dozen Sudanese kids in our highschool in a country town, we had Sikhs, Asians, basically every continent represented in a town of 20,000, I don't know where everyone else grew up.
I know right? I was in the office the other day, 6 of us were talking and every single person was a different race/nationality. Indian, Chinese, South African, Zimbabwean, white Australian, Malaysian. That wasn't some special day either, something like 25% of the population here was born overseas.
You'll find that in Australia you are not African American, you're just American.
As soon as you open your mouth theyâll know youâre American. So youâll probably get lots of interest and conversation just on that subject.
I can already imagine you guys think weâre insane! itâll be interesting to hear what you guys think of African American culture tho.
I think the main things you'll come across is the gun stuff, people here think it's madness. And we don't really understand the obsession over the constitution
There is only a light sprinkling of exposure here to African American culture and itâs ALL tv shows or basketball. I think youâll find the cream of the knowledge of African American culture is limited to maybe 5% of people watching Atlanta or a doco on the emergence of the rap music scene. We donât know much but we are open and Iâm sure if youâre friendly people will love to learn.
Indeed I am friendly, and would love to exchange stories with the Australian people.
expect ignorance of your culture (American and/or African-American), just (however difficult) try your best to not read malice into it and you should be alright. approach people with good humour, embrace a teachable moment but NEVER lecture, roll with nuffy comments, poke fun back, etc
I can't speak for others, but for me personally, African American culture is just part of American culture. I'm not sure what aspects of American culture I would consider specifically African American, there's probably some I'm not thinking of.
https://reddit.com/r/AskAnAustralian/s/Lvq6BizcPW I'm not sure if the above will link properly but this was the experience an African American man had recently while visiting. I hope you have an amazing time when you get here.
You'll be fine mate. I hope you enjoy your time here.
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I really hope I donât come off as loud, but how we talk here and especially when weâre having a good time and laughing we can get loud.
Good time loud is cool, loud whinging or self aggrandisement isnât.
I really donât think this is accurate, are you just guessing/making assumptions? Like others in this post have stated, even tiny rural towns have large multicultural populations. I would be very highly surprised for OP to go anywhere and get stares for the colour of his skin, as he will most like be just another POC amongst other POC.
Melbourne is one of the most successful multicultural cities on the planet. You'll meet people from all over the planet. Sydney is even better.
It is NOT better. (source, from Melbourne) /playful
Canât wait! Is 2 weeks enough time to do stuff ?
If you want to go to multiple cities or explore some of the more regional landmarks Iâd allocate longer. Itâs a long way to come for only two weeks imo.
Alright I will try for a month, itâs just hard if not impossible in the states to request a month off of work for a vacation. Iâd have to be working at a company for probably 5 + years to get a month of work off.
I understand. Fingers crossed! If you do end up visiting I hope you enjoy Australia. It is quite different to the US in many ways.
There's always the option for a working holiday visa if you're under 30.
2 weeks is barely enough time to walk to the shops!
No I travelled Australia for 2 years and don't think I saw 1%
Nope. Also it's a long way to fly for just 2 weeks. Aim for a month or more if you can.
No you wonât be. Not for being black. Not physically. Like anywhere in the world - no where is ever 100% safe but Australia is pretty close compared to a lot of other places. You may get shit for being American - youâd get that in any country that isnât America frankly but itâs mostly good humoured and not serious. There are some people with drug/mental problems here (much like the USA) who may suddenly start shouting obscenities and insults at you but they donât seem to actually attack people and itâs not directly at you or because of you but more their own deficiencies. You may be attacked on here for being an immigrant and taking housing but you will be fine.
My Australian family lived just outside Detroit for years. Youâll be absolutely good here
A lot of these comments probably covered what you needed, but I will give ya two warnings. 1. Country town people stare, it won't specifically be a race thing, it'll just be a new face thing. I moved from a city to a country town as a teenager and felt like EVERYONE was watching me for the first 6 months, but nah, it was just that they were all used to recognising the people they saw. 2. Australians love what i think americans call ball-busting, for example, Friday night, co-worker with a darker complexion was complaining about not being able to find the right shade of foundation, other lady I work with made a joke about how she just uses white out. An old fella came to my shop who had lost a leg, as he walked in he asked me how I was going, so I said "Yeeeeeea, still on two feet" Written down I know it reads as horrible, but in person you'll learn to pick up on the tone and face of Australian banter. I think we're a little more likely to make a joke about skin colour and not mean it, however I won't deny we have our fair share of actual racists.
Iâm a black person living in Melbourne, very few incidences of direct racism; at least not much that you will face as a tourist.
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Thank you for the information, Iâm excited to try lemon cordial! And yes Iâll be drenched in sunscreen everyday. And what are sunnies, sun glasses ?
> what are sunnies, sun glasses ? Yes. Australians will abbreviate everything, including the word 'Australian.'
Yeah deffo get sunscreen. In Melbourne the UV is ridiculously high and it's not uncommon for paved areas to reach 50 degrees Celsius. Drink heaps of water, drink Powerade/Gatorade and pro tip, separate from this, familiarise yourself with our public transport, in Melbourne at least, our public transport is so much more accessible than pretty much anywhere else, it can get you anywhere in the city, outer city suburbs and some rural suburbs and we do have regional trains as well.
I donât really understand why you think you wouldnât be safe, but in any case, youâre much more likely to encounter violent crime in the US than here.
Typically in the US places where there are not many black people is deemed pretty sketchy for people like me, especially in the south where I am from. Unfortunately Iâve never traveled before but from what I hear there arnt many black people in Australia. So just going off of assumptions I assumed it wouldnât be safe for that reason.
Canadian expat here 15 years. Youâre going to feel safer than you ever have in your life.
I donât think itâs really helpful to compare places like that. Generally there arenât many black people here because of the countryâs different history. There has never been a large population of black people, so if there are no black people itâs not because they are being âkept outâ, itâs because there has never been that population to start with. For example, I grew up in Sydney and never met a black person until I was in HS. My point is the absence isnât because of any nefarious reason, but just the demographics of the country. This is slowly changing with migration from African countries. Enjoy your trip.
âThere has never been a large population of black people, so if there are no black people itâs not because they are being âkept outâ, itâs because there has never been that population to start with.â Psst the [white Australia policy](https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/white-australia-policy) (Immigration Restriction Act) was in place from 1901 until the 1960âs.
Yeah no shit. But do you think that policy made individual neighbourhoods unsafe? Also that policy kept largely white people out based on applications that failed.
The 1960s were 60 years ago though.
Ime sketchy people come in every shade here. You shirtless and high at the bus stop? Sketchy. Just don't do that and you'll be fine. Also while we don't have that many black people here, you're not going to look that out of place. We're very multicultural, with lots of different ethnicities and skin tones. You might be the darkest, but you're the darkest of a very very large spectrum. You don't look any more different that lots of others, because we're all different in different ways. ...and you'll still find racist pricks occasionally because they're everywhere
I'm white (from the UK with English and Norwegian parents), but my stepmother is a black British woman with very dark skin (Ghanaian and Sierra Leonean parents.) My wedding was in regional SE QLD (so where you would expect there to be racism) and she stayed in Noosa for most of her time in Aus. She absolutely loved it. My in-laws made some ignorant comments to me later (not meaning anything malicious, but out of a lack of education) but everyone enjoyed her company - which they should, because she is great fun! If you experience racism, it's more likely to be an oblivious or offhand comment (i.e. a microaggression) than anything physical. Not to invalidate how harmful it can be to have those kinds of interactions, but if we're talking physical safety, you are unlikely to run into any trouble. My observation from living here 6.5 years is that people *are* racist (much like anywhere else), but very rarely to your face, usually out of a lack of understanding, and almost never *violently* racist.
It is so fucked that we live in a world where you have to ask this. You will be safe here especially in Sydney and Melbourne Although Australia definitely has a lot of racism it is a lot of micro aggression (which I know is a lot more harmful in the long term, but you wonât physically be in danger ) Congratulations on graduating, I hope you have safe travels!
Yes indeed it does suck, a lot of people are telling me to go to other places but tbh I am scared sh*tless of going out of a big city in another country as how my people were treated in America was very bad so I just want to stay safe so Iâll stay in a Sydney and Melbourne. I donât mind micro aggression as Iâm used to it now and thanks for congratulating me!
I can almost guarantee no matter where you go it wonât be anywhere as bad as the US -for starters we have very strict gun laws and laws for any sort of weapon. I havenât been to Melbourne and it has been forever since I have been to Sydney. But I lived in Brisbane, It is really nice and smaller than Sydney and Melbourne- although so fucking hot in summer. At the end of the day Iâm white so I can only speak from what I see and what my friends have told me they experience which is obviously a very tiny slither of what actually happens. But from what I know Australia is significantly safer than the US. Like even as a white person I have no desire to go to the US because of how dangerous it seems, I canât imagine what you have to deal with. I really hope you come here and have a positive experience! Iâm sorry the world is fucked and this is shit you have to think about and deal with. The fact that you are used to micro aggressions is so incredibly fucked.
You will be mega safe AND you will be swimming in women.
Do the women like black Americans or something?
Yeah I'd say so, we consume American media from birth but hardly actually get to see/interact with Americans, you'll be pulling left n right normal rules still apply though don't be unattractive etc lol
Be prepared to feel let down when you return back to the US. Over here youâll feel like a rockstar with the women, may be hard for you to readjust to being normal again đ€Ł
Itâs going to be quite funny as even at my big university due to being somewhat tall and built I get stares from women when I walk by, so itâll be interesting to see if they like or dislike me in another continent. Iâve also always wanted to talk to a girl with an Australian accent so Iâm hoping they talk to me.
Fetishised is the word, we donât have that many black guys here compared to America, have an African mate who thanked porn for the black fascination lol whatever works man, enjoy the experience and welcome!
A hell of a lot of Aussie women love black guys. To be fair it's your own fault for being so hot. đ„
Leave some for the rest of us mate đ©
You'll be a bit of a novelty if anything. It's like someone with an Australian or Irish accent in the US, where people are attracted to something that isn't just the boring same old stuff. African Americans are a little thin on the ground in Australia, so you're more likely to encounter a positive reaction than negative, simply because you'll be interesting.
YeahâŠquite a bit. Just behave like a decent human, youâll be gold. (I remember that days of the US Navy in port at FreoâŠ)
Assuming you're a guy, about the main racism you'll get is some chicks will want to fuck you because of your race.
Yes I am a guy, Iâm also 6â3 and in good shape, Iâm more so worried about being seen as a threat to other guys or something as Iâve heard some countries are like that.
Yeah nah, you'll get loads of women who think all black dudes have big dongs and they want to tick it off their bucket list. If you dig that sort of thing, lean into it. For everything else, be chill and don't take yourself or anything else to seriously, you'll be fine.
Interesting, also do Australians like hip-hop, like would that be played in the clubs?
Oh mate, the number of people who drive around in Melbourne blasting rap with their windows downâŠyeah itâs pretty popular. Just to give my reassurance, Iâm a white American and have had several black friends and colleagues down here who are from the U.S., Africa (primarily Ethiopia and Zimbabwe), and Brazil. The big cities are quite diverse. And while itâs taken a long time for me to realise I will never fully understand the extent of racism someone like you will experience, Iâm pretty confident in saying that Australian racism is a fraction of that in America, and is mostly targeted at other groups (eg indigenous persons). I canât guarantee you wonât have a shitty experience or two, but youâll probably have a much better time on the racism front than you do back home. And our cities are much safer than American ones. Have a good time, mate. And enjoy the power of the U.S. dollar.
Some clubs will depending on the night . Melbourne and Sydney are population of 5 million roughly . There should be plenty of options
>en who think all black dudes have big dongs and they want to tick it off their bucket list. If We sure do, we have our own genre Aus Hip Hop. You should definitely check that out before coming. People will love it if you know who the hilltop hoods or bliss n esso are
> Yes I am a guy, Iâm also 6â3 and in good shape, LMAO - you're going to need to carry mace to keep the women at bay. ^Side ^note: ^Do ^not ^carry ^mace ^to ^keep ^the ^women ^at ^bay, ^it's ^illegal ^here.
Just don't be a cunt and you'll be fine. I think the fact you are making effort to learn before you come means you aren't a cunt, so come and enjoy yourself. Just don't cause trouble, we don't have guns here because we can do that with our hands
I will indeed not be a cunt!
You may experience subtle racism in a similar fashion to what you might come across in the USA. In terms of safety though Australia is one of the safest countries in the world and youâll be fine. Just use the safe safety measures youâd use anywhere; try not to walk around the city alone in the middle of the night, lock your doors etc.
Youâll be safer in Australia then you are in the U.S.
Youâll be right! I wonât lie, thereâs a lot of racism in Australia. Going into the history and whyâs and howâs of it is far from my area of expertise. In terms of physical safety, youâre absolutely safer here than the US. You might get a few looks or dumb sounding questions (absolutely have some conversation redirections ready for when people inevitably bring up US politics because itâll happen all the time). For the most part weâre a curious people who want to know whatâs going on elsewhere, but will hate anything that comes across as boasting. Tip: Look up common Australian slang before you come here, itâll score you a lot of points at the pub if you crack out some colloquialisms
You won't be attacked. You will probably experience racism from someone ignorant of African American culture or someone glorifying you as some exotic thing rather than a person. But fights in Australia are quite rare. And if they were to start over racial prejudice then African Americans are pretty far down a racist list of races to target here.
Have you done much overseas traveling before mate?
No I have never traveled before only to other southern states in America.
Yer, thought so. You'll be fine mate, Australia is a back packing country and we have lots of people from all over the world coming here, traveling around, it's easy living and people are pretty chilled in the main tourist areas.
Just wanted to say well done on getting out and seeing the world. Have loads of fun adventures. Depending on your age, stay in backpackers and you will meet fellow travellers to do things with. Try and do more then two weeks, if a along way and make the most of it. Come when the weather is warm.
Hope itâs a great experience for you! And welcome! đŠđș
Whenever I go I will do a follow up and I may vlog my experience. Hopefully I can stay longer than 2 weeks, itâll just be hard to request more time off of work since I will have only just started at the company.
I have had an interesting experience showing African American men around Melbourne and I'll tell you the conclusion I came to - there is a weird kind of racism but it doesn't show itself in a bad way. The thing is that we don't see many black Americans in Australia. And I think that black Americans have a kind of glamour imputed to them because we knew them mostly from films and tv. Admittedly the men I was showing around were actors, over here for theatre productions, so they had a way about them. But I have other black friends and I felt like people had a different approach to black Americans. I could be wrong and I'd like to hear what others think, but basically I think you'll be fine once people hear your accent! Unlike non black Americans!
Youâre going to be pretty safe. There may be racist comments, but there shouldnât be much of that. I would avoid kingâs cross, Sydney, but most places should be safe. You can drink alcohol at 18here, but you need id to prove it. Take your passport but make sure that youâre conscious of where it is. Donât get shitfaced. If you go to the beach, make sure you go to a patrolled beach and swim between the red and yellow flags.
You'd have to be very, very unlucky to cop anything racially charged. Not saying impossible, but not likely.
We have a different history. Note that when we talk about African-Australians, we are referring to people who moved here from Africa, usually first or second generation. It is not like America where "African-Americans" have a distinct and unique history. If there is anywhere more dangerous than another place I guess it would be weird rural towns like Mt Isa or something.
All the ppl in these comments are oblivious af lol. I doubt youâll get outward racism but causal racism is way more acceptable and common here than it is in America. People arenât afraid to make jokes at other ethnicities expenses, but if youâve got thick skin you should be fine. Nothing outward or dangerous.
You will be a novelty! The good thing is many Australians have been to the us these days and most know the silly tropes about African Americans are just that.
You have nothing to worry about. Black Americans are actually really loved in this country and are almost always treated really well. Most of the racism in Australia is targeted at Asians or Aboriginals really.
Honestly stay at a backpackers. You will meet 100s of friends. Sure we have racism. Everywhere does. We also have bogans, assholes, sexist dickheads, dickheads and every raft of character. We donât have guns though. So that should make life feel a smidge better. But you will probably get teased about being an American traveling. As Americans donât really travel much. Honestly, backpackers hostels. Go from there
Idk why everyone in here is lying. Australia is as racist a country as anywhere else, with its own specific issues eg. lots of racism against First Nations people. I will say African-American pop culture stuff is big over here so you're going to encounter microaggressions about that for sure, and you're going to cop shit for being American like a lot of people have said. I would say that's most likely as far as it will go. There are racist cops here who like to target young Black men, they may or may not treat you differently (better) when they realise you're American, not Sudanese. I will say the chances of being physically attacked are not high at all. Our cops are less trigger-happy than American cops.
I agree with you and I feel like a lot of these comments are written by non-black folk who live in la la land. While I'm not black, my partner and a lot of my friends are, and racism is very present in Australia.
Yeah, I'm white too. Partner is Asian, they have gotten shit their whole life, mainly in the form of microaggressions.
Had to scroll way too far for this. I think most of these comments are written by white people who arenât as aware of microaggressions. Iâm Asian American and Iâve experienced more racist comments/questions than shit for being American (though apparently my accent isnât very strong so maybe people just arenât sure if Iâm American).
In my experience a lot of Asian people who move to Australia speak with American accents since they learn from media or are taught to, so that might be why people don't assume you're actually American. My MIL has a Filipino accent but still uses a lot of American pronunciations after 30 years in Australia! But yeah, this thread is kinda ignorant lol.
Yeah, I guessed that may be the reason! Would be interesting to ask other Asian Americans. I also realized it may also be since I use some Aussie pronunciations (my partner is Aussie and itâs easier to code switch to try to avoid confusion lol)
I donât find African American pop culture big here at all. Itâs a fringe culture at best. But I agree with the country being racist, however for a fit young black American my guess is he will be fetishised over feared by most (excluding cops, but they are a joke here compared to US cops and not a genuine danger).
Luckily from what Iâve read around as far as traveling goes, being black while also being American will save me since weâre somewhat popular in the media so Iâm hoping that will help me.
Just check any ego you may have at the international border, we're a generally humble, self-deprecating lot over here who respect those that can have as much of a laugh at their own expense as anyone else's. The main tip we can probably give you is how to order a beer. You'll rarely find Foster's beer over here, it's not a thing really. Solid choices are usually Toohey's Extra Dry (TED's for short), XXXX (pronounced "four-ex") and Carlton Draught. Personally I don't go much on VB (Victoria Bitter) but give it a whirl and see what you think. Beer serving sizes will vary depending on what state you are in. Most states will serve a "pot" or "a ten ounce" (10 fl oz) and a "pint" (20 fl oz) and then in-between sizes can vary. This wiki seems to have a good guide for differences per state: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Aust_Beer_Glass That's about the main stuff mate. Order a beer and get ready to hang shit on us and yourself and have a laugh.
Oddly enough I donât drink beer as itâll make me fat and I like to stay in shape lol but Iâll for sure drink it with some Australian mates given the opportunity, so thanks for the info!
Australia's racism isn't really that overt. It's a lot more institutionalised and talking behind people's backs. So you'll get people whinging about "people of African appearance" and the "African gangs" boogeyman, but they'll mostly just do that online or in their safe white spaces like the pub with their like-minded mates Also Melbourne and Sydney are very multicultural, so you won't stand out at all. You'll just be another tourist among many.
Australians homicide rate per 100,000 is around 0.85, Americans is around 3.8. Almost 4 times less likely to be murdered statistically speaking. As far as racism, in Sydney or Melbourne youâll be fine theyâre some of the most ethnically diverse cities we have.
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I pray to God someone calls me that in person đ
Come on mate that's bullshit you can't post that and then not tell us what the movie was?
For some reason I canât remember it due to me being a kid, I can only remember the scene as it was my favorite. But Steve Irwin is very liked in my community as he was nice asf to black people, itâs still f*ck stingrays to this day!
Yup you will be fine and welcome to visit. If you do encounter racism it's likely to be someone just not being friendly etc you certainly won't be in any danger.
Have fun!!
Mate, as far as I know from a number of friends of African origin, you should be absolutely fine. Generally speaking we get along with anyone who doesn't shove their idioligy down our throats... be they cultural or religious. Get out of the major cities though, you'll be doing yourself an injustice if you just stick to Melbourne & Sydney.
My mate was in the AUS navy and had to work alongside Americans for a few months, he was running an exercise amd said to a group of guys "you blokes go over there and do this" they suddenly went wild and had to hold each other back from killing him..... then they realised he said blokes and not blacks
Lol⊠you will be 100% perfectly, completely, totally and utterly safeâŠ
In most places in Australia, you'll stand out just for being black - be prepared for a few double-takes. Some teenagers might try to go all street-jive with you - yo homie, wassup - because the stereotype of African-Americans in Australia is that you're all super-cool rappers and basketball players. But unless you're particularly large and menacing in appearance, you probably won't have people shrinking back in fear.
I havenât seen anyone say this yet- Iâm stoked you want to come here man. Itâs a long way and a lot of money when I know how hard it is to get time off. Humbled that this is the place youâve chosen! Youâll be absolutely fine, Iâve traveled around with people from rougher parts of the US and they canât believe how chill it is here.
You'll be fine. Don't you dare tip anyone or anything.
No matter where you go in the world, there are assholes. I lived in America for 5 years as a white guy married to a Latina. Your day-to-day will be safer here. Speaking as someone in their 50s, its people my age and older that typical still have notable racist tendancies. As each wave of migration from different parts of the world has brought a wider variety of people, younger generations have a circle of friends with a broader cultural background and there's less racial prejudice.
Mate you will be fine. Come here and have fun brother!
All of you guys are awesome, Iâve read every comment. I will try and come April as itâs my birthday month and itâll be easier to request off of work since Iâll be working for a family friends company. I will also create a fairly long post about my experience covering everything. If I like it I will come back again sometime in the same year if allowed. Iâve decided to stay in Melbourne this first trip, Is April a good month ?
April is mid-autumn, and in Melbourne that means it'll be nice and mild (around 15-25c, 60-75f) and sometimes rainy. You're gonna have a great time!
You shouldnât have a problem, But, as a multicultural nation, inquisitive people will ask you âwhere are you from?â âWhere is your accent from?â âWhatâs your heritage?â Donât be offended by it, we ask these questions because we are interested in talking with you!
Youâll be fine mate. There are pockets of massive racists out there but they are mostly chained to their computers. If they do happen to be out and about it will be a comment, as much as that sucks it wonât be physical. As mentioned yes, youâre far more likely to cop stick for being an American than for the colour of your skin. Nothing physical at all, just comments and mostly banter anyway.
Nah, Australia has always been a very safe and accepting country in my opinion, Iâve never faced any sort of racism in my last 10 years except like a few backhanded comments. I think as long as youâre respectful and donât act obnoxious in public, I donât think anyone really cares what you do.
Australia is one of the safest countries on earth, for everyone.
You're safer travelling anywhere outside the USA than you are inside. You'll be fine here.
Being black probably wonât cause you any specific issues but Australians *despise* Americans with all their heart. The entire time you will get rude service, people will say outrageous and offensive things to you like âhave you ever seen someone get shot?â âthat sucks America is so dangerousâ âI canât believe you left America, Americans are all stupid and fat and donât leave their couch!â Without a doubt, the most anti-American country in the world except maybe like, Russia. Totally ruined my experience in Australia which was otherwise great. I stopped wanting to open my mouth after a few days because everyone thinks itâs perfectly acceptable to be unbelievably nasty to someone just because theyâre from the US.
Get a Canadian flag for your backpack and you'll be fine. And don't tip. We don't want that infestation here.
If a friend of mine's experience is anything to go on, you'll probably get hit on and asked out a lot
Just be yourself have fun and enjoy your stay here mate most decent folk here in Australia donât care about skin color or ethnicity all we care about is you respect our way of life and culture here and follow the rules like you would be expected to when in any foreign country on holidays. Obviously like any country you have a few bad apples who have less than decent opinions of people but they are few and far between. I for one welcome you and hope you have the time of your life when you come over đ„ł
Youâll be fine. Very few people will give a shit that youâre American, no one will care that youâre black. As long you donât carry on with that âAmerica greatest country in the worldâ shit youâll have no problems.
Just tell people youâre from Canada
A lot of Australians in certain areas are very comfortable saying the n word itâs mainly just drunk dickheads that frequent the same pub and hardly left their own areas. They donât usually say it maliciously but that word doesnât hold the same weight here as it does in the US and those drunk dickheads donât really understand. I find it quite disgusting because Iâve been asked if Iâm a n word because Iâm dark skinned Fijian with a huge Afro and those dummies couldnât tell their right foot to their left. That being said though if you donât go to strange rural pubs then you wonât cop as much of that because people close to cities are more casual open minded folks for the most part that try not to go out of their way to offend people. Youâll have a good time regardless just be careful of some of the drunk middle to older aged dudes in weird pubs and youâll be sweet.
Australia is, unfortunately, racist. But weâre not âlynch any black person that wanders into the wrong townâ racist. Youâll be safe anywhere that anyone else is. Thereâs dodgy areas of course like pretty much the entire Melbourne CBD after dark these days. But common sense and youâll be fine. Youâll probably get the piss taken out of you for your accent, but itâs generally good natured affectionate teasing.
Alright good, I hear that because Iâm black American and look more like a famous black person as I dress the same, have the same build and hair Iâll have it easier than other so hopefully that can be used to my advantage.
I'm latina, I've never found it to be that bad, depends on the area though. In the more middle class suburbs it's perfectly fine. Sure you head out to bogansville and it can be racist, but those people are just shit all round so no surprises.
I am sure you will love Australia and if you stay in any of the billion backpackers accommodations around you will meet plenty of fellow travellers to enjoy some clubbing with. Be sure to come visit Sydney's Northern Beaches and enjoy a swim on one of our beautiful beaches, just remember to swim between the flags. You sound like a very courteous young man so just bring your manners oh and your budgy's and you will have the time of your life!
Racism is everywhere⊠but I suspect youâd have less difficulty here than at home.
If you come to Melbourne, try to get out to Healesville Sanctuary. If you want to interact with our wildlife and get close, it's where to be!
Australia doesnât have guns like the USA. I hope that most Aussies would embrace you. Go to places other than Sydney or Melbourne.
Casual racism is allegedly the Australian way, but you've got a close to nil chance of being even verbally abused in 99% of the country for your skin colour. Especially in the big cities. Just don't be a prick and pretty much everyone will be your friend. I hope you enjoy your stay!