Racism concern

RACISM is alive and well in the local area, according to first-hand accounts from numerous young adults who have shared their concerns with the Wollongong and Northern Leader.

Some of the residents, all aged in their 20s, have either directly experienced what they believe to be victimisation due to their racial background, or have observed it throughout the wider community.

Others have vivid memories of what seemed to be racially determined schoolyard cliques, where having hair of a certain shade determined where they could or could not go and who they could or could not associate with.

Thirroul resident Stacey Hampton, 22, said she believed friends of hers had been refused entry to clubs based on race.

"They said he was too drunk and he'd only had like two drinks," Ms Hampton said. "I've seen stuff like that happen all the time."

Another Thirroul resident, Sarah Robson, also 22, agreed with Ms Hampton's comments and cited similar experiences.

Fairy Meadow's Simone Van Oord, 21, said her school years were characterised by social groups that she felt were racially determined.

"All the Aussies and the surfers and skaters sat out the back, all the (people from Mediterranean backgrounds) sat in the main quad and all the rest were out the front," Ms Van Oord said, adding that, since leaving school, she had found racism to be less of an issue " although she still knew of others who were treated differently for reasons that they believed were race-related.

Natalie Roberts, 21, said her high school experiences mirrored those of Ms Van Oord.

"At high school the different races kind of stuck together and had their own area," Ms Roberts said.

"I couldn't really go in some areas because I had blonde hair."

East Corrimal resident Brent Pritchard, 21, also remembered similar social groupings during high school.

"Different races had different groups, and each group was racist towards everyone else," he said.

Twenty-year-old Sally Tresidda, of Woonona, said she felt racial discrimination was not confined to any particular area.

"Racism is a problem everywhere, to some extent " we like to think we're not racist but, I mean, I think we are without being aware."

A random street poll of 100 people conducted in Wollongong's Northern Suburbs last week found 55 percent of respondents believed racism to be a problem in the local area.

The poll revealed significant generational differences of opinion, with the majority of those aged over 55 not finding racism to be a problem, while the majority of those aged 35 and below believed that it was.

The majority of those who believed racism was a problem saw it to be an underlying issue everywhere.

The Department of Education's Racism. No way! project was launched in October 2000 and is ongoing.

It aims to assist school communities and education systems to "recognise and address racism in the learning environment".