k smith

hi, <BR> <BR>i am going to guam for work and want to go to australia as part of that trip. i am african american - has anybody heard of how african americans are received in australia (i have a couple of friends who were denied access a few years ago even with a valid pp and visa) and i just want to hear from others on this topic. <BR> <BR>also, where is a good place to layover of you are coming from the u.s.? i am thinking of indonesia. <BR> <BR>any help is appreciated. thanks. <BR> <BR>

ALF

We spent nearly a year in Australia, and got to know some locals from various regions. I hate to make such generalizations, but I would say that it seems to me you will probably find some more individuals who are overtly racist than you will in the U.S. Of course, some regions are worse than others. Queensland in particular can be equated with the U.S. Deep South. We have had several conversations with Australians on such subjects, and quite a few people said something to the effect that, "we don't have anything against black people per se, but we have lots of problems with our own Abos". We also met many very liberal and tolerant people who were very welcoming to everyone. I am white, so I cannot speak from firsthand experience.

Steve

I'm not of African decent but during my trip in April, I did on occasion sense slight ignorance with certain individuals, similar to what I receive in the US. Of course, I was getting trashed in bars and lounges in Sydney so I maybe wasn't always among all the best of Australia. I did hang out with an African-Anglo ex-pat on one night and he said he really hadn't had any bad experiences. <BR> <BR>I compare Sydney to Boston and San Francisco. SOME people who grew up there are very into their own social networks and don't go out of their way to invite you in. The flip side of that is that there are so many people who relocate to those cities, there's always comraderie amongst ex-pats. <BR> <BR>For the most part, I had a great time, met great people every day and didn't spend more than a few passing moments to think about other people's ignorance, which is how I live my life here in the US anyway. You'll love the country and the people.

Leslie

Hi. <BR> <BR>I am an American living in Australia now, and have many friends come to visit - both black & white - and no one has had any problems. If you have a valid passport & visa, I don't see how they can deny you entry. Only criminal records are a worry...funny for a country where that used to be a requirement! Be prepared for a bit of good natured American jokes, but I don't think prejudice is worse here than in the US - as a matter of fact, I would say the people are more tolerable (at least from my experiences). My bigger worry for you is your stop-over place. I wouldn't recommend Indonesia at all. Between all the political & social unrest, I would give it a miss & stop over in Hawaii or somewhere else in the Sth Pacific.

sonia

Hi <BR> <BR>I live in Sydney and wanted to add my experience. I am white but have just ahd 2 black friends to stay. They experienced no problems whatsoever. You may find racism in the less populated areas, but that is the same as any country. MOst of Australia's metropolitan areas have a huge multicultural population. I am originally form London, so I am used to seeing faces of all colours. There are definitely far fewer black people here, but many more Asian so it is not like cities feel "white" or anything. <BR> <BR>It is just not an issue and shoudl never affect your decision to travel anywhere any way!