Many international students say they feel comfortable in Australia because it is such a multicultural society. People from over 160 countries live in Australia, and one in four Australians is born overseas. Australia is racially harmonious but like most countries, racism and discrimination do exist. A current problem for Australia is to overcome the systemic racism against the Aboriginal people. In general terms, racism is a belief in the superiority of one particular racial or ethnic group that leads to an exclusion of other groups from some aspects of society.
Racist behaviour ranges from genocide and physical violence to verbal abuse and racist jokes.
At the core of racism is the dominance of one group over another. Racism can often only be perceived by those who are its victims, not its perpetrators. In Australia there are both Federal and State laws against racial discrimination and racial vilification. Serious offences result in criminal prosecution while other offences are resolved through conciliation and education. Off campus Louisa Soon, Vice President of the Overseas Student Association at The University of Adelaide says that they haven t received many complaints about racist behaviour through their student office.