Sydney-based author Sushil Suresh has published a critique of the notion of a post-racial Australia in his book Australia the Racial Caste System. Far from celebrating the country as a multicultural haven, Suresh examines the deep roots of racial hierarchies in Australia’s history, politics, and social fabric.
The book challenges the widely accepted image of Australia as a settler society founded on waves of immigration. Instead, it argues that racism is not an anomaly but an organising principle embedded in the nation’s institutions. By exploring the labour market, housing, and education, Suresh builds a compelling case that these systems perpetuate a caste order, maintaining the dominance of a racial hierarchy under the guise of a modern multiracial democracy.
One of the book’s central arguments revolves around the segmentation of the labour market. Suresh asserts that migrants from the global south are often funnelled into low-wage, low-status roles, not because of cultural or linguistic barriers, but because of a societal structure that thrives on such divisions. He questions the propaganda and justification behind importing skilled educated professional from countries in Asia as this is leading to a social reality contradicting the supposed ethos of equality and opportunity.
Housing, too, becomes a lens through which Suresh examines Australia’s racial divides. He delves into patterns of residential settlement and argues that these arrangements reinforce racial segregation. Housing wealth and location, combined with disparities in access to education and jobs, sustain a white norm that determines the distribution of opportunities and wealth in Australia.
The book doesn’t shy away from addressing how these issues undermine Australia’s self-image as a fair and inclusive society. Instead, it calls out the contradictions in the nation’s multicultural narrative, urging readers to rethink what lies beneath the surface of its modern economy and social structures.
Australia the racial caste system is a sobering discussion of how entrenched racial hierarchies shape the country’s identity and daily life. The ebook and paperback are on sale at all major online bookstores.
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