Ever since the Europeans set foot on the Australian subcontinent the indigenous suffered tremendously be it their status, their identity and even their wealth. In the past few decades the Australian government has been making efforts to bring forth reconciliation however there is a long road ahead till the people of the mixed blood in Australia attain the same status as the non aboriginals.
In the year 1967 a referendum was developed that was the first step of making things right against these individuals of indigenous descent (Fitzpatrick and Fitzpatrick, 2017). It was after this referendum that the mixed blood was considered to be citizens of Australia.
The main objective of this paper is to deconstruct the question “Why is that aboriginal people who have mixed blood are the ones who succeed in life?” and to clearly highly the reasons behind this question.
The indigenous or the mixed bloods in Australia are heavily discriminated on the basis of their identity and as a result do not have an equal status with the rest of the Australian population. Identity has different meanings however the crux is that it is the originality of the individual and their sense of belonging to a particular area.
According to the Federal Government an indigenous or aboriginal individual is one who has been of aboriginal descent, has gained acceptance of the aboriginal community where they reside (Hampton and Toombs, 2013).
However in the modern day scenario there has been an increment in number of cases pertaining to racial discrimination against the individuals who are of mixed blood origin. This has led them to lead a life of an inferior status than their counterparts.
The difference amongst the mixed blood and the non mixed blood are very prominent. The indigenous or the mixed bloods are considered to be one of the most disadvantageous lot of the Australian population (McGavin and Fozdar, 2016).
Due to lack of equality in the society they have the lowest health standard; lack of access to education has caused a majority of them to be uneducated thereby causing unemployment to be a persistent problem along with problems in housing as well.
The children belonging to the stolen generations were forced away from their parents and were taken away from their land along with instances of European diseases the race was gradually decimated thus giving rise to conflict amongst the two races.
The educational percentage of mixed bloods in comparison to non aboriginals is a mere 32% while only 1% is able to complete their higher education’s (Together, 2017). The school is perceived to be a place where children socialize and interact with one another however if these mixed blood individuals will not attend schools how will this barrier between them and the world be broken?
Without education they will have low prospects of employment and will get a job that pays poorly and in turn provides with an income that is not sufficient for them to sustain (Jhonson, 2017). The mixed blood often suffer from a negative self image due to constant racial comments thus lowering their confidence to perform well and succeed in life.
The phrase the stolen generations was given to the people of aboriginal descent, mostly those individuals who were of a non indigenous descent. These children were forcibly taken away from their families when they were children and sent away to institutes, homes and even adopted by non aboriginal families.
The stolen generations faced immense social damage and cultural problems as they had a loss of their identity. The damage that has been caused needs to be recognized and rectified as it will help in improving the existing relations between the aboriginals and non aboriginals (Peel and Twomey, 2011).
A large number of children who were of mixed blood origin were taken away however as per research the main intent of taking them away was to minimize the abuse and neglect that they faced. In the past the aboriginals have given up on their efforts to give responses for the policy of assimilation however in the present day time efforts are being made to address this problem (Smith, 2016).
The stolen generation caused a severe impact upon the mental health of the individuals of mixed blood. They often are found to be suffering from issues pertaining to low self esteem and a loss of identity as they have no sense of belonging.
As the children of mixed bloods or the stolen generation were brought up in a manner where they were made to be laborers’ or servants they did not receive a high standard of education are thus were most likely to face unemployment (Ruhanen, Whitford and McLennan, 2015). Hence the chance of succeeding in life was not given to them due to discrimination.
The government of Australia needs to understand the need for providing an equal status to the individuals of mixed blood origin as they too have been living in Australia and need to be given equal rights and opportunities like their counterparts.
Failing to provide them with equal access to health care services, education and employment will only damage the race further. Thus with the above discussion it is evident that the mixed blood have not been able to achieve much in their lives let alone succeed due to lack of opportunities and respect in the society (Sheehan, 2012).
In concluding we can state that the stolen generations have been deprived from their rights to lead a normal life and live with an equal status like the non aboriginals of Australia. Discrimination is heavily persistent in all fields thus making it very difficult for the individuals of mixed blood origin to survive and do well for themselves.
Hence the questions why is that those who are of mixed blood are a success is certainly not true as the race is still struggling to find a place for itself in the society without discrimination where it can grow and thrive.