Racial Discrimination of International Students

RACIAL DISCRIMINATION OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS 1
Why Racial Discrimination of International Students Should be Eliminated.
Name
Institution

RACIAL DISCRIMINATION OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS 2
Why Racial Discrimination of International Students Should be Eliminated.
Australia prides itself as a vibrant multicultural nation. It is this national identity that is
the primary basis of the upcoming Harmony day, which is a celebration of the nation’s cultural
diversity (Department of Home Affairs, 2020). Notably, in line with this national identity of
multiculturalism, Australia has one of the largest overseas student population. According to
Ferguson & Sherrell (2020), there were over 398,000 foreign enrolments in Australia’s higher
education institutions. However, despite the nation’s reputation as a prosperous multicultural
nation, racial discrimination still exists. Specifically, racial discrimination against overseas
students has grown to become a critical issue in Australia, which is harming the affected
individuals and their overall student experience. Therefore, I am advocating for a culture change
that changes the current negative perceptions and attitudes of people towards immigrant students
to positive ones.
Racial discrimination against international students exists and is a critical social problem
in the nation that needs addresing. As Grayson (2014) points, racial discrimination, both on and
off-campus, is a critical challenge that overseas students face daily. On-campus, international
students face discrimination from their fellow students, staff, and professors. Off-campus, they
face discrimination as they interact with other structures of the society, such as in public
interactions, public transport, accommodation facilities, and the health sector. The main reason is
that local people view immigrants as inferior and thus isolate them and treat them with contempt.
It is difficult to imagine how challenging the situation is daily for international students as
everywhere they go, they to face and cope with prejudice. Therefore, it is only right that
individuals change the attitudes and perceptions that they hold against immigrants. They need to