Opinion: I’ve struggled a great deal with whether or not this story should be told
When I started at SBS, the place seemed like a miracle. A truly unique TV network that heralded diversity and inclusion, the multicultural public broadcaster brought so many smart, passionate people together for a common cause – to shine a light on under-represented people and cultures on TV and online and give a voice to the traditionally voiceless. It was inspiring. But then things took a turn.
I didn’t quite believe what I was hearing so I offered him the chance to walk it back, suggesting that if she was rude, maybe it wasn’t necessarily because she was Indian. Did he actually mean to say that, like all people, some Indians were rude? Nope. He’d spent time in India and he was sure – Indian people were rude.
I pleaded for some kind of action. An email sent to all staff. Something that acknowledged that making insulting comments like that at SBS – with all its banners advocating for diversity and inclusion and meetings about cultural sensitivity and the importance of representation in media – there was a zero-tolerance policy towards that kind of thing.
And that is reflected in the multicultural shows, which are largely commissioned by, made by and made for white people. There is a scene in the SBS-commissioned crime thriller, screened in 2018, where a group of international students are portrayed with some of the most blatant, broad cultural stereotyping I had seen in a very long time. We’re talking “Ay Chihuahua” Latin lover territory.
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