Being an Indian immigrant in Australia is exhausting, writes Zoya Patel, as racism plays out on a national stage. Patel notes the irony that many Indians came to Australia seeking a better life after British colonialism devastated their homeland, only to face renewed prejudice.
Patel recounts her own family history: ancestors shipped from India to Fiji as indentured labourers on Australian-operated sugar farms in the late 1800s. After generations of political exclusion and racist violence in Fiji, her parents worked hard to migrate to Australia. Now, in 2025, she finds herself once again targeted by racism from communities and political leaders.
Over recent months, Patel has seen social media videos of young white Australians angry about being 'swamped' by Indians, and violent protests calling for Indians to be removed from society. She criticises Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price for piggybacking on this racism to attack the Labor Party, validating hatred and signalling that Indians are not considered Australian regardless of how long they have been in the country.
Patel reflects on her past attempts to prove she is 'just like white Australians', but now realises that even if she were a recent immigrant with imperfect English, she would still have equal value and rights. She recalls being bullied at preschool in New South Wales, told she was 'brown like poo' and excluded, with staff removing her rather than addressing the bullying.
Patel admits she feels glad that her young son is white-passing and may avoid similar discrimination. She is furious that hardworking Indian immigrants are forced to justify their existence in a country reliant on their labour, and that ignorant people use her community as targets for hatred. Her solace is in continuing to succeed and prosper as 'the best revenge' against racists.
