‘Racist’ Hostel Ejection Made Woman Want to Cry
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An Aboriginal woman in a group ejected from a Northern Territory hostel says the incident made her want to cry.
Bethany Langdon and other members of her remote community are reportedly considering legal action against the Alice Springs hostel’s management following their weekend ejection.
“When we booked in, the manager, she gave us the keys to the rooms and we went and put our stuff in the rooms. “We all went outside and the manager came out and told me that we weren’t suitable to stay there,” Ms Langdon told ABC Radio today.
“They said (it was) because we were Aboriginal. Other customers were making complaints that they were scared of us.
“I felt like I wanted to cry because it made me feel like I wasn’t an Australian, like I wasn’t wanted there.”
Ms Langdon was one of 16 Aboriginal women and children from the Yuendumu community who had travelled to Alice Springs to attend classes organised by Royal Life Saving.
ABC television reported last night the management of the Haven Hostel asked the group to leave following complaints from other guests.
The hostel’s management later said the Haven catered specifically for international backpacking tourists.
Royal Life Saving chief executive officer Rob Bradley said the incident soured the occasion for the Yuendumu community.
“We have worked over a long period of time to build the partnerships, to build the trust with 11 indigenous communities around the NT,” he told ABC Radio.
“This is a big stumbling block. I hope it doesn’t put people off.”
The territory’s anti-discrimination commissioner, Tony Fitzgerald, said the women could have a strong case.
“If the story is true, it’s disgraceful but it is not the only story exactly like this that we have heard anecdotally at the commission,” he said.
“The challenge for us is to convince people who do suffer this sort of unfair treatment to make a complaint so that we can investigate it and follow it through.”
The Haven Hostel’s statement said alternative accommodation had been arranged for the group.
“We also offered to pay for that night’s accommodation,” it said.
The women were accompanied by a Mount Theo youth worker, a lifesaving trainer, three community elders and six children. They booked into the hostel on Saturday and were leaving for dinner when they were approached.
The manager of the Mount Theo program, Susie Low, said: “(Ms Ball) said there had been some complaints from the tourists. The Asian backpackers were afraid of Aboriginal people and they would leave if the Aboriginal people did not leave.”
Ms Low contacted Tony Jones, the presenter of ABC’s Lateline, about the incident. “Within moments (Ms Ball has) . . . said (they) could stay,” Ms Low said.
When the group started to organise new accommodation, Ms Ball allegedly “opened her till and tried to hand them $480, saying, ‘Will there be any more backlash?”’ Ms Low said.
The Royal Life Saving Society made the hostel booking and paid for the training as part of its remote indigenous pools program. Society chief executive Rob Bradley corroborated the women’s story.
“Very clearly there was no reason for any complaint . . . It was purely, in my view, a racist action that defies belief,” he said. “I was shocked and dismayed that this situation could occur in Australia today.”
In a statement issued to The Age, Ms Ball said: “Haven Hostels is a backpacker hostel catering for international backpacking tourists, which this group was not.”
She said the hostel offered to pay for alternative accommodation.
(Posted on March 11, 2008)
Comments
The question: “why were the Asians afraid of the Abos?” should’ve been answered.
Were there some verbal or behavioral incidents?
If not, then the mgmt should’ve challenged the Asians as to their aversion.
If there isn’t some “No Abos allowed” policy then they should’ve been allowed to stay. Where would the Asians go in that circumstance anyway?
Posted by at 6:07 PM on March 11
Bet you any money they caught them urnating on the carpet or worse….you can take the black out of the jungle but you can’t take the jungle out of the black…no matter where they come from…simple as that!!!
Posted by lydia at 6:12 PM on March 11
And on odd, rare occassions, when the Moon is just right and the stars are crossed, it’s actually people of color who are victims of racism… That’s what this headline should read, ‘For once, invaders made to feel uncomfortable’
Posted by at 6:15 PM on March 11
Got to go with the Abos on this one. Asian tourists don`t run anything in Alice Springs except their mouth. It`s one thing to be run off from their turf, but from yours?!? Uh-no! Also, threatening to leave does not give you the power to influence events as they pertain to other paying guests. On a side note, this is why I hate the show Vegas. They show staff cowtowing to blatantly selfish and more importantly demeaning and outrageous requests. Being rich doesn`t give you the right to have things all your way at the expense of others. And the show makes this policy out to be something to be aspired and showcased as service?!?… Thanks but keep your money and I`ll keep my self respect.
Posted by Tim Mc Hugh at 7:07 PM on March 11
Who is hell are “Asian backpackers”? Asia is a big place actually. Are these Asian backpackers Japanese tourists? Are they from India or Pakistan? Are they Chinese? Are they Russian Siberians? Vietnamese? Gosh, this is becoming a long list.
I am just curious to know who fears Aussie natives.
Posted by Memphomaniac at 7:22 PM on March 11
Well, Mates, it seems you’ll have to choose between Aboriginals and Orientals. Economics says Orientals, justice and the long term well-being of Australia says Aboriginals. Multiculturalists refuse to see that all the diverse people they import into White countries do not share the One World fantasy.
Posted by Schoolteacher at 8:18 PM on March 11
This is yet another of those media stories that just don’t smell right. Like there’s some something we’re not being told here. Possibly something crucial.
Like, what was the BEHAVIOR of the Aborigines? Were they really just “minding their own business” as the article implies — meaning that the guests who objected to their presence did so for reasons that were EXCLUSIVELY racial in nature?
Or was the complaint over what the Abo’s were DOING, e.g. drinking, drugging, noise-making, trouble-causing, etc?
Whatever the truth may be — and despite the fact that this is a case of Asians complaining about Aboriginals with whites as only peripheral players in the drama — it’s pretty clear that it was much more convenient for the media to make the whole situation out to be the fault of those mean old racist caucasoids.
In fact, that must be Rule No. 1 at Journalism school these days: when in doubt, dump ALL the blame on Whitey.
Posted by Right-Wing Rocker at 9:29 PM on March 11
I was in Alice Springs briefly. I noticed that all the visible aboriginals seemed to be homeless and alcoholic. As I walked by, I noticed they wouldn’t even make eye contact with white people. Speaking to the locals, it came to light that the aboriginals also have a bad reputation for thievery. I noticed they throw garbage wherever they happen to be without any effort to use garbage cans. In other words, they are still very primitive and in a state where they’ve lost most of what was important from their native culture without gaining any of the important lessons from Western culture. This puts them in a no-man’s land and I truly felt sorry for them, seeing them in this state. If they could get rid of the alcohol, their healing could begin but it’s such a blight upon them that only drastic measures could wean them of it. If anybody’s interested, I have photos from there (either Alice Springs or Darwin, can’t remember).
Posted by jewamongyou at 10:11 PM on March 11
Freedom of association is fine, but here I can see the natives’ point. I wouldn’t take well to foreigners telling me to vacate someplace my family had lived in for 40,000 years either.
If these “Asian” tourists are afraid of dusky Aussies, they can always opt for the child sex toys of Bangkok and Manila. They’re less likely to fight back.
Posted by Reg at 10:43 PM on March 11
justice and the long term well-being of Australia says Aboriginals.
—————————————————————————-
LOL….they are worse than blacks at least per IQ scores…but I guess your hatred of Asians surpasses your common sense - after all, its Australia far far away - not America and in your face as with the case of Blacks. So you can wax fat with what makes you feel good like a typical liberal.
Posted by at 11:34 PM on March 11
Almost all sex tourists in Bangkok, Manila and Phuket are from Australia or America.
Posted by observer at 11:51 PM on March 11
Somehow I think there is MORE to this story then we know. Perhaps AmRen has some Australian readers who can give us some input?
Posted by at 12:17 AM on March 12
11:34 PM: Australia is not threatened biologically, demographically or economically by Aboriginies. They are too repellent, too few, and too dumb. The Orientals are a threat, peaceful as they may seem.
Posted by Schoolteacher at 2:45 AM on March 12
Interesting. I’ve read several reports on this incident in the Australian press and not one mention that Asians had complained. I was under the impression that evil white guests were the problem.
Posted by Kevin at 3:29 AM on March 12
Cultures don’t mix. Especially primitive pre-civilization cultures and civilized ones.
Posted by at 6:25 AM on March 12
I’ve seen an article about this case yesterday and there was a photo of one of the Abo women concerned. Honestly, I can’t blame the Asian tourists for being scared - she was very ugly in a sorta “threatening” way.
Posted by EW at 8:25 AM on March 12
Did that aboriginals have some contract with the hostel that agreed that once the keys were given the people would be allowed to stay, and was not subject be made to leave at the whim of management provided the money was refunded?
Did the hostel make some contract with the people who own australia that they would act like they were blind to race?
Posted by RockyRacoon at 9:35 AM on March 12
I thought only whites could be racist? Can someone help me out, I’m really confused now.
Posted by at 9:43 AM on March 12
“Who is hell are “Asian backpackers”?”
Good point. Why don’t they name the country of origin? I don’t think the paper is trying to insult or stereotype Asians. I think it’s meant for cover. In the modern world Asian’s are put on a pedestal above whites.
Posted by at 11:03 AM on March 12
I wouldn’t know about the sex tourists in Southeast Asia being “almost all” Westerners, Observer. Many Japanese and Taiwanese men do this as well. As other East Asians, they merely do not stand out from the locals the way whites do.
Posted by Michael C. Scott at 12:26 PM on March 12
They were probably Japanese. Japanese tourists like Australia during the cold months back home, because the seasons are reversed, but *there is no time change*. Another plus is that Australians drive on the left, just like Japanese. I never was willing to get behind the wheel of a car Down Under; as a Yank used to driving on the right, I have all the wrong instincts.
The purebloods are fairly ugly, and not very civilized, but one must ask *what did these tourists expect* when they decided to go to Alice Springs? Alice Springs is smack in the middle of the interior. Just who did they think lives out there? If they wanted beautiful scenery for hiking within a short distance of good hotels, even better eating, and very few pureblooded Aboriginees, they should have gone hiking in the Blue Mountains near Sydney.
Moreover, just *where* did they expect the Aboriginees to go? This is like visiting the Grand Canyon in Arizona and wishing the Navaho would go away.
Posted by Michael C. Scott at 1:38 PM on March 12
Memphomaniac asks who the Asians were. Asians in Australia frequenting backpacker hostels are invariably either Japanese or Korean.
Posted by at 2:36 PM on March 12
Australia is in South Asia. Sometimes they are called Asians.
Posted by at 4:46 PM on March 12
If it was the other way around, and black or Aborigine’s had felt uncomfortable… say, a social worker claimed a black girl was frightened in class, it wouldn’t spin this way at all. The entire society would be mobilized in an orgy of hand wringing, admissions of guilt, and consciousness raising. That’s what would happen if the races in this situation were reversed. Which is weird, because blacks are a lot more intimidating than orientals.
Posted by at 5:31 PM on March 12
Everyone please be advised…
You no longer have the right of association — to be around only only the type of people you’re comfortable with.
Call it another “benefit” of political correctness. For Pete’s sake… WHY should Asians or any other ethnic groups have to associate with abos or Blacks or ANY races they’d prefer to avoid any contact with. I wouldn’t want to have people in the next hotel room I’d be aprehensive with either.
Posted by Fed Up at 5:54 PM on March 12
LOL….they are worse than blacks at least per IQ scores…but I guess your hatred of Asians surpasses your common sense - after all, its Australia far far away - not America and in your face as with the case of Blacks. So you can wax fat with what makes you feel good like a typical liberal.
Posted by at 11:34 PM on March 11
The Aussie Aboriginals are less violent than Africans. The Asians will work as a group among atomized white people to have things their way and their way only.
Almost all sex tourists in Bangkok, Manila and Phuket are from Australia or America.
Posted by observer at 11:51 PM on March 11
Not true. Most are from Northern and Eastern Europe and a huge, huge chunk are from East Asia. Visit Thailand and you’ll see.
Posted by Well Traveled at 6:52 PM on March 12
“Almost all sex tourists in Bangkok, Manila and Phuket are from Australia or America.”
You just couldn’t resist blaming Asian prostitution on Whitey, could you?
Posted by passingthru at 10:31 PM on March 12
As someone who looks after Asian tourists in Australia
(but not in Alice Springs) and knowing something about this
story I believe in this case the Aboriginal guests
appear to have been relatively well behaved and I think
the ` Asian tourists complaint` was just a feeble excuse
and they were the victim of unnecessary discrimination.
However from what I have seen of urban and rural Aborigines
I would best avoid them..look at the crime ridden hell hole
of the Aboriginal part of Redfern in inner Sydney
or some of the outback settlements which have become so dysfunctional the Australian army was sent in to protect
children whose parents were often in a state of alcoholic
disrepair.
I remember taking some Japanese tourists around Melbourne several years ago and explaining the intricacies of the 40000 or so year old ancient Aboriginal culture that existed before the coming of the White man .As we walked passed a liquor shop outside central Flinders St Station we all noticed two blind drunk Aborigines outside abusing passerbys.
We all said nothing until we got in the car and one of the guests asked me quietly `Were they Aborigines? To which I stammered `Yes` and then quickly changed the subject.Still it was a pretty telling moment if you
can read between the lines.
Posted by John at 8:29 AM on March 13
I’ll second Well Travelled’s statement that Aboriginees from Oz are not very violent.
On the other hand, one of my friends described me in Sydney a few years ago to an English fellow as Celtic and east-coast American Indian. The Englishman said, “Let me guess; he’s extremely aggressive.”
Posted by Michael C. Scott at 12:42 PM on March 13
Almost all sex tourists in Bangkok, Manila and Phuket are from Australia or America.
Posted by observer at 11:51 PM on March 11
You’re wrong about Bangkok, “Observer”. There are a lot more Chinese, Japanese, Koreans and other Asians that come here for the sex than the typical Western tourist. But then again, what do you know? You are right, however, about Phuket as this is mainly an island that caters to Western tourists. The Asians have their own “watering holes” too, although asians tend to be a little more discreet about their sexual activities.
Expat Onlooker (Bangkok)
Posted by Expat Onlooker at 9:14 AM on March 15