Racism Case

Racism is hatred or intolerance that is shown towards another race or races. The decade of the 1960's is often referred to as the decade of racism. Discrimination against coloured people was a major issue during these years. One of the main themes of the movie 'The Sapphires' is racism and the movie strongly reflects the racism during the 60's and how it affected the lives of the people.

In the years between 1900 and 1972 many Aboriginal children and half-caste children, meaning half indigenous, half white were taken from their families and missions by the government, this time later earned the name 'The Stolen Generation'. The children that were taken were put into white institutions to learn how to live in a white manner. These removals caused cultural and family damage which is shown in the movie 'The Sapphires". At the beginning of the movie we see 4 children signing for their friends and family in a mission, three are visibly aboriginal with dark skin, the fourth is half-cast with light skin, being Kay. It is explained that Kay was taken from her hospital bed by the government and put into a white institution as they thought she could pass as an original white. When Kay returns for her mother's funeral all she says is "If you people worked as much as you fished, you'd be rich you know". The removal caused conflict between Kay and her original family especially Gail. Kay was raised to discriminate against the indigenous that is why Gail found it extremely hard to get along with her. The film 'The Sapphires" fairly demonstrates how the removal of Aboriginal and half-caste children affected the lives of everyone that was connected to the children in anyway and the child itself.

Communities in the 1960's were extremely one-sided and black people were considered nothing but a waste of space, this was strongly shown in the talent show scene in the movie 'The Sapphires'. As the girls walk onto stage they gain no applause, people begin chatting and ignoring them and after an amazing performance the only applause they get is from Dave who later becomes they're manager. The presentations at the end of the talent show back up the theory that communities were one sided as the win goes to a white woman who has much less talent than the girls. Dave strongly disagrees with this decision and argues it causing the publican Merele to be infuriated. She subjects the girls to an outburst saying 'I thought I told you abo's to get off my premises'. This scene clearly shows that the girls don't belong in the white community and have to put up with extremely racist comments and discrimination, despite their talent.

No matter where the sapphires go the racism is so strong that despite the effort they put in to try escape it was still always following them. When the girls first arrive in Vietnam they already