Indigenous women 'weren't suitable to stay' at hotel
Mikey 11 comments
Although we don't read about it all the often, racism is alive and well in Australia. The Haven Backpacker Resort in Alice Springs may be facing legal action after it turned away a group of indigenous women because they "weren't suitable to stay there".
The 16 women and children, including young mothers and a 3 month old baby, had travelled 300 kilometres to train as life guards at the community swimming pool. A short time after checking into the hotel the manager told them they had to leave because the other guests were concerned for their safety. Bethany Langdon said:
"They said, because you're Aboriginal, other tourists 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."
The resort has issued a statement saying they were asked to leave because the resort is for international tourists, which the group were not. Ms Langdon and the rest of the group are considering legal action for discrimination.
If you would like to contact the Haven Backpacker Resort and ask them about their no-blacks policy, call (+61) 08 8952 4663 or email . Web site: www.alicehaven.com.au.
My take: If you need to be an international tourist to be eligible for accommodation, why were they allowed to check-in initially? When this question gets put forward to them wait for the response claiming it was a 'clerical error'. The hotel offered to organise alternative accommodation and to even pay for it. This sounds like the actions of someone trying to reduce the chances of the women making a fuss or reporting it. Well now it's gone public and all I have to say is: The Haven Packpacker Resort is an embarrassment to this proud country. Shame on them.
Source: ABC News.
Update: Ex-employee of Alice Springs hotel confirms 'no aboriginals' policy.
Rodney
Tuesday 11th March 2008 | 09:08 AMYou'd like to think this sort of thing was in the past but it's clearly not. I still hear all kinds of racist statements from supposedly educated people in the workforce and get 'joke' emails from people who think this sort of thing is funny.
As you say, Australia has a racist tone hidden beneath the surface. Every single week without fail some stupid d*ckhead in a car will scream abuse at me, as I walk to the synagogue on Saturday.
The media likes to tell us how we've all become so multi-cultural and nice and accepting but in reality there's a lot of jerks out there who didn't get the memo...
Jake
Tuesday 11th March 2008 | 12:28 PMJust a thought, but these guys could easily sue for quite a bit for mental distress and possible loss of potential earnings on the basis of discrimination.
Rodney
Tuesday 11th March 2008 | 03:03 PM...in response to this comment by Justin. Yes; the site is based and administered in Australia, however it caters to people from the World over.
andrew
Tuesday 11th March 2008 | 05:02 PMfrom the hotels point of view it is understandable why they took the path..no i am not siding with the hotel..and as always there are 2 sides to a story..
Jonno
Tuesday 11th March 2008 | 09:59 PM...in response to this comment by andrew. How can you says its understandable Andrew? They say its only for tourists then why let them check in? I would bet my left nut if the tenants were scared because about some white boys making a lot of noise the hotel staff would just ask them to behave.
Jake
Wednesday 12th March 2008 | 06:59 AM...in response to this comment by andrew. That is a totally racist statement Andrew, the hotel has not defended its self in the light of the news, so it is likely that the evictees were telling an accurate story.
I'm interested in hearing the rationalle behind your statement though, why would the hotel do what they did and not simply placate the complainant and tell the evictees that there has been a specific complaint stating .... please refrain, it is against hotel policy, please refrain from doing it in the future.
...in response to this comment by Justin. Hi Justin: The site owner and a handful of contributors reside in Australia, and the rest of the contributors are spread out all over the world.
andrew
Wednesday 12th March 2008 | 05:25 PMas i said there are 2 sides to a story and as always the press can make it sound more than what it is...may be these tourists are scared from what they have read in newspapers ,once again media can distort news to sell papers...no i am not racist so don't jump to conclusions or judge me!!!
Jake
Thursday 13th March 2008 | 08:05 AM...in response to this comment by andrew. They kicked two families of indigenous australians out of a hotel room they had already paid for, if a tourist was scared of 2 women and a bunch of kids based on what they had read in a newspaper, I am sure that the hotel could find a way to placate them.
Jim- Just a Guy
Tuesday 11th March 2008 | 08:31 AMI will be the first to say I know absolutely nothing about what it is like Australia. I can point it out on a map but other than that I know nothing. However as a human being, that is just plain screwed. I would have been pissed at the nitwit that made any kind of complaint and then kicked him the groin for being an ignorant worthless sack of flesh. That would be me as a tourist. Oh yeah I am from sunny California and no, I have never seen any celebrities.