“High school in Alice Springs is a racism hotspot. But I have learnt to be proud of my Egyptian culture and shake off the most racist remarks, which started when I was in grade two.”
In the recently published anthology of stories, Growing Up in Country Australia, Youssef Saudie, a Shepparton News journalist, contributed his story.
Youssef grew up in Alice Springs, along with his two siblings and his mum.
His chapter delves into his cultural identity, learning of his origins as an eight-year-old after he hears the words “Pah Paw Pa”.
Passing between the past and present, Youssef’s story encapsulates only a piece of his narrative but gives readers a snippet of insight into a lifetime shrouded in systemic issues.
He speaks of his time in the Northern Territory as trying to fly under the radar — in academics, in friendships, in life.
But it was something impossible for him.
Beginning school, Youssef was the only student of Egyptian descent.
He looked elsewhere for a voice he could look up to, for someone or something that represented who he was, but instead was met with heartbreaking portrayals.
“When you’re the only Egyptian in your school, a part of you isn’t fazed by it purely because you’re used to it,” he said.
“But then you also consider, who else is like me here? For a while, there was no other Muslim guy in school so it was kind of like, how do you behave? How do you act?
“Obviously with those kinds of things, especially when you’re young, you look to the media and then when seeing people like me, you can see terrorists or some other kind of negative representation.
“It kind of felt like it was reflected back to you, you kind of have to be the best person you can be because people don't see you in a nuanced way.
“You had to be the representation.”
He said the impact of misrepresentation as a whole ignited a fire within, a spark of wanting to share other people’s stories of “vulnerable voices” but also to help kids like him feel seen.
“That's one of my favourite things about journalism, telling stories that aren't usually told or have a lot of stigma and growing up as a minority in central Australia, I feel like there’re a lot of powerful stories yet to be told,” he said.
“I wanted to add to telling those stories as a journalist, so when I wrote the chapter I looked at myself in the mirror and told my own story.’’
In writing the narrative, Youssef said the vulnerability of sharing his story was difficult to confront.
Known for its sweeping plains, the Northern Territory has the nation’s highest proportion of Indigenous residents among its population, along with a large multicultural community.
Youssef starts his chapter with the voices of friends, throwing racist slang his way in an off-the-cuff manner.
“They are my friends. I just wish my brown skin wasn’t the centre of every discussion,” the passage reads.
While the story focuses on his experience, it also heavily features his single mother who initially struggled to find work in Australia, despite being a qualified doctor.
“We were always a family who challenged stereotypes,” he said.
“It’s weird to remember that we were on Centrelink for a while, my brother and I were in foster care sometimes too.
“I don't want people to be blindsided by the notion of, ‘it's still multicultural, there's a large Indigenous community, there's no racism’, because that's exactly what I wanted to point out in the book.
“Just because it's multicultural, it doesn't mean there's no racism.”
After school, Youssef moved to Melbourne to study journalism and on completion came to the Goulburn Valley for work.
“I think that in regional Australia, it's so important to keep highlighting the stories and voices of multicultural people,“ he said.
“Because I feel like a lot of them, particularly young people, are trying to figure out who they are and it can be really tricky when you're from a migrant background because sometimes you just don't see as much coverage of people who are like you.
“I hope that with my story, I want to encourage other people to tell their stories.”
Youssef Saudie is a journalist at The News. He can be contacted via youssef.saudie@mmg.com.au
Caitlyn Grant and Megan Fisher are opening the conversation with their new weekly column, Let’s Talk. Covering all things from mental health to successful business stories of those in their early 20s, we want to hear from you. If you or someone you know has a story, contact caitlyn.grant@mmg.com.au or megan.fisher@sheppnews.com.au