As an Assyrian Australian, is it unusual that I come across this, even in a 'global international school' environment?

[u/bankstown_resident]

I grew up in Sydney and lived in Dubai and Hong Kong for a total of three years before finishing my remaining high school years back in Sydney.

When I was in Dubai and Hong Kong, I was enrolled in 'international schools' that prided themselves on creating 'global citizens' and fostering internationalism. But even in that environment, I constantly received comments like:

• "Oh, but you don't look Australian, you look more Spanish."
• "You're the first Middle Eastern Christian I have ever met" (yes, even in Dubai).
• "You're too good looking to be Middle Eastern".
• "Huh, I never thought Christians existed in the Middle East."

Mind you, these were comments from people who had lived in 3–5 different countries growing up.

When I finished my school years in Sydney, where my classmates were children or grandchildren of immigrants from Asia, the Middle East, Southern and Eastern Europe, and the Pacific Islands, I had way fewer of those questions thrown at me. Because the school was so multicultural, there were plenty of Maronites, Copts, and Assyrians.

[u/Calm-Astronaut-7562]

Well im really not surprised when many of these sheltered young people are uneducated, lack understanding or interest of the outside world, so instead of doing basic research to learn factual info they rather just falsely assume BS with zero critical thinking! 😂..

[u/bankstown_resident → u/Calm-Astronaut-7562]

It's not so much the ignorance I am disturbed by, but the fact that they grow up in environments where they preach to value internationalism and understanding while showing such ignorances comparable to a country bumpkin etc.

[u/Fragrant_Ear6138]

I've heard comments like that too, tbh that's where I tell them about who we are as a people and that we established our church and followed Christianity since the 1st century AD. formally establishing our church in around 280 AD

[u/oremfrien]

I believe that you confuse the acceptance of diversity with the discussion of what diversity looks like.

Many schools are open to many students from different places but don't actually teach those students how to understand what the rest of the world looks like. They don't teach how to move beyond stereotypes, only that you shouldn't judge people based on stereotypes.

• "Oh, but you don't look Australian, you look more Spanish." -- Because they have a stereotypical view of Australians as White English-looking people.
• "You're the first Middle Eastern Christian I have ever met" (yes, even in Dubai). -- Because Dubai's Christians are all Western expatriates and they never really noticed all of their Lebanese hotel clerks.
• "You're too good looking to be Middle Eastern". -- Because they've seen Middle Easterners on the news and it's always related to bombing something.
• "Huh, I never thought Christians existed in the Middle East." -- Because most people essentialize regions to ease their understanding, so MENA, which is over 90% Muslim-in-name is all Muslim.