multicultural Hot Words

Racist...

Definition

A racist is a noun referring to someone who adopts beliefs based on racism. The essential element is that the person believes that races exist as meaningful social or biological entities, that their differences are insurmountable, and that interaction between races should be avoided because of the perceived danger to the person's own race.

Racist is also an adjective that can describe behaviours, policies or practices.

Disliking a person who is different from you does not make you a racist. You are a racist only if you dislike that person because they are different from you.

What makes it hot?

An accusation of being a racist carries a lot of heat, because our society publicly condemns racism as “un-Australian“, and has signed international agreements that condemn racism.

Date Added:

10 March 2002