Moorn (Black)? Djardak (White)? How come I don’t fit in Mum? Exploring the racial identity of Australian Aboriginal children and youth

Abstract

This study explored the racial identity of Indigenous children and youth who attended urban, state and private primary and secondary schools in the Noongar¹ region of urban Perth in Western Australia. Thirty five Australian Indigenous children aged 8–12 were interviewed and 120 youth aged 13–17 participated in focus groups. Transcripts were analysed and common themes were identified by extracting relevant responses and their meanings. The components of racial identity for children aged 7–12 and youth were very similar such that culture, family, language and appearance featured. The most reported element of racial identity for young children was culture which comprised of eight subelements. Young people however, reported that a strong sense of self was the most important contributor to their racial identity and it comprised of ten subelements. Indigenous youth perceived that their racial identity is exposed to others’ attitudes, values and behaviours because according to them ‘identity is about what you look like and how others see you’.

Key Words:

• Sociology
• racial identity
• social determinants
• mental wellbeing
• Indigenous Australian children