Experiences of racism among urban Indigenous Australians: findings from the DRUID study

Although Indigenous people continue to experience racism in contemporary Australian society, we know little about the nature of such experiences. The Measure of Indigenous Racism Experiences [MIRE] assesses racism across several dimensions in an urban Indigenous context. This paper presents findings from 312 Indigenous volunteers who responded to the MIRE as part of the Darwin Region Urban Indigenous Diabetes study. Interpersonal racism was reported by 70 per cent of participants, most commonly from service providers and in employment and public settings. A third of respondents had high levels of internalized racism while two-thirds acknowledged the existence of systemic racism. Interpersonal and systemic racism were most commonly reported among older respondents, those of higher socioeconomic position and among those who identified strongly with their culture. Further research is needed to understand the impact of racism on Indigenous people and to determine how to combat racism in Australian society.