Indian woman calls Australia an ‘extremely racist country’ – as she opens up on the horrifying experiences that made her hate herself

An Indian woman claims Australia is an “extremely racist country” after she was subjected to a series of cruel comments and actions because of the colour of her skin.

Alexis Dennis, who has more than 20,000 followers on social media, has posted two TikTok videos about her many experiences with racism in Australia since her family moved to Melbourne in 2008 when she was six years old.

This included the fence behind her family’s house being defaced with racist graffiti.

“My family and I received this graffiti,” said Mrs. Dennis.

A photo of the fence showed an offensive text: ‘I hate India’s [sic].

Mrs Dennis suspected that someone had heard her Indian father on the phone and picked up his accent, which is why the offensive message was now being dealt with by the council.

She said her experiences with racism in Australia began at her “predominantly white school” when she was just six.

“Someone in class asked me why my skin was so dirty,” she said.

“I went home and cried my eyes out. I thought people really thought I was dirty.”

She added: ‘The boy who was known as the class clown made up a song about me that I sang in a funny Indian accent, that I sang with my name, that I sang with a pot of curry, that I worship cows, that I do this, that.’

“I realised that people didn’t like me because I’m Indian and different from them,” Dennis said.

“That was a very difficult discovery for me.”

She said she had unknowingly become a “self-hating Indian.”

“I enjoyed putting myself down before others could put me down,” she said.

Ms Dennis said she experienced ‘a lot more racism’ after she started dating.

“Whenever boys asked me where I was from, I avoided the question like the plague,” she said.

Mrs. Dennis said that if she told potential suitors she was Indian, they would get one of two responses: “No, you’re too pretty to be Indian” or “Oh yeah, I could tell you were Indian,” but then they would insult her.

“Guys have said to me, ‘You’re really pretty, but I probably wouldn’t date you because I just can’t stand Indians,'” she said.

‘Most of the men in my life, and I’m talking about friends, not just the men I’ve been with, love my country, love my country’s food, love my country’s clothes, love my country’s traditions.

Ms Dennis shared racist graffiti sprayed on the fence behind her family’s Melbourne home

“They really like to stick to stereotypes, so dating is quite difficult if you live in a western country as people often dislike this breed.”

In a second TikTok, Ms Dennis said she had received many “malicious” responses to her previous observations and issued a “disclaimer”.

“I am incredibly grateful to live in Australia, but I am still allowed to talk about the negative experiences I have had in this country,” she said.

Ms Dennis said she often felt “unsafe” and “completely out of place” in Australia.

“I think in general people won’t like me just because I’m Indian,” she said.

Social media users shared their own experiences and said they had gone through similar experiences in their lives.

“This is so true and most of us Indians who grew up in Australia have unfortunately had to deal with this,” one person wrote.

“I am an Anglo-Indian living in Melbourne,” said another.

“I was born and raised here, but I’ve definitely seen and felt what you describe in your videos. Especially when I was younger, I know it’s hard to comprehend.”

“I am from Sri Lanka and was bullied by my own classmates from the age of 6 through to sixth grade,” said a third.

“But then a new boy came along, and he was Indian, and since then I have never been able to identify with anyone.”