'Race' and the lived experiences of Australians of Sudanese background

This chapter explores how migrants from the former Sudan experience the ways they are represented by the Australian news media. It brings together critical cultural studies research on media representations of race with an empirical sociological analysis of race and racism by examining how Sudanese and South Sudanese migrants to Australia view and experience their media portrayals. The chapter identifies that while there is a great deal of research on how the media represent minority groups, there is much less research in Australia or elsewhere on how minority groups experience those representations. It then turns to an exploration of the impact of media representations on Sudanese and South Sudanese Australians' lived experiences. Through analyses of public roundtable forums, focus groups and participant observations of journalism training sessions with Sudanese and South Sudanese Australians, the chapter argues that, for these former Sudanese and South Sudanese refugees, media representations are perceived as having a negative and ongoing effect on their everyday lives.