43-year-old Lebanese Australian artist and comedian, Hadi Slayman, is 57% less likely to obtain a leadership role in the Australian workforce, according to a 2023 Monash University study.
“My name is Hadi. It means ‘Righteous Guide’ in Lebanon, but in Australia it means no job interviews!”
This was a joke that Hadi performed in the 2023 Melbourne International Raw Comedy finals, though, unfortunately, a reality for Hadi and many other people with non-white names. The Monash study reveals a shocking statistic indicating that many ethnic groups continue to face underlying racism in Australia and in Hadi’s case specifically, the Lebanese/Arab community.
Birth, background and the admiration of art
Born in Beit Mery, a town just 20 minutes short of Beirut in Lebanon, Hadi Slayman and his family had to leave soon after Hadi’s birth when the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990) began to escalate. Hadi’s father sold some land and their family initially moved and lived in San Francisco for four years. In 1987, they made the move to Australia, arriving in Adelaide when Hadi was six.
Hadi recalls his childhood fondly, a time when he developed a talent for drawing which has, as an adult, become a passion for oil painting. Hadi shares his work on his art account on instagram – @hadislayman_art.
Working to re-establish themselves, Hadi’s family were not of a high socio-economic status, though they moved into a middle-class suburb. In this environment, Hadi quickly became aware he was underprivileged and at times his financial situation felt like something he had to hide.
“But it wasn’t, you know, catastrophic … I did overcome that … but the lack of resources, money, it definitely was a hindrance. But some would say it’s character building also.”
‘Hadi Kilman’
Hadi also developed a talent for turning his experiences into comedy, which he largely expressed through his love of writing. Without realising it, Hadi began creating comedy sets in his head.
After a 14 year long stint in Alberta, Canada, Hadi moved back to Adelaide in 2022. His also comedic sister gifted him a ticket to a 4-day comedy workshop for his birthday.
Former geologist and current Public Servant, Hadi, bound by the conciseness and accuracy of his workplace writing, has, as an adult, embraced the comparative freedom of comedy. He fell in love with the process of writing up a set – the play on words, the trial and error, the refining of his jokes.
“It’s really writing and then essentially trying to read out that writing, but in a way that makes it seem like it’s off the top of your head … makes it seem like it’s kind of natural and not written.”
Facebook lent a helping hand as an outlet for his comedic thoughts and although it served minimal response, the occasional laugh and comment from a user would give Hadi a confidence boost.
Hadi now resides in Canberra and performs around the city by the name of ‘Hadi Kilman’ in his spare time. Though, upon his move back from Canada, he also became aware that Australia had not progressed far at all in its attitude towards the Lebanese community who now called Australia home.
Past, Present and Future
The Lebanese community in Australia had grown significantly by the 20th century, with a second wave arriving during the Lebanese Civil War. Today, it is estimated that over 248,000 Australians claim Lebanese ancestry, making it one of the largest Arab communities in the country.
Following the 2001, 9-11 terrorist attacks in New York, in which one of the attacks involved a Lebanese individual, the Lebanese community here suffered heavy backlash and great misrepresentation from the media. Racial profiling became a serious issue, with the most notable consequence being the 2005 Cronulla Race Riots.
The event was organised by white Australians to ‘reclaim the beach from outsiders’. This resulted in around 5000 young people storming Cronulla beach and attacking anyone that appeared of Middle-Eastern descent.
The event stretched over two days. Approximately 26 people were injured, 104 were arrested and 285 charges were laid.
Both these events had, and continue to have consequences for Australians with Lebanese heritage.
A year after the Cronulla riots, Hadi applied for a job in Sydney. He did not get the job and had later heard through the grapevine that he was unsuccessful as the hiring manager was very reluctant to have Lebanese people in his office. It was this experience that inspired Hadi’s name joke.
“It’s funny and it’s a good way to get a laugh early … but it’s also based on truth, you know. And it’s not unique to just Lebanese people. It’s unique to anyone with a strange sounding name.”
The 2023 name discrimination study conducted by Monash University confirms Hadi’s experience of being rejected for a job interview because of his name and ethnicity.
The Study finding it is 57% less likely for people with non-white names to obtain a leadership role in the workforce.
“You’ll find that it’s much easier to get job interviews, get your foot in the door if you anglicise your name. Which is very sad. That’s why I’m always supportive of efforts by public and private sectors to increase diversity and inclusion because implicit racism exists and it needs to be addressed directly.”
The Australian Government has shared a friendly bilateral relationship with Lebanon. The Lebanese community in Australia thrives highly in sports, business and political pursuits. Demonstrating that despite some of the challenges, many Lebanese have settled successfully in Australia.
Hadi says one of the traits he appreciates most about Lebanese and Arab culture in general is their generous hospitality.
“The fact that if you’re in someone’s house … they’ll literally turn over the keys to you if you ask them to … they will go, you know, above everything just to make sure that you’re comfortable, and that you’re happy and content.”
Despite these successes, some Australian media outlets still tend to portray the Lebanese community under a harsh light, which greatly overshadows their contributions and achievements within Australia.
Though racism is not predominantly what his comedy is about, Hadi likes to challenge Australia’s ongoing racist stereotypes of the Lebanese community through the light hearted tool of his comedy.
One of Hadi’s most recent comedic accomplishments was competing in the Finals for the Melbourne International Raw Comedy Festival.
Historically, Lebanese Australians like Hadi have greatly enriched the Australian landscape with their vibrant culture. More than a third of the Lebanese community run their own business here in Australia.
Festivals such as the Lebanese Food Festival in Sydney showcasing traditional cuisine, music, and dance, fostering cultural exchange and understanding.
With increasing tensions in the Middle East currently, these beneficial cultural contributions to the Australian community, combined with light hearted, comedic reminders from people like Hadi, will hopefully ensure cultural diversity continues to unite rather than divide the rich multiculturalism of Australia.
Recognising and harnessing these strengths, rather than focusing on smaller divides, offers Australia a unique opportunity to sow seeds of shared community interests, pride in diversity of thought and growth in a unity which strengthens rather than weakens our communities.
For the generations of Australians to come, our political and business leaders play a significant role in highlighting and fostering these community benefits – they have the opportunity to champion the likes of Hadi, who demonstrate all the qualities of the enduring Australian identity of a ‘fair go’.
The question remains, will they contribute to a united or divided Australia with their actions?
