The name is absent

393

23.4 ^tPassing*

'Passing’ can be a choice for a migrant, followed by a

corresponding commitment to the chosen society. 'Passing' in the
case„of the Aborigine is met with rejection by the socially constructed
world into which he would choose to commit himself if such a choice

were possible (Tatz,1975:9, 13). If this choice is made, he is

- forever the stranger (Wolff∕Simmel>1950:402 ff.; Schutz,. 1971:91 ff.),
committed to anomie, to rejection from white society, while at the
same time white society directly or indirectly urges him to accept
the values and structures of white society.

23.5 Pseudo-Aborigines

Psychologibal theories of identity (e.g. IVheelis, 1959) identify
choice and commitment as essential aspects of identity. In the
urban situation, it would appear that the choice for the Aborigine
has been towards becoming physically embedded in the constructions
of the 'white' world, evidenced in the first instance by movement
to the metropolitan area.

It has been pointed out that, in practice, if an Aboriginal
person has positive characteristics he is classified by white society
as not-Aboriginal. However, this does not mean he is accepted socially
into white society.

Moreover, despite the fact that the Aboriginal individual locates
himself physically in white society, he may locate the self, his
identity in Aboriginal society.

When he then wishes to take advantage of positive discriminatory
measures offered by the government, for example the Secondary Grants
Scheme, to further his education, he is seen by whites as a pseudo-
Aborigine .

On the other hand, at the same time that a particular group
of Aboriginal people is labelled as pseudo-Aborigines by whites,
they are labelled as pseudo-whites by Aborigines.

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