Sudanese-Australian Lawyer Declares No Intention to Assimilate, Plans to Leave Australia

Nyadol Nyuon, an Australian-South Sudanese lawyer and human rights advocate, has announced her intention to leave Australia, stating she has "no intention of assimilating" and asserting that the concept of a singular "white culture" is a misnomer.

During a recent immigration debate on ABC's National Forum, Nyuon argued that Australia has never been a monoculture, pointing to the pre-colonial Indigenous populations and subsequent waves of post-World War II immigration as evidence of its inherent diversity. She contended that references to "white culture" create a false notion of a unified identity that can be threatened, distinguishing it from specific European or national cultures.

Nyuon explained that a significant factor in her decision to leave is the increasing tension surrounding multiculturalism and the calls for a "monoculture" in Australia. She questioned the necessity of all citizens conforming to a single way of life for social cohesion, emphasizing the importance of direct conversations about these issues within a democratic framework.

Her decision to depart follows a workplace dispute at Victoria University, where she alleged racism and felt "victimised" and used as "corporate blackface" while overseeing an $800,000 WorkSafe Victoria project. The project, aimed at protecting culturally diverse women in high-risk workplaces, experienced delays and internal conflicts. Nyuon described the situation as a "perfect failure," asserting that racism was evident in how Black and Brown women's professional and lived expertise were disregarded in favor of "White-led organisational judgment."

A spokesperson for Victoria University stated that the institution is committed to fostering a respectful, safe, and inclusive workplace culture and is always seeking improvement, though they declined further comment on the specific events.

Nyuon, who arrived in Australia at 18 after being born in an Ethiopian refugee camp, shared her experiences in an online series titled "The Goodbye Chronicles." She characterized her decision not as an act of anger, but of grief, stemming from a loss of faith in institutions she believed championed diversity but ultimately caused harm.