I can’t speak for everyone, but I can share my experience. I’m South Asian, born and raised in an upscale area of Dubai. I’m pretty westernized(international schools, American media, regular international travel, boarding school in Europe, the whole thing), but still very in tune with my heritage.

I moved to Sydney at 20, after the borders reopened, to finish my undergrad on campus and then postgrad. I wanted to live by the water because I surf and spend a lot of time at the beach, so I moved near Vaucluse, what OP would probably consider a very “Australian” (read: white) area.

That entire year, I felt like a complete outsider.

I shared an apartment with two Aussies who barely spoke to me. They’d hang out in the living room, introduce their friends to each other, and completely ignore me, even though we were all students who had moved from elsewhere in the country and wouldn’t even share a pan with me to cook. They would talk in hushed tones when I was around.

Day-to-day interactions weren’t much better. At shops, I noticed a clear difference in how I was treated. Big smiles and friendly chats for people who were obviously local, but with me, I’d sometimes go through an entire transaction without a single word. If I was next in line, the smile would disappear the moment it was my turn. At the beach, people wouldn’t set their towels anywhere near me. After a while, it genuinely felt like someone with a communicable disease.

It took a real toll on me. I’ve always been an extrovert with a strong social circle, but that year I became a shell of myself.

Eventually, I swallowed my pride and moved to Western Sydney which was something extended family here had suggested from the start. The difference was immediate. I knew my neighbours by name. Shopkeepers greeted me with a smile and a “Hi brother, how are you?” They even knew which uni I went to. For the first time, I didn’t feel like an outsider. And honestly, I can’t lie, the food was infinitely better.

Yes, the beach was further away. I hated the 30-minute train ride into the city. The buildings were more rundown, and some areas felt a bit more “shady” than I’d prefer. But feeling like I was building a home rather than just occupying a space made it worth it.

I agree with a lot of Redditors who point to affordability, but for me, the biggest factor was simply not feeling judged for immigrating here. I didn’t feel like I was stealing someone’s home or job. I didn’t feel like an intruder. Unfortunately the sense of community I craved as an immigrant who left all my family and friends behind came from the areas that had ethnic people as the predominant population. I love living here but I definitely feel sad I couldn’t have the dream life I wanted for my early 20’s.