Are you multicultural or are you Australian?

[Donte]

I’ve been pondering for a while about the whole ‘multicultural’ notion.


We often hear ‘multicultural people’ or ‘multicultural experiences’ etc but what exactly does that mean?


I am from a culturally and linguistically diverse background, (was born and raised in a non-English speaking country), like the 46% of our population. However, I never think of my self as ‘diverse’ or ‘multicultural’. This is a term other people have created to describe me and my experiences. I am me. A human being like everyone else.


The term ‘multicultural’ often implies ‘different’ or ‘diverse’, but different from what or whom? Well, clearly, from the white-Anglo Australians.


So, my experience has been that in Australia today we have the dominant or mainstream White-Anglo culture and the ‘multicultural’ culture - anything and anyone who doesn’t fit in the white-Anglo category.


The reality of course is that the white-Anglo segment of the population is also part of the whole ‘multicultural’ society, even if it’s the dominant one.


This is never viewed in my opinion, its proper light, perhaps for political reasons and the hidden racism that still lurks in the background of today’s mainstream culture.


Interestingly enough, even non white-Anglo Australians have come to accept this white propaganda and every time I hear them refer to ‘Australians’ they connote ‘anglo’. They usually say I’m Greek or Turkish or Maltese etc. - and any reference to ‘Australians’ seems to indicate ‘the others’, ‘the whites’.


This of course has created an ‘us’ and ‘them’ mentality which stems from the remnants of the ‘white australia’ policy and the ‘melting pot’ days.


So, who is really an Australian? What makes you true blue Aussie? Is the woman covered in burqa from head to toe who’s been naturalized three decades ago an Australian? And if so, equal like the fifth or sixth generation white-Anglo neighbors of hers?


Often, you’ll find that this is not the case. I propose that it’s time to scrap the labels, erase the terms and start treating all people of Australia with equity despite their looks, skin color, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion etc


How does that sound?

[Donte]

Hello Steve,

Thank you for your reply in this thread.

I’m not sure how your comment is linked to what I’m saying in my thread. X

[Donte]

I have a friend who is from Western Australia. They’ve moved to Melbourne six years ago.


He was telling me the other day how he still avoids driving in the city as he cannot work out the hook turns.


He also finds it difficult navigating his way through trams and bike lanes and so much congestion.


His partner, a middle aged woman born and bred in Perth (6 generations Australian) had great difficulty initially adjusting to Melbourne. She’d get lost, disoriented and panicky and often he’d had to go and ‘rescue’ her and bring her home.


Often they’d talk about how hard it is to meet new people amongst the millions in this city and their inability to make new friends and adjust, even after all these years, even if they only have moved states, and even though they are still within the same country, speaking the same language, being part of the same culture etc.


‘I can’t fathom how hard it must be for someone who leaves their country, travels from the other side of the globe, and migrates here.’, they often say.


‘Especially a non-educated, older person with no formal qualifications or language skills - even in their country of birth - someone who’s been through wars, civil wars, revolutions, violence, famine, persecution etc.’


‘It must be bloody hard’, they said.


This made me ponder on the fact that migration can be domestic -from another part of the country - or external - transcontinental.


Even if someone speaks the same language, that is not enough in itself.


It also highlights the fact that age, education, experiences, status, lifestyle, relationships, finances etc all play a huge role in integration into a new environment.


My friends are Australian. They haven’t been outside of this continent. They’re English-speaking. Yet, they still finding it difficult to integrate to our Victorian population and adopt our city’s lifestyle. They’re still feeling like ‘foreigners’ in their own land. Outsiders.


It also made me think that unless you have a personal experience you cannot really fully understand no matter how much you try to empathize.


For me, for example, it is unfathomable going through war or famine or being persecuted in the way many of our newly-arrived Australians have.


So, perhaps, trying to fit our feet into someone else’s shoes may help us to overcome our often shortsighted views.


What do you think?

[Guest_1584]

Well , it's only natural in any country people very from state to state area to area. We lived interstate , 3 states all up 13yrs, from Melbourne originally.

The people are different in each and we never ever felt at home in the other 2 states for a lot of different reasons . Ex w made friends in both but she wasn't really her self though and at home. l made a few but it never lasted. Think it takes about 20 bloody years to really settle into somewhere and fit in. It'd be the same in and country l'd imagine , mostly.lf l move to France of course l'm not gonna be a local for a long long time, how could l be, or China , or the US or Germany or anywhere.

Gf is Italian , spent 15yrs in the US , no friends, American friends at all. Growing up in Melbourne friends and gfs back then were often European or from somewhere. l remember someone's mum saying she hadn't seen her mother , back in the old country, for 30 yrs and she'll probably never see her again, as well as her family.. Must be really hard changing countries.

lf l had time over say as a single person l'd have loved to live in another country but l'd be an idiot in lala land to expect to be a local in under 15 or 20yrs and l've know people lived all over and it's always a thing that just goes with it from what they've always said, that's pretty logical imo.

rx

And yeah , it must be hard changing countries

[Guest_1584]

Scuse the repeat last line above there.

And Melbourne , well funny but l grew up in Melbourne . These days though l could well understand anyone new having trouble getting around, Crikey l dread going down there these days , absolutely dread it. Can't stand the freeway system and tolls and trying to find my way everywhere. lt use to be easy l grew up criss crossing Melbourne all over the place peace of cake then.Shame they've totally wrecked the place now though with the roads system imo , locking suburbs into little corners between some freeway or nother.

But then Brissy use to be cruizy too but even they have freeways slammed through everywhere now and Sydney , always hated driving around Sydney but l bet these days it's a lot worse.

[Guest_1584]

It has got some great sunburns and beautiful areas though to the old Melbourne.

But l just really hate the road system these days.

[Guest_1584]

Ahh suburbs sorry , l wish we could edit stuff later.

[Donte]

Lately I’ve discovered a site on the internet where you can choose any country on the planet and listen to all their local radio stations! (I know! Why didn’t I search for this before?)


Not only you can choose a country and search for their radio stations, but also various regions within each country, and by genre of music, news, sport, political or religious affiliations etc.!


It made me think what an amazing era we live in! The World is at our finger tips at the click of our mouse! Anytime. Always there. Available. On...


We are more connected than ever! We are instant! We have overcome barriers that separated humanity across millennia; barriers of time, or distance, location or even linguistic and cultural ones!


Language and culture? How? You might ask.


Well, let me explain...


While browsing the various countries and regions and genres of music that their stations play, I started to hear the same songs (English) and the same or similar kind of music played universally by stations. The same pop culture everywhere. Same trends. Same fashions. Same products and services advertised. Same series. Same or similar shows. Talk backs, Reality shows, competitions...Same news globally...same issues. Same fears, hopes and anxieties. One race - the human. One struggle. One global village. We are all the same despite our differences. We desire to be accepted, to fit in, to be ok, like everyone else, in our tiny share under the sun during our fleeting existence.


I thought for a moment, no matter the obvious differences, humans are actually fundamentally all exactly the same. No matter where you are from. No matter what language you speak or what god you believe in. Same needs. Same desires. Same thoughts. Same species...We are.

[Donte]

Tonight I was invited at a birthday party.

It was a lovely little gathering at a small restaurant nearby. Around the table people from all over. At some point the conversation turned to 'where are you from?'...

A guy sitting next to me told us he's Australian. 'But where are you from?' People were insisting.

-'I was born here.', he continued. (The crowd was not satisfied.) 'But what's your country of origin?'...they continued.

Apparently his grandparents are from Malaysia but his parents were born here and so was he. He has never been to Malaysia! 'Malaysian then!', someone from the group exclaimed! (I laughed)

It's easier to pinpoint someone with non-white characteristics or an accent (in my case). But really what it comes down to, is the individual's way of identifying. If the dude says he's Australian then he is. We don't need a DNA test!

I have an aboriginal friend who's blonde with blue eyes and skin whiter than milk! She gets teased by both non-aboriginals and aboriginals for her aboriginality!

How are you perceived by others? How are you treated because of your looks or accent? What effect does this have on your wellbeing and your mental health?

[Donte]

A joint statement has been issued in response to the recent anti-African community narratives emanating from some politicians and media outlets. The joint statement is issued by the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria (ECCV); the Federation of South Sudanese Associations of Victoria (FSSAV), and the African Think Tank (ATT).

Last week, the Minister for Home Affairs, Mr. Peter Dutton blamed “Sudanese gangs” for the tragic death of 19-year-old Laa Chol on July 21st. Soon after, the former Prime Minister Tony Abbott called into question all African migration into Australia.

Cr Kris Pavlidis, Chair of the ECCV said; “We know that Victoria Police confirmed Laa Chol was not a member of any gang at any time. We know that most migrants, including those of South Sudanese and other African heritage have settled successfully and contribute to the social and economic development of our society.”

Kenyatta Dei Wal from the FSSAV said; “Our three organisations have come together to demand the facts be published by certain media and politicians. Our African communities and ECCV stand side by side with Victoria Police who is working with the community to diminish youth offending and provide pathways for greater engagement.”

Haileluel Gebre-Selassie Chairperson of the ATT said; “While some young people may be involved in criminal activity they are the minority and do not reflect the larger South Sudanese and the diverse African communities of Victoria.”

Cr Pavlidis added; “Racial profiling and scapegoating are unacceptable, and un-Australian. This happened to the Vietnamese and Lebanese communities in the 1970s and 1980s; and Italian and Greek communities in the 1950s and 1960s. In 2018, we should know better.

Cr Pavlidis went on to say; “Victoria's crime rate fell last year by 6%, the biggest drop in 12 years and 71% of alleged offenders were born in Australia or New Zealand only 1% was from an African background.”

Our three bodies agree that criminal behaviour is totally unacceptable and we support the appropriate authorities taking rightful action to ensure justice is met.

ECCV, FSSAV and ATT ask Prime Minister Turnbull to lead our country with non-discriminatory migration policies, participate in honest and unifying media commentary and bring all Victorians and Australians together for the greater good of the country rather than continue to divide us.

[Donte]

Our Land

We climbed the hill to look over our land:
fields poor and few, stones, olive trees.
Vineyards head toward the sea. Beside the plow
a small fire smoulders. We shaped the old man's clothes
into a scarecrow against the ravens. Our days
are making their way toward a little bread and great sunshine.
Under the poplars a straw hat beams.
The rooster on the fence. The cow in yellow.
How did we manage to put our house and our life in order
with a hand made of stone? Up on the lintel
there's soot from the Easter candles, year by year:
tiny black crosses marked there by the dead
returning from the Resurrection Service. This land is much loved
with patience and dignity. Every night, out of the drywell,
the statues emerge cautiously and climb the trees.

Yiannis Ritsos