Family bonds, cultural heritage and citizenship all work together to form a person’s identity.’ If a person is stripped of these it can be very difficult to feel that they fit in and belong. It also plays a major role in the way we act and the decisions we make as individuals. As ‘Delicious and DeLIGHTful’, a multicultural festival approaches, it is important for us to talk about the struggles of people who have immigrated to Australia from foreign countries. Both Najaf Mazari’s autobiography ‘The Rugmaker of Mazer-E-Sharif’, (Mazari and Hillman, 2019) and Garth Davis’s motion picture (Lion, 2016) demonstrate that without their identity a person’s behaviours, values and beliefs can all change. Both of these stories offer some insight into how much family, culture and citizenship comfort someone’s wellbeing and how easy …show more content…
Saroo believes that if he finds his family, he will restore his identity. The film shows us how our sense of identity is deeply intertwined with our roots, heritage, and personal history. "Lion" emphasizes the human desire for connection and belonging, regardless of geographical boundaries. The film prompts viewers to reflect on their own identities and the factors that shape their sense of self, fostering empathy and understanding for individuals grappling with questions of identity and belonging. The book “The Rugmaker of Mazer-E-Sharif” by Najaf Mazari and Robert Hillman is a touching narrative that explores the theme of identity within a war-torn Afghanistan. The main character in The Rugmaker of Mazar-E-Sharif, Najaf flees punishment from the Taliban and takes off on a journey to seek asylum in Australia. Throughout the book, Najaf struggles with the challenges of displacement, cultural alienation, and the loss of his homeland, all of which majorly affect his sense of
In ‘Cultural baggage’, Barbara Ehrenreich described her personal experience and opinion about ethnic and religious heritage. Barbara was born in an immigrant family, With all the information she got, Barbara was unable to find her own ethnic identity. While been frustrated and embarrassed for her incapability of locating her own root, she eventually come to realize that she belongs to the race of “none”, those who think for themselves and try new things, and the race of “none” marches on.
The 2014 Walkley Award winning documentary, "Cronulla Riots: the day that shocked the nation" reveals to us a whole new side of Aussie culture. No more she’ll be right, no more fair go and sadly no more fair dinkum. The doco proved to all of us (or is it just me?) that the Australian identity isn’t really what we believe it to be. After viewing this documentary
Through this hypothetical scenario the actor highlights, that as Australians we have never seen an aboriginal family on television. Thus through, integrating and placing an aboriginal family into the show scenario, it enables the communication of dramatic meaning as it demonstrates that it is possible of both indigenous and non-indigenous people accept to one
I am not a child of immigrants, but maintaining one’s culture is a universal struggle in a land far from one’s ethnic origins. Lahiri suggests that without cultural connections such as family and friends, one’s culture can simply vanish if they are not in the land of ethnic origin. I have found this to be true within my own
The marginalised Australian experience traps groups and individuals based on one or many aspects of their life. Both the poem ‘capital letters’ by Omar Musa and Craig Silvey’s novel ‘Jasper Jones’ explore the Australian Experience of marginalisation. They share many aspects of marginalisation including racism, injustice, resilience, consequences and life on the margin. Marginalisation can have negative psychological and emotional responses, however in capital letters and jasper jones, the consequences of overcoming marginalisation and the build-up of resilience are emphasised. Omar Musa’s poem capital letters looks into his own life and experiences growing up on the margin in Queanbeyan, Australia. The poem displays both the harsh consequence, as well as the
Samuel Wagan Watson presents an Aboriginal perspective on Australian identity, exploring the marginalization of Aboriginal culture. Watson associates
Something that has always fascinated me is the confrontation with a completely different culture. We do not have to travel far to realize that people really lead different lives in other countries and that the saying "Home sweet home" often applies to most of us. What if we suddenly had to leave our homes and settle somewhere else, somewhere where other values and beliefs where common and where people spoke a different language? Would we still try to hang on to the 'old home' by speaking our mother tongue, practising our own religion and culture or would we give in to the new and exciting country and forget our past? And what would it be like for our children, and their children? In Identity Lessons - Contemporary Writing About Learning to Be American I found many different stories telling us what it is like to be "trapped" between two cultures. In this short essay I aim to show that belonging to two cultures can be very confusing.
Anh Do’s story starts and centres of one thing, family. In the book ‘The Happiest Refugee’ written by the successful Australian comedian Anh Do, his autobiography starts when Anh’s role model his father steered them out of a war, poverty and misfortune from the country of Vietnam in 1980 over the rough seas into his beloved home today, Australia. To what he has pushed through and become to this day, merely by having a ‘can do attitude’ and consistently showing bravery and exceptional resilience throughout every challenge he faces.
Seeing through a multicultural perspective. Identities, 19(4), 398. doi:10.1080/1070289X.2012.718714. Steven, D. K. (2014). The 'Secondary'.
Australia, with its diverse landscapes, unique wildlife, and vibrant multicultural society, offers a compelling narrative of living amidst natural wonders and cultural richness. This essay delves into the multifaceted aspects of life in Australia, exploring its unique characteristics, societal dynamics, and the enriching experiences it offers to residents and visitors alike. Living in Australia presents individuals with a blend of natural beauty, cultural diversity, and a high quality of life, making it an attractive destination for those seeking adventure, opportunity, and a sense of belonging. 1. What is the difference between a. and a. Cultural Diversity and Inclusivity: Australia's identity is shaped by its rich tapestry of cultures, stemming from its
This dialogue captures the complexity of navigating two cultures and their emotional effects on a person, reflecting the delicate balance and mix of emotions that immigrants experience as they strive to find their place between two cultural differences. It also creates a sense of disconnection between people and their parents due to their parents wanting them to embrace their heritage. Both examples show how not only immigrants have to be accepted by society, but also by their parents, which could create serious internal issues about who they should be and what they should participate in or not participate in. As a result, they also learn to adapt to their cultures and become acceptable to friends and
During the late twentieth century, ideas of cultural diversity and equality gained prominence as a response to the rising trends of international migration and globalization. Beyond migration patterns, to accommodate diversity and citizenship, the diaspora of cultures and identities have translated into the need for more sensitive policy approaches. While this has resulted in the formulation of multicultural policies in different countries to varying degrees and conceptual depth, there has also been growing discontent and disillusionment emanating from cultural conflicts and integration issues. Nevertheless, among the different experiences, Australia is considered to be one of the most successful examples in multicultural affairs. This paper will attempt to assess the state of cultural diversity governance in Australia by looking at the status of multiculturalism as a national policy and the community engagement programs implemented to address cultural differences.
Aboriginal people are the natives of our homeland and their cultures are spread throughout our continent. Indigenous Australians take pride in their culture and strive constantly to uphold the integrity of their cultural system and their faith. A positive cultural identity can give a sense of belonging, purpose, social support and personal value. Possessing a strong cultural identity has been shown to protect against mental health symptoms and buffer distress prompted by discrimination (Shepherd, Delgado, Sherwood, & Paradies, 2017). A true cultural identity can be defined as one that shows how a person identifies him with his culture and how this relationship with the culture impacts his life.
The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events in Afghanistan and how it affects the life of its characters. The story begins with Amir as a young boy in Afghanistan. He lays emphasis on many events that took place in his life and how they contributed in building his character. The book is divided into
(appendix 4). This provided a unique spontaneous opportunity for the teacher to future scaffold children’s learning about Australia’s cultural history, as well as providing an opportunity for children to share their cultural history. Broadbent (2015) describes how Identity starts with our own cultural background, acknowledge and have awareness of your own culture and the various identities that make each of us who we are (p.31). By exploring cultures, children will begin to identify common concepts across the different cultures (Broadbent, 2015). Visiting the museum extending students learning further into the history learning area of the curriculum.