How do you feel of being an Australian?

[inmysoul]

Hi,everyone.

I'm an international student in UNSW and I have Australia Study subject for this term.
Last week, we had a discussion that most of Aussie enjoy their leisure life, proud of their background...but in my opinion, Australia is known as a multi-cultural country so there are different views that depends on each people.

So what do you think of being an Aussie ? :confused:

[ashtroboy]

my dad's side is german
my mum's side is irish

both are aussie born, and so was i

so i'd call myself aussie

yet - u see an asian person of the same situation, and well personally, i don't immediately think 'aussie' - but aren't we all decedents of convicts anyways?

i'm cool to say 'i am, you are, we are australian' - but the only thing that give me the shites, is when i need a translator to talk to someone behind the counter.

Being proud? I'm cool to go along with the stereotype that aussie's are all 'she's right mate' and 'g'day' - I use to be embarrassed about quotes like this - but when you think about it - meh - why not wish a stranger a good day? and be known as the country that does it?

I hear the maddest time to be an Aussie, is when your overseas and you bump into other Aussies at a pub or club. That's when you get proud :P

There are different degrees of being a proud aussie though.. some people take it too far.. like the red kneck guys that are over the top, and get violent if your anything but a white aussie, they hate you.

That's not Australian.

Aussie Aussie Aussie!

~+~

[inmysoul]

Thank you ,ashtro.
but the only thing that give me the shites, is when i need a translator to talk to someone behind the counter.
Yeah but thats different situation.In my opinion,there are many immigrants that they are not native English speaker. It's quite difficult to learn English when they have many things to worry about(new life,new environment...).

Another thing that Aussie make me surprised is the quote " thank you" to the bus driver b4 they got out of bus. That's great!

[jackie87]

My father was born in Glasgow, Scotland
My mother is 3rd generation Irish/German-Australian

I have a British passport and an Aussie one.

I was born here and I guess I am proud of my country to an extent I will defend when people make fun of its larks and I definately support the Australian sports teams.

But on the other hand I am still not proud of many actions of the Australian governments over the years and some of its citizens. I also don't want us be going down the American path and becoming a more patriotic, flag waving redneck state like we recently witnessed with the Cronulla riots and the like.

It still makes me feel ashamed of my country over the fact that we are in Iraq, we have not apoligized to the Stolen generation, we have not apologised for the genocide of the Aboriginal people, we don't get enough funding for public education and healthcare, we seem to value sports at the expense of the arts, we do not have equal rights for gays and lesbians, we still have a large amount of racism and homophobia in the community, we still have the monarchy, we still log old growth forests and many others but I guess with every country there is always negatives and positives but those are a few which I hope will be implemented to ultimately make us a better nation.

[inmysoul]

Thank you, Jackie.
Yeah, sport.My lecturer told me that another identity of Aussie is "sport mad".That's why they had great body then :|

I feel that the tax is quite high compare to my country's.However, I just wonder how come there are many homeless guys that dragging their body along the street even IN THE WINTER.I thought they got support from government.

we still have a large amount of racism and homophobia in the community
It's even worse in Asia countries.

[jackie87]

I feel that the tax is quite high compare to my country's.However, I just wonder how come there are many homeless guys that dragging their body along the street even IN THE WINTER.I thought they got support from government.

They obviously don't get support from the government.

And this current government is known for being economically conservative ie. handing out tax cuts in election years and cutting back on welfare.

[inmysoul]

Wow , I really don't know that. Thank mate!

[robbie]

My father was born in Scotland and came to Australia when he was 2 with his Scottish parents.
My mother was born in Australia and her parents fled WW2 and came to Australia - one from Poland, the other from Russia.

I love my double passport too Jackie! :-)

I am certainly proud to be an aussie, and I certainly support multi-culturalism however I think the traditional aussie life is quickly diminishing with the rapid influx of immigrants who do not attempt to adapt to our way of life. And by our way of life, I mean our courtesy, our friendly nature, our "she'll be right" nonchalantness , our idiosyncrasies, our mate-ship.

I just did a bit of research, did you know that since 1945, around 6.5 million people have come to Australia as new settlers. And today, nearly 1 in 4 residents were born overseas! That's huge!

I think the main issue today in Australia is the lack of understanding of incoming nationalities and their ways of life.. (and vice versa)

[charles]

ok. I'm not australian but I guess the concept of nationhood and belonging to a nationality has become rather fluid with the commodification of travel, greater ease and freedom of movement, and increasingly educated global citizens (though still very much restricted to only people in the North) amongst other factors which somehow makes the concept of nationhood, rather redundant. As an outsider, I must say Australians do have certain things to be proud of e.g. Aussie Rules, outstanding journalists like John Pilger e.t.c. Things which I would disagree with - some of the governmental policies and the way this country treats the indigenious community.

[jackie87]

My father was born in Scotland and came to Australia when he was 2 with his Scottish parents.

Holy shit Robbie my dad was 2 also when he came here! What a coincidence!

Yes I agree with the notion that some immigrants refuse to learn English and wonder why they cannot adapt, I work with women from Croatian, Italian and Persian backgrounds who cannot barely string a sentence in English together like "please here put!"

And there are places like Eastwood, Cabramatta and Bankstown where people manage to get by living exactly the same as in their home country...its a bit controvertial to say so but its a topic worth mentioning.

[robbie]

totally freaky Jackie - mine was born in Aberdeen!

[Tim D]

Maybe you're brothers?

[jackie87]

No my dad is a proud Glaswegian, although my grandfather was from Ayr (he was quite dark) and my grandmother (she was ginger) was from St. Andrews which is not as far up as Aberdeen.

[robbie]

Maybe you're brothers?

Well we all are brothers, just in a different sense!:D

[jackie87]

I would have liked to have had a brother, there are too many pushy women in my family!!

[GenesisInVain]

I migrated here from the Philippines like a good 17 years ago. We moved here because my parents heard about the good opportunities this country has to offer. The current situation is that both my parents are in stable jobs, we have a nice house in the 'burbs' of Sydney and I'm doing great in my HSC. My parents and I do certainly believe that this country is great, it has room for improvement (like kicking out John Howard) but its one of the best countries in the world. I'm thankful for the education I have received here because if I had been educated back 'home' I would have been fed American propaganda from pre-school!!!!!! So although I'm not born in this country, I was certainly;y raised here, and I have great respect for this country and most Australians. I certainly am proud to be an Australian citizen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[sydneychick69]

hi there

I love beeing an australian. The only thing i really hate about australia is. We are a multy cultural country every person is here for a reason. But why can't we get along. When one nation has given us a right to live here and start a new life with does not matter who. We all have got a new chance in life here and we are all australians no matter who or where we are origniated from. People love us all and get along for the sake of everyone in this nation. Weather we are straight, gay, bi, black, white asian it does not matter, we are all human. Look after one another.

P.S. Love others like u love ur self and we would get past all of the things that are not important. Leave the hatred behind and live with prosperaty.

Bless all .........................live life.....................

[Michaelbourke]

Get this; I have a Spanish Father, A French/Algerian Mother, Born in Vietnam and Adopted into the Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne. Raised on beaches and in inner city private schools, anything I could want or need around me including a great brother and 3 amazing sisters (biological to mum and dad) With all that has been happening recently in this country...I feel sick to my stomach being classified as an Australian. I remember the day we won the America's cup, I was up like every other Aussie I knew watching it. The moment was exhilarating my AUSSIE pride was big and I mean REALLY BIG. NOW? Please don’t start me on the racial vilification, the prejudice, the lack of tolerance and respect. Our federal government promote it, and state governments condone it... So, not a proud Australian at the moment...

[ambience77]

My family migrated to Oz from Hong Kong in 1987, we came here because of Chinese taking over HK bla bla.. My parents are both Honkies. But I have lived here for 20 years so technically I'm an Aussie, lifestyle, personality, etc. I can still speak and read Cantonese fluently. I don't think I would have survived the pressure living in HK whether education, work or social - I would freak out. Hence a percentage of people jump off roofs in HK to escape the pressure from education and social pressure.

I love Australia in every way, the weather, the people, the embrace of multi-culture, which has eased out from 20 years ago.

I am however amazed that in the gay world that if you're an Asian, Arabs or whatever then sometimes you're classed an outsider. I mean, in the 'Het' world, i don't get that kind of discrimination whether at work or at play. They don't distant you and not get you involved. I do respect the sexual activities part, I mean if you can't get it up because my skin is yellow.. well I wouldn't want you to waste my time either..But I mean when it comes to friendship, clients - I sometimes get things like "sorry not into asians" .. Seriously sweety, I'm offering my friendship.. I am not asking you to marry me.

[Michaelbourke]

Asian men and women in the Gay Scene, not that would be an interesting post!!! Do it Ambience!!, I would be interested in the responses. I am a racial observer, does that make me racist?

[jimjazz]

sorry robbie, but your "i really support multi-culturalism but...." smacks of the same line homophobes trot out: "i don't discriminate against homosexuals, I just don't believe they deserve the same rights as everyone else". however you dress it, its still fear of others by association.

this whole aussie debate gives me the shits. firstly, can i remind everyone that ALL people who are not Aboriginal are living in a nation state that was built on British Imperialism and a belief that: as Aboriginals were uncivilised savages therefore the British were entitled to take the land.

but moving on.

today, more and more countries are multi cultural. there is greater travel and cross breeding within our species than at any previous time in history. to build nation states on the lines of a single cultural reference, ie: aussie-ness is parochial and leads to dangerous ideas about what is and isn't acceptable. i don't give a shit if someone doesn't speak the language. who cares? their grandson might grow up to be the prime minister!

this is a land of opportunity still for many. if there is a sliver of decency about us collectively as australians, it is that we should welcome people of all persuasions to this land and encourage them to make the most of it.

i love when people attack ethnic minorities for not integrating. what the f+uck do you do? share your world with a vast ethnic mix? we assemble with our own kind because that is about where we belong and it makes us feel content as a member of a social species. it is ludicrous to demean people because they woin't file in behind your group or order. my god, you might actually learn something from them.

and as for this "we will decide who comes to this country and the manner in which they come." yeah, and then we'll chuck him in detention centres for YEARS because it takes YEARS for a bureaucrat to determine what the hell should happen to people whose only crime is being a refugee and having to contend with draconian laws which defile their human rights.

i choke on what it means to be aussie if it means supporting anything which homogenises me as part of one large group and reduces me to one version of acceptability. i may as well go back to the school yard and throw sticks at someone because they look different. please.

encourging diversity in what it means to be aussie is the platform upon which any collective identity should be built. re-inforcing the white, anglo saxon, paul hoganesque version of history which reduces us to cultural shells that hang thinly against awhite history that is yet to be truly revealed.

our right to claim some kind of aussie identity will come when reconciliation with the original inhabitants of this land is made and we can feel proud of owning up to the past, inhabit the present without superifical identities and proceed to the future finally with a right to be a proud aussie. an aussie who is forgiving, brave, compassionate, apologetic, forthright, joyous and strong.

then this idea of aussie might mean something real.

[ambience77]

You can start it, heh.. I wouldn't know where to start.

[Michaelbourke]

I would, but I am not Asian.... :) Start it please.....I would be interested to know what Austral (asians) really feel....

[robbie]

sorry robbie, but your "i really support multi-culturalism but...." smacks of the same line homophobes trot out: "i don't discriminate against homosexuals, I just don't believe they deserve the same rights as everyone else". however you dress it, its still fear of others by association.

Ok, I'm crawling back into my hole now. :o

James, I was simply trying to convey that I'm happy for all different nationalities to reside on Australian soil however the lack of Australian social integration programmes are fracturing the nation - we're losing our sense of national consciousness.

I don't like the lack of integration and by saying so, that doesn't mean I'm attacking the minorities at all. I don't blame those arriving in Australia for congregating with those familiar, I'd be in the same boat if I was to move to a foreign country. I think the Government needs to look at better ways of intensifying one nation above all others and placing primary emphasis on promotion of its culture and interests. This does not mean that all those arriving in this country should check their culture at the airport - not in the slightest.

The current lack of unification is creating unrest, and fear amongst all demographic groups. We don't understand each other's way of life and we need to in order to live peacefully together. Education leads to understanding leads to peace.

Again, I am not blaming the minorities. I am not promoting a White Australian agenda, not in the slightest...

[alison87]

Why do we need "national consciousness"? I've lived here over ten years, give or take, i've paid taxes for the majority of those years, i'm not a citizen and i'm quite happy. I have beers on Australia Day but i don't feel the need to "become an Aussie" or become a part of some "national consciousness" or whatever. I think it's precisely that attitude that makes immigrants resent those who were born here, because you're trying to push us into a box that we're not. Australia is just fine how it is.

[Cheetah77]

Personally, the idea of the fair dinkum, true blue Aussie shits me to tears and when people go on about the little Aussie battler and I cringe. Go back to your homestead and work the land you fucking bumpkin.

Maybe I'm a snob but when you've got your Cheryl's, Beryl's, Shazzas and Dazzas representing Aussies, I'm ashamed to say I am one too.

When I was OS last year, my friend and I came across groups of Aussies on the tube in London and in public in Europe and instantly would begin talking quietly because we didn't want them to realise we were Aussie too and start talking to us. In every situation they were loud, obnoxious and just plain embarrassing.

Does that make me "unostrayan" Pauline? Yeah, well if it does you can suck it.

[inmysoul]

I work with women from Croatian, Italian and Persian backgrounds who cannot barely string a sentence in English together like "please here put!"
how can she get a job? wa !

[nae-porter]

im really proud to be an australian especially when i watch australian idol and sing my heart out during the ad break. it doesnt get any better than being an aussie. it really doesnt

[ambience77]

how can she get a job? wa !

well at least they're trying hard and not be a dole bludger