NinaU

Just curious - since every brochure I have seen talks about multi culturism in Australia

Is Australia multicultural only because so many people of different cultures have migrated and live there

OR

is it multicultural because people from different cultures mingle /socialise a lot with each other, learn about each other's culture.

Or is it a fact that in Australia you find - the chinese, british , Italians, Greeks, Indians all living and socialising only amongst their 'own types'.

How many people of different cultures would you really find in a typical BBQ for instance ?

Nina

dotty

Good God, if anybody dares answers this, Bin/Sadam/Bush and Blair will look like a pack of international peacemakeres.

Sandra

Ok Dotty - I will give the question a go!

I live in Sydney, about a year now, working for an international company. Multi culturalism comes from yourself and no one else. There is loads of 'crap' about it, but it depends on how you want to act and take it forward. Take a look on the demographics published for each suburb in Sydney (they break it down in money/education/religion). If I mention in work I live in St Ives, some laugh and say I must be Jewish with money or South African to live there. My son and daughter have been brought up to understand they have choices about their future religous/cultural beliefs but have been subject here to more 'we are right and you are wrong and we cannot mix because of it' than they ever did in the UK.

All these impacts depend on where you live and how you conduct yourself.....but given a choice...don't birds of a feather flock together?

I had an opportunity to live in an absolutely fab house in the UK, but we turned it down because the local primary intake would have meant my 'white' son would have been in the minority both for colour and language. We did not buy the house because of that factor - am I racist?

On the other hand I chose my suburb in Sydney because of the level of education in the local state school (money talks!), not religious or ethnic group. Many Asian families send their children to the school 40% non white (at last Parents Evening announcement)

Please do not come here expecting 'happy families' in terms of culture or race - that is 'emigration dept plup'.

This is all my own opinion of course based on what I have found.

As for the BBQs - so far I have had a few with friends, and forgot to count the culture or colour!

......what do you think Dotty?

Cheers

etlniwd

Yes

Sandra

So I chose to take my childs language ability and current culture into account when choosing his school - this makes me racist?

Oh grow up! And what are local religious schools! For goodness sake think before you answer a post. It is called freedom of choice and I for one admit to my choices, I do not play lip service ....if I chose to go to live in spain I would expect my child to learn spanish as the main language of the country. If I chose to take a temporary international assignment I would send my children to a school that supports their needs, ie language!

I do not choose to have my child taught in a school where the main language of his peers is not native to him - his native tongue at home is English - so now dam me for that!

ta

etlniwd

You asked a question I gave a reply.

You said that your son would be in a minority because he is white and that that fact was disagreeable to you. Look up the deifinition of racism in the dictionary. Does that mean that a non-white parent should turn down 99% of UK schools ?

Personally I would send my children to a school where they would get the best education. Not one based on skin colour.

Sandra

Ok a rhetorical question on this forum does not work, read my question I said he would be in the minority because of colour and language, you have answered in your opinion fair enough. I stick by my choice.

I admit I should possibly have subsituted culture for colour in hindsight.

And......I would not have to turn down 99% of schools in the UK, don't go over the top to try and prove a point. There are 'some' areas in the UK that attendance in the local schools mean english language and UK culture are in the minority, I chose not to live in such an school catchment area. My son is now at a school I chose because of his ability and one that the teaching language is English and hopefully for him the attitude is open minded.

I know what a racist is, by pure defintion I am one, scratch most and we believe in 'our way'.

cheers

mx5rabbitohs

For God's sake NO - it would like me saying I didn't join the computer society cos I was a brain surgeon.

if you are a certain type of person, you mix with people like you- that's how people make friends duh! or haven't you noticed!!

i mean if someone spoke nothing Swahili, then I would make less of an effort to go to school there - nothing in common!!

nothing to do with racism!

Why are people so negative!!!!

or is the PC brigade going again!!

pommie bastard

You are right people stick to their own and in some areas its only one culture of people most do not mix , with the Brits its even more of a case of Scousers have Scouser mate etc.
There is more racialism in Australia than the UK you are classed on race , god help if you are an Abo no one else will.

Megalania

Assorted Multi-cultural Poms

My mum made me one once to, and I NEVER FORGAVE HER!

dotty

I get roasted here if I mention the weather? race could be tricky for a person who has a fan club of stalkers he he!

No honestly I am from London, grew up with every colour under the sun. Cannot and will not ever understand how people can judge on colour. Just wish more people thought my way, be they in the UK, OZ or botswana....

Megalania

Niet stalkeerin, counter espionageen!

Vot sun?

Ve haf vays to stop de tinkin!

Mandy Bale

I agree with you dotty... I take every person as they come, not by what colour they are. At the end of the day everyone has the same basic needs and are the same underneath. My 6 year old son is best friends with a little Afghanistan boy and we have met the parents and I found it very humbling to listen to their story of how they fled Khabul when the Taliban were ruling. I really don't care where people come from as long as we can have a good natter over a cup of coffee, suits me fine! In fact I have found that most cultures around here (hills district, near Sydney) try their hardest to fit in. BUT there are areas where you do get groups of the same race living. I have heard there are areas to the south of Sydney where it is mostly Lebanese (aparantly there are some excellent markets there though), and I have found that the Chinese mums at the school tend to group together and natter away in their own language, good luck to them I say, it really doesn't bother me.

Anyway, thats my view, as we all know everyone has a different view, I just tend to be one of these people that see the best in everything, no matter how dire it seems!!


Mandy

pommiesheila

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Sandra
Ok Dotty - I will give the question a go!


I had an opportunity to live in an absolutely fab house in the UK, but we turned it down because the local primary intake would have meant my 'white' son would have been in the minority both for colour and language. We did not buy the house because of that factor - am I racist?

On the other hand I chose my suburb in Sydney because of the level of education in the local state school (money talks!), not religious or ethnic group. Many Asian families send their children to the school 40% non white (at last Parents Evening announcement)


No, it doesn`t make you racist at all - it makes you a caring, considerate parent, who has their children`s best interests at heart.

pommie bastard

Afghanistan refugees in Australia you have bust a lot of ballons there , most think they all are in the UK which if truth be known has less Muslims per head of population than Australia.