t.crystal

What makes you think of multiculturalism in Australia?
(food, people, music, fashion...???)

rabsody

nandos

Wol

Same as I think of it in the UK. Make of that what you will.

viviennef

Its one of the things that I am not sure about - multicultural seems to mean lots of displaced people, lots of different people all trying to make a country home without the strong, long standing people that you have elsewhere.

Isn't every first world country multicultural these days? Just seems a term used to justify everything or excuse other things

t.crystal

One thing I can think of is, people in Australia come from many different countries and different cultural background eg. Malaysia, China, France, etc.
Perhaps food in Australia is multicultural as well. Do you agree?
Does this help to clarify the question?

Can you think of any other things, such as food, places, sports, education...?

Petals

Food food and more food, and what we eat here, having been her for over thirty years our food has changed so much and the produce we buy and our staples are completely different now.

Also our customs in a way change as well.

Its very very good very diverse and arts and everything is affected especially here in Melbourne

NKSK version 2

Perth is fantastic. Very multicultural in terms of food and the general mix of people.
It's one of the best things about living here.

medwaymark

I have found it very interesting working with people from different cultures...finding out about their background & their food etc.

Was talking to someone yesterday about his experience as a vietnamese boat person....how he was imprisoned by the chinese, the fear, nearly being shot, being taken from the prison not knowing if you was on a one way trip to the jungle & being put on a boat and set adrift. He ended up on a desert island where they had to build shelter and dig wells.

Made me feel lucky to of had my life rather than his.

Gnarrabup

I suppose the very effect of what people is trying to achieve with this forum is to a large extent what makes the country multicultural? When Australia was first colonized by brits it initially got multicultural?

NKSK version 2

Not sure that I understand.

This forum is I suppose largely made up of Brits - Aborogines and Brits together I don't think quite make multicultural - bicultural?!

fish.01

I think of the 200+ nationalities in Sydney living together quite successfully most of the time. I also think of the dozens of south east asian supermarkets and restaurants down the road from me in Brisbane where I can eat my way through se asia I think of the massive change in our food over the last 40 years - from almost exclusively British to the broad selection we have today. I also think of the 23% of the population born overseas and if you count second generation it becomes half the population - so we have valuable ties to the whole world and are the richer for it.

viviennef

Yes, but don't you think the UK is also multi-cultural? And France and Germany and Finland and New Zealand and South Africe. I think most countries are - in most major countries you get a good mix up of people

fish.01

Not sure if your question is directed at me or the OP so I'll answer from my perspective.

Of course the UK is multicultural - and France and Germany and Finland, New Zealand and South Africa. But wasn't the question "What makes you think of multiculturalism in Australia? (food, people, music, fashion...???)". It wasn't a "who is better" question....or that's not how I read it....but what in Australia do you think about when someone mentions multicultural Australia.

viviennef

Not directed at anyone really - guess I missed the point (a coupla times). might just leave this thread be....


Viv

NKSK version 2

My own experience is that in the UK it was possible to get 'ethnic' produce. I used to go to the Melton Road in Leicester. But it seemed (and this might be pure false memory syndrome) more segregated and more 'dangerous'.

The dangerous bit must have been a result of the media and my own family and friends. I've been to India and I also know quite a few people from South Asia and I haven't met a violent person yet so God knows why I was apprehensive about going to an Indian Sweet Shop in Leicester.

After living in SE Asia I got big withdrawal pangs back in England. I felt that I lived in a very anglicised, white area, where the most ethnically daring thing was having curry sauce on your chips. I really wanted to go back to Asia.

Perth doesn't give me the same remote feeling (ironic given its situation). I see Chinese, SE Asian, Somalian, German, American people most days, I hear 'foreign' languages spoken most days and I can visit pretty authentic restaurants and supermarkets easily. All of this is possible in London, but beyond....I don't know. England to me is very much an ethnically segregated nation. Perth is multicultural.

I don't quite understand what Perth does to keep the inter-cultural respect going but it seems to do it well. If you want to experience such a mix, this is the place.