What does it really mean to be Australian? Is Australia really just: bushland, hot sunny beaches, native animals and having to have a laid back attitude? These are just common stereotypes about the ‘land down under’. With Australia settled by the British colony many of its inhabitants were the leftover convicts from Europe. After world war 2 boat people and asylum seekers arrived in Australia hoping for a new life.
I remember in primary school, I was taught that Australia belonged to many different Aboriginal tribes but then in 1788, Arthur Philip sailed into the Sydney harbour and established colonial settlement. For me and many Australians, that was when Australian history truly began but are we neglecting the history that has existed before the early settlers arrived? Are we disregarding the fact that the Aborigines were here first and that Australia belongs to them?
Globalization for Australia is now the speed of change, the direction in which it is going, and the pressure on Australia to modify their economy and their population to receive these movements. Australia needs these people flowing into their country to expand their workforce. However, the security risk is now with the flow of people and the melting pot of different cultures, people struggle to identify with the nationalism of traditional Australian people. In Australia, cultural diversity, different cultures living together in one place, is the new norm.
Australia had been arguing over the rules that the government is the U.S were making, soon after that they realised that Australia had the same rules in the government which were treating black people without respect or being polite to them. The white people thought they were better than the black people so they had them as slaves and bashed/killing. Australian finally realised that it was unfair that black people weren’t getting treated equally so a man named Charles Perkins changed the law of Australia and equalised the country completely. Charles Perkins is famous soccer player, he was an aboriginal but he to good to not have him on the teams. Charles Perkins had a group of university students that toured in NSW to stop Racial Equality and then later on it happened to the whole
Australia Day is one of the most unique national day’s in the world throughout history, celebrating the day of when our ancestors first arrived on the borders of Australia, in 1788. Rather than unite people as one whole though, the spirited outcome of this event isn’t what as anticipated by everyone and has divided the Australian society for good. And so it should be held at an alternative date, where Australian citizens feel worthy of their identity and not cheated by it. However, the celebration shouldn’t be adapted to like that of other commemorations like ANZAC day. Essentially, this day will always be a tragic memory for the indigenous and be viewed as the invasion of their homeland.
Since colonisation in 1788 Europeans believed the Aboriginal peoples to be a primitive race with no societal structures in place because their system did not resemble one that was recognizable or fit within it did not resemble a system that was recognizable by white settlers. National identity is believed to be a general concept that referred to a broad set of codes with a shared understanding within a nation, and the sense of belonging that is reinforced through myths, symbols, media activities, and everyday practices (Carter, 2006, p. 7; Van Krieken et al., 2017, pp. 234-244). Australia is now regarded as a diverse country with an identity that has evolved over time and will continue to do so. For Indigenous Australians to conform to this national identity, they had to assimilate and give up their values, beliefs, and cultural rights to become more like white Australia.
After the events of World War 2 in 1945, multiculturalism in Australian popular culture has emerged significantly. Evolving through the forms of food and tourism/ travel multiculturalism has contributed to the modern Australian identity. World War 2 left Australia with a much smaller population and the government realised that they needed to “populate or perish” As a result immigrants looking to find better lives started arriving in Australia between 1947-1963 brining new foods and customs. Food from different cuisines became a major part of Australian culture during the late 1900’s with many different types of food becoming available throughout the country. Forms of transport changed within Australia, as the increased population, caused
Australia is still Australia, riding around on our kangaroos wearing our silly hats, but the real identity of Australia is so much deeper. The problems we have now may not be the same problems we have later, but Australians will always remember them as being what has made Australia what is
We all know that Australia is a multicultural country but what many don’t know is what impact these different cultures have on the Australian identity. Australia was first used as a place to send convicts from England’s over crowded prison so our identity come from the many people who came to Australia in those first hundred years. The Irish are just one of many cultures that came to Australia while it was being settled. The first Irish people came to Australia in the late 18th century but by the late 19th century about a third of the population was Irish, this is why Australia’s history and culture was so heavily impacted by the
But what about every other Australian? What about the Indigenous population and the multicultural population? Both of these groups which make up and help define who we are as Australians, so I ask you all this morning to consider why is it that we find these groups constantly being marginalised, discriminated against and not being offered equal opportunity? Ladies, gentlemen and prestigious guests, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to speak here
Abstract Being an aborigine in a white dominated society is a complicated identity. Australia, one of the white governed nations, also owns many aboriginal tribes. They lived harmonious lives in the early period. But European colonization has made a profound effect on the lives of Aboriginals in Australia, which led to the total demolition of their native culture, identity and history. As a result the new generation Aboriginals have lost their Aboriginal heritage and have been accepted neither by Aboriginals nor by whites.
A large majority of Australians have been presented with a version of Australian history that has minimised and ignored important events regarding Aboriginal people that include many violent and painful deaths that until recently have been hidden quietly. History is extremely important in forming cultural identity which in turn leads to an increased sense of security and belonging. Therefore a need for shared history is required in Australia for recognising the history of both Aboriginal and non-aboriginal people (Gore, 2008). When studying the history of Australia it is important to recognise that it is a shared history. The shared history of Australia acknowledges that the history of Australia began long before the British started to
Social and cultural structures like religion, language, race, ethnicity, economics and education standing are the key impacts on people’s well-being and health. Australia is a country of diverse population, comprising different cultures from different nationalities that came to call the country home. This represents the country a broad range of racial diversity. The term racial means the social and cultural fundamental institutions or dimensions in the location that effect the improvement of personal beliefs, morals and behavior conducts. Australia’s cultural variety has amplified due to immigration.
Australia has always been filled with racism, starting with the treatment of indigenous people in the past. Many Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families as a result of numerous government policies. Most of the indigenous children were adopted into white families. They wanted to create a white society.
Multiculturalism enables different ethnic groups, belief and value systems to co-exist. Individuals are more able to carry out their own practices in a diverse society that is familiar with different cultures, thus drawing immigrants. It makes for higher tolerance and greater respect for the customs and cultural aspects of others. In consequence, such individuals profoundly help shape and influence the perception and cultural landscape of their adopted nation and its people. This is demonstrated in popular culture, throughout the literary world, in television, films and music.
