In Migrant Hostel we are presented with the arrival of post-war migrants who’ve come from a war-torn Europe to Australia in hopes of starting a new life, however the reality is quickly…
The anthology, ‘immigrant chronicle’, by Peter Skrzynecki, effectively explores the main aspects of the migrant experience by using his personal experiences as a child migrating to Australia as well as his immediate family. Poems such as crossing the red sea and immigrants at central station encapsulates the physical and emotional hardships that migrants experienced in a reliable and honest way. Skrzynecki’s poem, Crossing the red sea, reflects on the sense of freedom that the migrants felt after fleeing from the war torn countries and also their openness to share each other’s experiences of war. This is evident in the poem when Skrzynecki uses personification “voices left their caves and silence fell from its shackles” to emphasis on the…
There are many different views about refugees in Australian society, where illegal boat people and over flowing detention centres are a controversial problem today. Go Back To Where You Came From is a documentary directed by Ivan O’Mahoney about a social experiment that challenges the dominant views of six Australians about refugees and asylum seekers. These six Australians are taken on a 25 day journey where they are placed into the troubled “worlds” of refugees. For a few of the Australians it is their first time overseas but, for all of them it is the most challenging and confronting experience of their lives. This essay will discuss the codes and conventions used in this documentary to position and challenge the cultural assumptions and beliefs of the viewer.…
I have never been a refugee but Anh Do’s book ‘The Happiest Refugee’ made me feel like I was there very step of the way. In the scorching summer of 1976 when Anh’s family and friends decided to board a small, damp and crowded boat it was the biggest decision of their lives.…
An individual’s discoveries and their process of discovering can vary according to personal, cultural, historical and social contexts and values. Discoveries may be questioned or challenged when viewed from different perspectives and their worth may be reassessed over time. The six participants Raye, Raquel, Adam, Glenny, Darren and Roderick in the documentary “Go Back to Where You Came From” found their discoveries very confronting and provocative. It lead them to new worlds and values, stimulate new ideas and has enabled them to speculate about future possibilities. The six Australians undertake a journey to discover the life of a refugee. Their discoveries offered them a new understanding and reviewed their perceptions of refugees. Therefore, their process of discovery had made them to question their view of the world.…
“We lived like birds of passage” forms an effect of movement and desperation of the migrants as they are continuously moving. This simile is utilised to highlight the migrants’ anxiety and wish to seek refuge and safety. Assimilation also proves a difficult task to the people as the metaphorical barrier that is the Australian society “rose and fell like a finger”, signalling hostility and non-acceptance by the…
In the ‘Introduction’ the editor Carmel Bird accentuates her own sympathetic attitude towards the inhumane treatment of the members of the Stolen Generation. Bird’s value of compassion and egalitarianism challenges and compels us to form our own voice concerning the Aborigines and agree with view that the Australian government must apologies and take action for reconciliation. Carmel Bird uses highly emotive languages, which powerfully demonstrate her emotive appeal to the reader’s sense of sympathy and compels the audience to emotionally react and rectify the wrongs committed against the stolen children. She ends with the short imperative, “Listen to their voices”, which illustrates that it is a moral duty of our generation to understand the pains and continuing cries of agony of the Indigenous people. Her emphatic tone and sympathetic personal voices allows us to gain insight into the common voice of white Australians for reconciliation with the Aboriginal community.…
Many authors use their literary works as an outlet for their personal feeling and opinions on issues present within their cultures, history and personal lives. Zohra Saed’s poems, Nomad’s Market: Flushing Queens and What the Scar Revealed, published in 2003, both address issues that she finds significant in her Afghani refugee context. Tim Winton uses his short stories, Big World and Reunion, published in 2005, to express his feelings on changes within the Australian culture and our values. These authors have used their texts to question the changes that have occurred within their own lives and cultures and whether these changes have had negative or positive consequences. These ideas revolve around personal and cultural identity as well as the value of personal freedom.…
* Portrays emotions surrounding the experience of migrants in detainment after their arrival in Australia.…
The memoir, "The Happiest Refugee" written by Anh Do is an extraordinary true story of a boy's journey from starvation at sea to becoming one of Australia's best loved comedians. The novel tells us about incredible, uplifting and inspirable story of Anh Do. The novel has many themes such as; adversity, bullying, humour and most importantly courage. Courage was used by many people throughout the novel such as; antagonist, protagonist and other characters. Courage was used when the antagonist saves Anh's uncles from the re-educational camp, when Anh's dad and others saves the baby on the boat and also when Anh's dad buys a boat and sails for Australia with his family. The memoir has many points where climax reaches its highest peak and the characters…
This mini-series reflects what's happening in the world during the years 2000 and 2001 by representing the small town of Brakley as a microcosm. It shows the attitudes Australian's have towards Asylum seekers. Hal is educated about what's really going on by his father and his fathers girlfriend and therefore see's Randa for the person she really is, rather than just a refugee or 'boatie' apparently causing trouble. Everyone else in Brackley don't have the right education and are believing everything the media and politicians are saying about them. The aim of this series is to make us question the information we get fed us, and to hopefully change the assumptions we place on refugees.…
Ryan Sheales reports on the struggles and triumphs of Asylum Seekers trying to settle in Australia, fleeing persecution and seeking something so simple yet sometimes elusive; a fresh start. Sheales along with Social researches decipher the controversial question of Australia’s acceptance of migrants and inform readers of the lack of yet crucial importance of a welcoming atmosphere in Australia. Many Australians are misguided by stereotypes, lack of understanding, generalizations and misconceptions towards those seeking asylum and their motives. Sheales truly opens our eyes to life of others less fortunate than ourselves.…
When I came to Australia I had to leave behind my mother and two brothers, they are still in the refugee camp in Chad, neighbouring Sudan, where I spent 14 months before my papers were finalized to come to Australia. My family and I had been forced into the refugee camp in February 2004 when my father was killed by pro-government Arab militia, called the Janjaweed, who were carrying out massacres against black Muslims in my home of Darfur in western Sudan. They called these killings “ethnic cleansings”. We, at least, were lucky enough to escape to a refugee camp in bordering Chad. Conditions in the camps were terrible. Far from being safe in the camps, I watched as people around me died of fevers, wound infection, starvation and malaria. There…
Throughout American history, immigrants have been entering the country to avoid political corruption and civil rights violations. The United States have been a safe haven for many. According to the articles; The Refugees at Our Door, Four ways the U.S. is already banning Muslims and Feds to states: No, you cannot ban Syrian refugees, America has helped people seeking asylum. By trying to ban refugees from entering the country shows how unethical the morals of America has become. America does not have the ethical right to stop the immigration of refugees, however, it is acceptable for Americans to have their reservations as to whether it is safe to accept strangers into their homes.…
The book The Happiest Refugee by Anh Do is about a young family in Vietnam who risk their lives to travel illegally to Australia. In the middle of the ocean with the sun beating down on a jam packed boat, with water supplies already running low, more trouble arrives, a pirate ship. With all their goods taken, hope for survival is at their lowest. Just as everything seems lost, a German ship arrives. The family reaches Australia safely and kindness surounds them. Anh lives with his mum, dad, brother Khoa and sister Tram in a suburb in Sydney. He is now famous as a comedian and is happily married with 3 children. There are many good examples of positive character traits shown through Anh Do’s Life. Some of these include the kindness from Anh’s mother, bravery from Anh’s father, forgiveness from Anh and generosity from two nuns from St Vincent de Paul.…