Refugee Migrants in Oz and the foods that bind us to our Cultural Heritage
January 9th 2008 09:57
Helloooo there ,other Refugee Migrants who have made Oz their home.
I am one of those Refugee Migrants who has had the good fortune to have grown up here in Oz ( arrived here with the help of the Red Cross) and seen the changes that have taken place over the years.
You may say it is hard here for Refugee Migrants but really it is much easier now than it was. Ther is a great deal of assistance available for new arrivals.
So yes ,I am not a new Refugee Migrant but an old one. Therefore my perspective of life here is different to the new arrivals. It does not though mean that I did not find it easier long ago on the contrary it was much tougher by far than it is today......
When I arrived there was no back up of any kind in the country for Refugees, no English classes, no medicare , no aid of sister communities within the country....NOTHING!
You did not know how to speak English ...Tough! ...You had to learn fast to survive.
You did not know the customs, Tough!...You learnt to make friends with everyone.
You had no grandparents to visit or aunts or uncles..Tough! You adopted the local neighbours families.
You had not community of your own ethnic background ...Tough! You started up groups and grew into a community.
This is where things begin, as when we started to make our own communities and mix with the local communities, there was a binding force that we all shared in , yes can you guesssss?Sure Food , Recipes , Tastes and Aromas. Lots of New Ingredients to tingle and test your taste buds. From Iraq, China, Vietnam, Hungary Africa, South America, Romania, and anywhere that refugees escaped from.
What would Ozzies have done without all the delicious flavours Refugee Migrants brought with them? It would still be bangers and mash, don't get me wrong , I love bangers and mash as I learnt to eat it at my next door neighbours house but in return for the bangers and mash my mother and father brought along Schnitzels with parsley potatoes.
So we shared the tastes very early in the piece , no matter that we had no real language to converse with , we conversed through the language of FOOOOOOOOD!!
Do write and exchange your Refugee stories and very importantly your unique foods that conjure up in all refugees minds the families , friends, the good times that were had days gone by.
Oz is a wonderful place as it gives a sense of home where we can all share foods thoughts and feelings no matter who we are or where we have come from and really in essence not be afraid.
Anyone who has not experienced a Refugees life cannot understand the loss the desolation . No one leaves their original birthplace without great intrepidation as the world is not always a friendly place .
Leaving by necessity for survival is not easy for anyone.
So share your stories and your recipes with the whole world!
I am one of those Refugee Migrants who has had the good fortune to have grown up here in Oz ( arrived here with the help of the Red Cross) and seen the changes that have taken place over the years.
You may say it is hard here for Refugee Migrants but really it is much easier now than it was. Ther is a great deal of assistance available for new arrivals.
So yes ,I am not a new Refugee Migrant but an old one. Therefore my perspective of life here is different to the new arrivals. It does not though mean that I did not find it easier long ago on the contrary it was much tougher by far than it is today......
When I arrived there was no back up of any kind in the country for Refugees, no English classes, no medicare , no aid of sister communities within the country....NOTHING!
You did not know how to speak English ...Tough! ...You had to learn fast to survive.
You did not know the customs, Tough!...You learnt to make friends with everyone.
You had no grandparents to visit or aunts or uncles..Tough! You adopted the local neighbours families.
You had not community of your own ethnic background ...Tough! You started up groups and grew into a community.
This is where things begin, as when we started to make our own communities and mix with the local communities, there was a binding force that we all shared in , yes can you guesssss?Sure Food , Recipes , Tastes and Aromas. Lots of New Ingredients to tingle and test your taste buds. From Iraq, China, Vietnam, Hungary Africa, South America, Romania, and anywhere that refugees escaped from.
What would Ozzies have done without all the delicious flavours Refugee Migrants brought with them? It would still be bangers and mash, don't get me wrong , I love bangers and mash as I learnt to eat it at my next door neighbours house but in return for the bangers and mash my mother and father brought along Schnitzels with parsley potatoes.
Do write and exchange your Refugee stories and very importantly your unique foods that conjure up in all refugees minds the families , friends, the good times that were had days gone by.
Oz is a wonderful place as it gives a sense of home where we can all share foods thoughts and feelings no matter who we are or where we have come from and really in essence not be afraid.
Anyone who has not experienced a Refugees life cannot understand the loss the desolation . No one leaves their original birthplace without great intrepidation as the world is not always a friendly place .
Leaving by necessity for survival is not easy for anyone.
So share your stories and your recipes with the whole world!
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Comment by Harry
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Comment by KateSk
Solo Kat
We are truly very lucky to be able to eat so many diverse dishes and mix with the cultures that have brought them to our shores.