Panel discussion, Osborne House Geelong (special exhibition event)
According to Wikipedia "Identity is a person's conception and expression of their own (self-identity) and other's individuality or group affiliations (such as national identity and cultural identity)." Of course, one could talk about other aspects, such as ethnicity, race, nationality or religion as defining attributes - but "cultural identity" seems to me to encompass all that. And that's what we attempted to discover In our panel discussion on Saturday (26 September) at Osborne House, Geelong, when we asked: "How and when do you start feeling like an 'Aussie'?"
According to Wikipedia "Identity is a person's conception and expression of their own (self-identity) and other's individuality or group affiliations (such as national identity and cultural identity)." Of course, one could talk about other aspects, such as ethnicity, race, nationality or religion as defining attributes - but "cultural identity" seems to me to encompass all that. And that's what we attempted to discover In our panel discussion on Saturday (26 September) at Osborne House, Geelong, when we asked: "How and when do you start feeling like an 'Aussie'?"
On the panel were Stase Lipsys from the Lithuanian Community, Mile Stojanovski from the Macedonian Community; Elizabeth Kraus and the exhibition coordinator Sabine Nielsen.
Sabine is a German migrant - she came here in 1972 and after several years in which she attempted to assimilate into the Australian culture and society - and for a while, like so many converts, became a sort of "über-Aussie" (even adapting an Ocker slang!), she realised, she could not deny her cultural heritage - and she began to feel quite comfortable being German - "warts and all". Today, she calls herself a German who happens to live in Melbourne.
Elizabeth is a third generation Australian - but her cultural roots connect her to Scotland, Ireland and Cornwall. She suspects, there are also some German ancestors in her family tree - but awaits proof. Elizabeth proudly points to the scarf which she wears around her neck: "This is my Scottish scarf - my family's Tartan." Rather than calling herself an Aussie, she defines herself as South-Australian. "I was born and raised in South-Australia. When I moved to Victoria, I felt just like a migrant." She had the same sense of misplacement, of coming into a new set of rules, of hearing a different accent and having to adapt to a new etiquette as migrants who come from overseas. "Not even my teaching qualifications were recognised here!" Elizabeths's husband is a second generation German. He was born in Australia of German parents. "When he was younger, he would have defined himself as an Aussie. Now that he is getting older, he is rediscovering his roots and reconnecting with German language and traditions."
Stase (pronounced Stacey) arrived in Australia as a child. Her parents had been driven out of Lithuania during WWII when she was five years' old. After several years in a German camp for Displaced People, they migrated to Australia. "I am Australian!" Stase tells the audience with conviction. She gained her naturalisation certificate with some difficulty - her birth certificate had been lost during the escape and her birth date had been recorded incorrectly on her immigration papers. Only recently, more than 60 years later, a friend in Lithuania managed to unearth her 'real' birth certificate. Stase is proudly Australian: "I love Australia Day and all it stands for", she says. "Every year, I take part in the celebrations: I sing, I dance, I march - and I love the Australian flag." She became a teacher and for years, she taught classes of 67 children at a time! Her favourite times were Monday mornings, when the children were lined up to sing 'God Save the Queen' and salute the flag. At the same time though, Stase is also a Lithuanian. She speaks the language fluently, reads and writes Lithuanian, sings in a Lithuanian Choir, is a member of the Lithuanian community in Geelong and co-hosts the Lithuanian program on Pulse 94.7 fm (broadcasting in Lithuanian Monday, 6 to 7pm). Her two identities seem to accommodate themselves comfortably in this energetic woman - one feels that she lives both with equal conviction. Maybe, it is the community spirit- the sense of belonging to a group - that sustains her? And indeed, why not draw on both: the culture that was installed in you when you were young, and the new one that nurtured you and offered you safety in your new homeland?
Mile Stojanovski arrived in Australia in the 1960's. He did not have to escape his country, rather he chose to leave - partly because he did not want to serve in the army. Speaking hardly any English when he arrived, Mile coped because of his strong sense of humour and the desire to provide a safe and stable new home for his wife and children, who were waiting to join him. Mile has been involved in the Migrant Resource Centre - Diversitat - in Geelong from its conception. He is a valued member, too, of the Macedonian community. "I am an Aussie - I have lived here for over 55 years. But," he hastens to add, "I speak and read and write Macedonian and my children and grandchildren speak and read and write Macedonian."
The ties to one's homeland, it transpires once again, are best expressed in the language first heard - in the mother tongue.
Elizabeth is reluctant to define herself as an "Aussie". "And definitely not as an Ocker!", she says. The panel discussed 'Ockerism' for a while - is the Ocker a dying breed? Strangely, the best example we can think of Ockerish behaviour are certain Australian tourists who cavort in certain tourists spots on Bali, where for a few weeks, they indulge in being visible and recognisable as Aussies. The panel remembered that once upon a time, we could all point to the "typical" American tourist. Example of certain Germans who travel to Mallorca were also cited - only to hang out with their German countrymen, who avoid the Spanish delicacies around them to find restaurants that serve German food and beer! Stereotypes? Probably!
This lead the panel to ask: Who or what is a typical Australian?
A difficult question, it seems!
"Who comes to mind as a quintessential Australian?" Sabine asked the audience for help. "Paul Hogan? Steve Irwin? Or Arthur Boyd?"
Paul Hogan is counted out. "Not since he has had plastic surgery and whiter than white tooth implants!", is the damning verdict.
Are plastic surgery and tooth implants un-Australian?
Arthur Boyd is discarded - he belonged to a kind of British upper class in Australia and his paintings are , apparently,"'un-Austrlalian".
Sabine offers our new Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull as a candidate. "No, he is a well-brought up, well mannered, private school educated man. But not a typical Australian," I'm told.
Who then?
Stase settles for Steve Irwin! For her, he represented the Australian character and spirit - he loved animals and nature and he promoted Australia to the world.
Elizabeth throws another factor into the equation: "Australia is so large, and each state is an entity of its own. It is impossible to determine a typical Australian - we might be able to name distinctive characteristics when we look at our different states."
One could consider many more questions. For example:
What outside influences re-inforce Australia-ness (many of the informants in "Memories in my Luggage" felt unabsorbed, partly because of the lingering, negative attitudes towards Germans. Stase tells that they stopped speaking German to their children, because in the 1950's, German children were given a hard time at school!)
How can we pinpoint one Australian identity - the Australian continent is vast - vaster than all of Europe, and Europe encompasses multiple cultures. Indeed, in Germany alone there a enormous differences in culture and tradition between one state and another, even one county and another.
Interesting, too, to ask oneself: Who does Australia get along with? China, as one of its most important trade partners? The Motherland: England? New Zealand - its closest European-based nation? Or America - that has brought us its movie stars, Botox and marvellous technological gizmos?
And finally: What is Australia's international identity? Or how are we perceived by the countries in our region? (Sabine Nielsen's son, Ashley, a somewhat international citizen current living in Uganda, has contributed the latter questions!)
Suggestions - especially nominations for "the typical Australian" (male and female, please!) are welcome!
Sabine is a German migrant - she came here in 1972 and after several years in which she attempted to assimilate into the Australian culture and society - and for a while, like so many converts, became a sort of "über-Aussie" (even adapting an Ocker slang!), she realised, she could not deny her cultural heritage - and she began to feel quite comfortable being German - "warts and all". Today, she calls herself a German who happens to live in Melbourne.
Elizabeth is a third generation Australian - but her cultural roots connect her to Scotland, Ireland and Cornwall. She suspects, there are also some German ancestors in her family tree - but awaits proof. Elizabeth proudly points to the scarf which she wears around her neck: "This is my Scottish scarf - my family's Tartan." Rather than calling herself an Aussie, she defines herself as South-Australian. "I was born and raised in South-Australia. When I moved to Victoria, I felt just like a migrant." She had the same sense of misplacement, of coming into a new set of rules, of hearing a different accent and having to adapt to a new etiquette as migrants who come from overseas. "Not even my teaching qualifications were recognised here!" Elizabeths's husband is a second generation German. He was born in Australia of German parents. "When he was younger, he would have defined himself as an Aussie. Now that he is getting older, he is rediscovering his roots and reconnecting with German language and traditions."
Stase (pronounced Stacey) arrived in Australia as a child. Her parents had been driven out of Lithuania during WWII when she was five years' old. After several years in a German camp for Displaced People, they migrated to Australia. "I am Australian!" Stase tells the audience with conviction. She gained her naturalisation certificate with some difficulty - her birth certificate had been lost during the escape and her birth date had been recorded incorrectly on her immigration papers. Only recently, more than 60 years later, a friend in Lithuania managed to unearth her 'real' birth certificate. Stase is proudly Australian: "I love Australia Day and all it stands for", she says. "Every year, I take part in the celebrations: I sing, I dance, I march - and I love the Australian flag." She became a teacher and for years, she taught classes of 67 children at a time! Her favourite times were Monday mornings, when the children were lined up to sing 'God Save the Queen' and salute the flag. At the same time though, Stase is also a Lithuanian. She speaks the language fluently, reads and writes Lithuanian, sings in a Lithuanian Choir, is a member of the Lithuanian community in Geelong and co-hosts the Lithuanian program on Pulse 94.7 fm (broadcasting in Lithuanian Monday, 6 to 7pm). Her two identities seem to accommodate themselves comfortably in this energetic woman - one feels that she lives both with equal conviction. Maybe, it is the community spirit- the sense of belonging to a group - that sustains her? And indeed, why not draw on both: the culture that was installed in you when you were young, and the new one that nurtured you and offered you safety in your new homeland?
Mile Stojanovski arrived in Australia in the 1960's. He did not have to escape his country, rather he chose to leave - partly because he did not want to serve in the army. Speaking hardly any English when he arrived, Mile coped because of his strong sense of humour and the desire to provide a safe and stable new home for his wife and children, who were waiting to join him. Mile has been involved in the Migrant Resource Centre - Diversitat - in Geelong from its conception. He is a valued member, too, of the Macedonian community. "I am an Aussie - I have lived here for over 55 years. But," he hastens to add, "I speak and read and write Macedonian and my children and grandchildren speak and read and write Macedonian."
The ties to one's homeland, it transpires once again, are best expressed in the language first heard - in the mother tongue.
Elizabeth is reluctant to define herself as an "Aussie". "And definitely not as an Ocker!", she says. The panel discussed 'Ockerism' for a while - is the Ocker a dying breed? Strangely, the best example we can think of Ockerish behaviour are certain Australian tourists who cavort in certain tourists spots on Bali, where for a few weeks, they indulge in being visible and recognisable as Aussies. The panel remembered that once upon a time, we could all point to the "typical" American tourist. Example of certain Germans who travel to Mallorca were also cited - only to hang out with their German countrymen, who avoid the Spanish delicacies around them to find restaurants that serve German food and beer! Stereotypes? Probably!
This lead the panel to ask: Who or what is a typical Australian?
A difficult question, it seems!
"Who comes to mind as a quintessential Australian?" Sabine asked the audience for help. "Paul Hogan? Steve Irwin? Or Arthur Boyd?"
Paul Hogan is counted out. "Not since he has had plastic surgery and whiter than white tooth implants!", is the damning verdict.
Are plastic surgery and tooth implants un-Australian?
Arthur Boyd is discarded - he belonged to a kind of British upper class in Australia and his paintings are , apparently,"'un-Austrlalian".
Sabine offers our new Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull as a candidate. "No, he is a well-brought up, well mannered, private school educated man. But not a typical Australian," I'm told.
Who then?
Stase settles for Steve Irwin! For her, he represented the Australian character and spirit - he loved animals and nature and he promoted Australia to the world.
Elizabeth throws another factor into the equation: "Australia is so large, and each state is an entity of its own. It is impossible to determine a typical Australian - we might be able to name distinctive characteristics when we look at our different states."
One could consider many more questions. For example:
What outside influences re-inforce Australia-ness (many of the informants in "Memories in my Luggage" felt unabsorbed, partly because of the lingering, negative attitudes towards Germans. Stase tells that they stopped speaking German to their children, because in the 1950's, German children were given a hard time at school!)
How can we pinpoint one Australian identity - the Australian continent is vast - vaster than all of Europe, and Europe encompasses multiple cultures. Indeed, in Germany alone there a enormous differences in culture and tradition between one state and another, even one county and another.
Interesting, too, to ask oneself: Who does Australia get along with? China, as one of its most important trade partners? The Motherland: England? New Zealand - its closest European-based nation? Or America - that has brought us its movie stars, Botox and marvellous technological gizmos?
And finally: What is Australia's international identity? Or how are we perceived by the countries in our region? (Sabine Nielsen's son, Ashley, a somewhat international citizen current living in Uganda, has contributed the latter questions!)
Suggestions - especially nominations for "the typical Australian" (male and female, please!) are welcome!
