Yvonne, your post,long and pointlessly sarcastic as mostly of posts you address to non-native speakers yourself belonging to, definitely stipulates me once again to remain of on these pages expressed already one’s opinion toward yours AUSTRALIANESS: it was explained, that as descending from non-Anglo-background, you could only be an appendix to AUSTRALIANS.

Factually, your problem is not in the mere understanding of a primitive language English is, but it is your mentality of playing Aussie more then neither you are / AUSSIES ACCEPT you to be.

No stylistic imperfectness in my post has been detected.
Enjoy

yvonne said: "Having said that, I also am aware of the many voices who see this as detrimental to Australia. I think this is only sometimes because of overtly racist beliefs. I understand that mostly it has to do with the worry that it divides Australians into groups of people who will not, or cannot communicate."

I understand the desire for immigrants to maintain some aspects of their culture in Australia. But surely their desire must come under the umbrella of overriding commitment to Australian culture, Australian institutions and Australian values? Or why come here in the first place? What is the moral imperative for Australia's core culture be relegated to just another other cultural group among many? What is the moral imperative for a Western country like Australia to allow itself to become a colony for non-Western civilizations?

I've always been perplexed by the motivations of the vociferous migrant and multicultural groups who condemn those Australians who wish to maintain their traditional culture. Why is it so difficult for such people to recognize and respect that Australia had its own culture and history prior to the introduction of state-sanctioned multiculturalism? Or do they honestly believe that the modern nation-state of Australia just built itself for the benefit of all the world's tribes?

Noice, just noice of “maintaining own culture” (excluding Anglo-racism surely) is a weak excuse for reality, of which delusions of “maintaining own culture” is an excuse in advance for not providing degrees/not qualifying officially, not employing but sometimes taken on cash-in-hands-"volunteers" for professional positions especially, not promoting non-Anglos in Australia.

That is what “multiculturalism” is.

GO TO HELL WITH YOUR ENGLAND ONE DAY!

You tell em MichaelK, you and your kind ought to be running Australia and if no one knows what it is your saying tough sh'ite. I mean what kinda world is it when a fellow can't walk out of the surf one day and take over the next. If these multi-fluff socialist truly believed in that nonsense then by right you should be the new dictator of Australian social management. It's only fair when your playing victim rules.

Oligarch, I think we actually agree. Multiculturalism is not about new migrants 'hanging on' to their own culture because it is somehow superior to another. Because then, indeed why come here in the first place.

The reason why people want to migrate to Australia is precisely because of its values. Political and societal. The respect and freedoms accorded in our society allows people to maintain certain aspect of their culture by choice, not societal coercion, to examine other aspects and perhaps discard them and most certainly adopt new cultural values. This is inevitable, especially with our children.

Culture is not static. As anyone will tell you who has been back to a previous homeland, wherever that may be. This goes for Australia as well.

In these discussions I wish someone would tell which Australian 'cultural values' have been eroded/negated/destroyed because of migrants from a variety of cultural back-grounds. Australian society is much more robust than many of you seem to think. We'll never become 'French', 'Chinese', 'Muslim',or whatever, we'll remain Australian

“The reason why people want to migrate to Australia is precisely because of its values. Political and societal… I wish someone would tell which Australian 'cultural values' have been eroded/negated/destroyed because of migrants from a variety of cultural back-grounds.”

So, migrants adopted anti-terrorist law making a mockery of all these “values” ,if any were at all, practically with Haneef Case.

How STUPID!