Dear Paul,

My son and his family are coming over for dinner tonight.
I'm not cooking. We're having Chinese takeaway from the
best "best-Chinese restaurant" in town. And a chocolate
ganache cake for dessert. It's my grandson's birthday.

Great way to celebrate Australia-Day!

First generation Australians born to immigrants often face challenges related to navigating cultural differences, language barriers, potential discrimination, identity struggles often feeling "caught between two worlds" due to their heritage and upbringing in a new country. This can lead to increased stress and mental health concerns like anxiety and depression.

Cultural dissonance can produce difficulties reconciling their heritage culture with Australian customs and social norms, leading to confusion and potential alienation.

The pressure to adapt to a new culture while maintaining ties to their heritage can cause significant psychological stress.

Feeling like they don't fully belong to either their heritage culture or Australian society, leading to confusion about their identity and, in many cases, non-stop criticism, arguing, fault finding with the country and culture their parents chose for a better life.

Then there are those whose parents fled from
persecution and opressive regimes. Who were
born here. Whose parents worked hard to give them
an education. Who managed to achieve high professions
and homes, inter-married and live quite happily
con tributing to society.

Australia is a nation of immigrants. They come in all
shapes and sizes, and from all backgrounds.
One size does not fit all.

" Australians have become titans of business, legends of
sport, giants of science, colossi of philantropy, and
pigmies of politics. Australians have led the world in
myriad ways and whether generating wealth, inspiring
youth, opening up the vista of human potential, saving
lives, they have done it all in a peculiarly Australian
way, with a swagger and style that marks out the
inhabitants of the scientifically determined greatest
country on earth".

(Ben Pobjie).

An increased majority of Australians now supporting January 26th., and a drop in mad people demonstrating against it and vilifying their own country. The criminals who destroy and deface statues beheaded those of their fellow Leftist nut jobs, ex PMs Keating and Rudd. Clever.

Given that the nutters now have to baulk out their pathetic demonstrations with aliens waving Palestinian flags - indeed any malcontents that they can recruit - it is clear that their beef is less to do with Australia Day than it is with their contempt for, and hatred of, Australia itself. Australia Day is just one of the few big events we have that people are sensitive to: that means someone to them. It was brought up here, by a Leftist, malcontented grinch, who will never have any real connection with Australia, suffering as she is, from the first Australian generation of immigrants syndrome. It's unfortunate, but just another of the many problems with immigration and multiculturalism.

" Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your
brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in
your own eye?"

We Australians need to respect the norms and values
of our neighbours and colleagues and avoid stereotypes,
judgements, biases, and especially hatreds. Try on this
very important day to be inclusive not divisive, and
establish clear and shared expectations.

Enjoy the day. And remember that Extremists and haters,
are a minority and they will continue to fizz and splutter
in their own grease. They don't represent today's
Australians. They know so little and know it so fluently.

Enjoy the day!