No, I like Australia.

Australia was first settled by the Aborigines at the end of a long trek out of Africa. Asian peoples visited Australia to trade with the Aborigines. The Dutch were the first European visitors to Australia. However, the British were the first people to put all of Australia under the domination of one nation state. At first the nation state of Australia had a white Australia policy which in effect denied the fact that a significant proportion of the first fleet were not white, Protestant nor English. Governments progressively dismantled such policies between 1949 and 1973. Since then immigrants have come to Australia from all parts of the inhabited world. Many of them have come from China. So what. Hath not a Chinese eyes? Hath not a Chinese hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer as any other Australian is? If you prick them, do they not bleed? If you tickle them, do they not laugh? If you poison them, do they not die?

David f,

Perhaps MrO has not realized that the great majority of the immigrant and asylum-seeker arrivals over the last 70 odd years, from a multitude of cultures, have come here, and so very many others are yet seeking to come here, because Aus is such a great place - and they seek to become 'Aussies' and leave the woes of their previous hardships or dis-satisfactions behind them.

Certainly there are some who hold-off on becoming Aussie citizens, or go on to maintain dual citizenship, but, with the right sort of example, in due course most will manage to fit right in, and their kids will be just as Aussie as the rest of us.

It strikes me that, unfortunately, within one broad group of long-time residents there remains a noisy indignant scattering who refuse to want to be Aussies as such, and even refuse to recognise Australia's right to exist as an independent nation under current arrangements.
Been here a very long time, but chafing against the bit of notional servitude to a culture, or more correctly a glad-bag of introduced cultures, without their express permission or approval.

Irrespective of the generally poor recent history and poor current situational example of many similar groups in other major world nations, some may always choke at the idea of fitting-in and may continue indefinitely to long for a revision of history to a time when life was so much simpler.
Cannot be, as such is life.

Much as the majority may offer the open hand, perhaps it is inevitable that some, irrespective, will always continue to hold on stridently to dreams of 'home'?

Dear Saltpetre,

It's interesting. When Lithuania regained her Independence
in the 1990s - and travel to Lithuania was again allowed,
very few Australian Lithuanians wanted to go back to live
in the country that they used to call "home". Visiting
was one thing, living there - quite another. They had
become "Australianized" and saw Australia as their home.
And Lithuanians there looked at them as Australian-
Lithuanians as well - not as Lithuanians.

My father died before Lithuania regained her
Independence. He never got to visit the country
of his birth again. Mama did get to visit. She
traveled there with the Melbourne LIthuanian Choir
on an ivnited visit and toured all of Lithuania.
It was an emotional journey for her. However, she
on coming back to Australia - she admitted that
she would not want to return there on a permanent
basis to live. Her loyalty was to Australia and
she said she would not want to live in Lithuania.
She had definitely changed - and did not feel at
home there. Everything was strange to her there.

As a tourist - yes. But as a permanent resident - NO.
Which just goes to show - you can't always bring back the past.
Even if you wanted to. Mum didn't.

Dear Saltpetre,

What business of yours is it whether or not people who come here to escape their former misfortunes want to become 'Aussies'?

What right have you to deny others of their dreams for the 'home' they never had the fortune to have?

All that you can legitimately demand, is that those who arrive after you do not undermine, threaten or inconvenience your own life, livelihood or lifestyle.

If you really desire them to become 'Aussies', then PROVE to them, if you can, that your way of life is better and greater.