Australia's Smartest Kid Accepted Into Harvard

[sanj]

I don't expect my BIL to walk around in thongs, wearin a blue singlet and fly hat, sucking on VB's and swearing.

I do expect him to be able to hold down a job, to talk more than passable English, to not live in enclaves/ghettos of only his own race and never associate with anyone else, to not rant and rave about how his religion is better than any other, to not commit crimes in the name of some idiotic cultural theme or religion from back home.

Just be a normal, decent person who is part of the joint. And make me a curry from time to time.

I know many, many folk from different cultures and they mostly retain an interest and a following of their culture.... As you do. No probs with that.



It is not one thing, but a collection of things, encompassing much that is desirable for people to come here....acceptance of folk who want to have a crack, who become part of the fabric, accept others and all religions and creeds.

This is why we have so much diversity.

n.

thanks for your response. all that have you have described above BV is integration, not assimiliation. 2 distinctly different things.

When you are telling people that if they move here they have to assimilate you are telling them that so much of what they hold dear has to be left at the door, this is why im pulling you (or anyone else) up on it.

How would you have felt if you were told when you moved to america (or any other country) - "look i dont care that you spent your whole life in australia, youre now in america so either be 100% like us or **** off" - that is pretty much what assimilation means, to become just like everyone else.

 

[cimbom]

What does "everyone else" even mean? Most of these claims are just baseless, nationalistic nonsense. The very bulk of what is considered "Australian" is just imported from UK and the US.

 

[one world]

The statistics are unassailable. Australia suffers from negative population growth. To shore up out tax base, we NEED immigrants. There's no way around it unless local born Aussies are prepared to take advantage of the baby bonus and copulate more.

 

[Ausprop]

The statistics are unassailable. Australia suffers from negative population growth.

you must mean natural population growth, surely?

 

[Ausprop]

What does "everyone else" even mean? Most of these claims are just baseless, nationalistic nonsense. The very bulk of what is considered "Australian" is just imported from UK and the US.

what examples are you thinking of?

 

[Ideo]

you must mean natural population growth, surely?

Without immigration it would be negative population growth. As in the number is less than 0.

 

[cimbom]

what examples are you thinking of?

Pretty much everything. I cannot think of one idea or cultural creation that I can honestly say is solely and uniquely Australian. If anyone knows of any, feel free to share. I am genuinely curious about this.

 

[BayView]

Ok, time to be blunt so you get where I'm coming from..

You can move here,

*just don't be a bludger,
*learn the language for god's sake,
*don't try to impose your religious guff on everyone - yours is no better or worse than mine, and you'd better accept ours because we were here first.
*don't think your cultural guff from thousands of years ago transcends our laws
*don't think your religious guff transcends our laws
*don't shut off Australia by setting up an enclave or ghetto and think you can simply shift the Country you left over to here....bugger off if that's what you want to do.

Aus was founded mostly of immigrants, and now the kids of them.

It has become great because generations of immigrants have come here and had a crack, worked hard, fitted in, accepted all, and become part of the whole sheebang.

There are still a few who have lived here longer than I've been alive and can't speak a sentence.

I think that is a disgrace. It's an insult.

We are good enough to move to, but not good enough to talk to. ppppffft.

 

[BayView]

Pretty much everything. I cannot think of one idea or cultural creation that I can honestly say is solely and uniquely Australian. If anyone knows of any, feel free to share. I am genuinely curious about this.

Turn it up!

There's one for free.

 

[cimbom]

There are still a few who have lived here longer than I've been alive and can't speak a sentence.

I think that is a disgrace. It's an insult.

We are good enough to move to, but not good enough to talk to. ppppffft.

I think this is very simplistic. My grandparents, for example, cannot speak English outside of a very basic few words and greetings. My grandmother was barely educated and is pretty much illiterate even in her native tongue (i.e she cannot read or write). Her family were largely employed in small-scale agriculture and back in those days, being able to read or write was not considered an important skill for people of her background. It is extremely difficult to learn a foreign language if this has been your life up to middle age. That doesn't change her character or her contribution to the country. She raised eight children - pretty much all of who I'd describe as above average in terms of economic/career success. They have started numerous businesses, are successful property investors and have more than pulled their weight. I'd say she's not that exceptional among migrants - she just won't be able to talk to you about what happened in the AFL last week.

 

[one world]

I doubt if a Harvard education could change you Bayview. Your views are set in stone and you seem unable to change with the times.

we were here first.

Didn't realize you were Aboriginal, Bayview.

*don't shut off Australia by setting up an enclave or ghetto

People go where they are welcomed. In the 50s-70s Earls Court in London was a Ghetto for Aussies. Didn't cause any harm did it? In Hong Kong and Japan there are sporting and other clubs for Aussie expatriates.....few locals are welcomed. Wouldn't you call that a ghetto of sorts? Or maybe just a bunch of like-minded guys meeting their own kind? Either way, where's the harm?

*learn the language for god's sake, t.

There are plenty of Aussie expatriates in places like Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan who don't bother learning the local lingo.

*don't try to impose your religious guff on everyone - yours is no better or worse than mine, and you'd better accept ours .

There are plenty of Aussie missionaries spreading the word overseas. By your definition, is that imposing the superiority of their faith over others?

 

[Ideo]

Ok, time to be blunt so you get where I'm coming from..

You can move here,

*just don't be a bludger,
*learn the language for god's sake,
*don't try to impose your religious guff on everyone - yours is no better or worse than mine, and you'd better accept ours because we were here first.
*don't think your cultural guff from thousands of years ago transcends our laws
*don't think your religious guff transcends our laws
*don't shut off Australia by setting up an enclave or ghetto and think you can simply shift the Country you left over to here....bugger off if that's what you want to do.

Aus was founded mostly of immigrants, and now the kids of them.

It has become great because generations of immigrants have come here and had a crack, worked hard, fitted in, accepted all, and become part of the whole sheebang.

There are still a few who have lived here longer than I've been alive and can't speak a sentence.

I think that is a disgrace. It's an insult.

We are good enough to move to, but not good enough to talk to. ppppffft.

Australia is a secular country. I think it is time all religions recognised and respected that.

It is only natural that first generation migrants move into areas that they feel a community in. It's commonplace. You think ex-pat workers in the middle east all speak fluent arabic and live in traditional houses with no support network around them? Hell, even in London Aussies tend to congregate around Shepards Bush. It's a natural thing.

There are strong Australian expat communities in Bangkok, Hong Kong etc. Should they all be disbanded, or are they fine?

And I didn't realise "we were here first" was a strong argument. So when are you respecting Aboriginal teachings and culture as part of your daily life?

I don't care what language you speak. I don't care what religion you follow. I don't care what food you cook. I don't care what clothes you wear. I don't care what skin colour you are. I live my life pretty simply and by the teachings of DS Andy Wainwright in Hot Fuzz. "Don't go being a t^^t now".

 

[Singo]

I don't care what language you speak. I don't care what religion you follow. I don't care what food you cook. I don't care what clothes you wear. I don't care what skin colour you are.

But you will care if a house you rent out to a family of two, get sublet to 10 people?

Or what about someone stabbing to win an argument? Or planning to have 4 more kids for financial freedom?

 

[Ideo]

But you will care if a house you rent out to a family of two, get sublet to 10 people?

Or what about someone stabbing to win an argument? Or planning to have 4 more kids for financial freedom?

When I was a student I lived in a 3 bedroom terrace with about 8 people. We were all white, and at least third generation. I'm sure it wasn't rented out to that many people.

Or do only immigrants do that?

 

[one world]

But you will care if a house you rent out to a family of two, get sublet to 10 people? Or what about someone stabbing to win an argument? Or planning to have 4 more kids for financial freedom?

These sorts of behaviour are not confined exclusively to immigrant communities.
Without exception, all of my feral tenants have been home grown Aussies. If you care to look at the stats, the bulk of violent crime that goes through our courts is caused by home grown dinki-di Aussies.

 

[Ideo]

These sorts of behaviour are not confined exclusively to immigrant communities.
Without exception, all of my feral tenants have been home grown Aussies. If you care to look at the stats, the bulk of violent crime that goes through our courts is caused by home grown dinki-di Aussies.

Yeah, but it's alright when our own lot do it. They look the same

 

[Singo]

When I was a student I lived in a 3 bedroom terrace with about 8 people. We were all white, and at least third generation. I'm sure it wasn't rented out to that many people.

Or do only immigrants do that?

Honestly, that terrace didn't need a 10K renovation once you all moved out isn't it? And you guys used your toilets and didn't urinate on the tree in front of the house? And you punched each other every other week and someone got stabbed every other month?

I will get into trouble if I give more information mate. I know what i am talking about. And I am not white, I am a recent immigrant and not an Aussie in paper. But I am an Aussie at heart but I know quite a lot who are not and never will be. Immigration is not an issue but whom you get in may become a bigger issue.

 

[Ausprop]

Pretty much everything. I cannot think of one idea or cultural creation that I can honestly say is solely and uniquely Australian. If anyone knows of any, feel free to share. I am genuinely curious about this.

weird because I can't think of much that isn't? must be a half full / empty thing. I mean ruling it off from the point of colonisation of course e.g. you can't bags 'the English lamguage'

 

[sanj]

Honestly, that terrace didn't need a 10K renovation once you all moved out isn't it? And you guys used your toilets and didn't urinate on the tree in front of the house? And you punched each other every other week and someone got stabbed every other month?

I will get into trouble if I give more information mate. I know what i am talking about. And I am not white, I am a recent immigrant and not an Aussie in paper. But I am an Aussie at heart but I know quite a lot who are not.

dont worry, i also use extreme examples to try to prove a point.

just the other day i was saying that martin bryant is exactly the same as all other white people. watch out for them.

*sarcasm alert*

 

[one world]

I am a recent immigrant and not an Aussie in paper. But I am an Aussie at heart but I know quite a lot who are not.

Let me guess.....you are from South Africa or the former Rhodesia?