Refugees By Anh Do: Poem Analysis

We are told that Australia is the “blessed country”. A country where our most appealing asset is our multicultural community and diverse society. In our anthem, we sing: “for those who come across the seas, we’ve boundless plains to share”. Ironically, this line is in the second verse, which most people barely ever sing. Perhaps this reveals the true attitude Australia has towards asylum seekers. People who flee from countries which are oppressing them, escaping for their lives. Australia’s inhumane treatment of asylum seekers and the mandatory detention policy means that asylum seekers are locked in a detention centre until they are processed, which can take years.

The descriptive language, “cheap, exotic food” even tries to ridicule the cultural food which migrants were expected to prepare for the Australians. “Cheap, exotic food” is a connotation for unsatisfactory food. “Feed the mainstream”, hints that regardless of a migrant’s new identity, they were still considered as different from the majority. The quote, “We’ve given you opportunity for family reunion, equality, and status, though your colour could be wrong” uses racial imagery to create a picture in the audience’s mind of the “incorrect” coloured Australians. This statement maintains the concept of migrants never being able to be fully considered Australian. No matter what changes are made, as long as their skin colour isn’t pure white, they will never be regarded as “Australian”. This puts stress on the requirement for migrants to completely dispose of their own identity for an “Australian” identity. The fact that the protagonist claims that he or she has provided the migrants with equality is also ironic. “Learn English to Distinguish ESL from RSL”, the utilisation of assonance and internal rhyme

In her poem “Borderlands,” Gloria Anzaldua strategically exposes readers to the true form of the Borderlands region as she conveys the internal incongruity that is rife with this state. As she characterizes the nature of the Borderlands, extending the idea of the Borderlands from a geographical region to an extensive social phenomenon, Anzaldua emulates an experience that is shared by many; conquered by fear.

Culture: the beliefs, customs, art, etc. of a particular society. Being a part of a culture is amazing, diverse, and interesting until the conflict from being a part of more than one culture becomes involved. This type of conflict can even change the way you see your culture.

In Australia, refugees and asylum seekers are treated like the enemy in a war: the target of a highly resourced, military-led “deterrence” strategy complete with arbitrary detainment, detention camps, guards to terrorise them, forced deportations and the violent suppression of those who protest. Australia is failing to meet the standards required when regarding the treatment of asylum seekers. It is fact that asylum seekers make up less than 3% of Australia’s annual immigration yet the idea is being distorted to that of which they will overpopulate a country that prides itself on being a multicultural society. I want to shed light on the misconception that asylum seekers are not ‘legal’ when in actual fact it is a human right to seek freedom.

The poem fully develops the idea of the limited of privileges that some might have according to the their races and the racial division. The “borderlands” is the division of a place, but in the eyes of Gloria she makes the character grow up in a place where there is a racial division. The character is in the middle of how of her race is important as her cultural ways get in the way of trying to practice each one of them. The poet writes in both english and spanish to explain how she speaks to the different races she carries. As you read the poem you can feel how the tone changes as the author is speaking of the different events that she goes through in her life. The poet uses visual imagery to illustrate to the reader how tough it is for a young person to pursue a specific tradition or religion without upsetting someone of their family.

The concept of social justice encompasses finding the optimum balance between our combined responsibilities as a society, our responsibilities as individuals to contribute to a just society (University of New South Wales, 2011) and ensuring fairness, freedom and equality regardless of race, religion and ethical background. The social justice issue of Refugee’s suffers from a deprived extent of human dignity, human rights and social justice. The definition of a "refugee" is revealed in the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating which defines a refugee as an individual who: "owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the

Ah Australia. The land of opportunity. The land of freedom and equality. The land of wealth and good health. The lucky country.

Imagine if you were born into a country filled with poverty, fear, anxiety, despair and sorrow. The pain and suffering you would go through every day was so violent that you and your family had given up on all measures of hope. Every day you would fear persecution and you couldn’t even feel safe in the comfort of your own home. But what if there was a sliver of hope of escaping this drama occurring in your homeland by leaving by boat. All this drama gone in a flash, wouldn’t you want to try? putting your life at risk, but anyways what is the point of staying back, where you are just suffering emotionally, psychologically and physically as the day passes. 51 million people worldwide and 800,000 people in Australia have experienced these feelings

Australia is said to be a multicultural and multiracial country. So why can’t we, as a country and as a nation, say yes to immigrants fleeing from a different country? As immigration to Australia is supposably apart of our history and it would be wrong not to continue on with the actions of our ancestors.

Cultural competence is “the ability to communicate with, understand and effectively interact with people across cultures” (EYLF, 2015)

Have you ever faced a life-changing experience that impacted you, your family, or your country? Melba Pattillo Beals, Jackie Robinson, and Feng Ru faced life-changing experiences and made decisions that impacted their lives, their family’s lives, and their countries’ lives. In the story Warriors Don’t Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals, Melba integrated an all white school so blacks can get an equal education as whites. In the story I Never Had It Made by Jackie Robinson, Jackie was the first African American to play in the Major Leagues. Finally, in the story “Father of Chinese Aviation” by Rebecca Maksel, Feng Ru, became the first Chinese aviator to build planes of his own design. Not only did these three individuals change their countries, but by doing something life-changing, they impacted their own lives.

Alice presents the idea that the relationship between Chinese children and their parents is one quite different from that of Australian children and their parents. ‘These were questions Chinese children never asked their parents.’ (Page 144) She suggests that different etiquette and customs are undertaken and that the bond between them differs. Alice alludes to the idea that these differences in the home are the foundation for the differences Alice perceives socially. ‘He probably began to see me as a series of dos and don’ts’ (Page 265) Alice feels that her relationship with her parents impacts her relationships with others and this is again seen as a barrier her culture creates. ‘Don’t you feel frustrated sometimes?’ (Page 239) Alice observes the views Michael has of her relationship and she sees it to be different. Alice demonstrates to the reader the problems and issues this cultural divide presents for her and those around her and how such differences create

Ever question why some individuals even bother with an apology? This is how Layli Long Soldier must have felt after seeing the contents of the apology to the Tribal Nation, written by President Obama. After reading the apology, one could see the lack of understanding and empathy the United States Government has for Native Americans. All the horrible crimes and tragedies are laid out as simple misunderstandings and mistakes by the United States; the apology makes light of the situation. Despite Obama’s apology on behalf of the United States, Layli Long Soldier uses her poem, “Whereas,” to illustrate instances of her life to connect her reaction to said apology, in turn showing the absurdity and shortcomings of the

The Happiest Refugee by Anh Do tells us about his life. It begins with how his family almost lost their lives since leaving Vietnam. It expresses the distress and anxiety of their struggles from crossing the Indian Ocean to Australia.