Fibro garage. Our first ‘temporary’ home.
It used to be the Italians and Greeks that were blamed for woes and wiles by ‘true Aussies’. The smell of garlic was enough for angry outbursts to the ‘dagoes’ of the fifties and sixties. They were knife pullers and had strange sexual habits.
This was overcome but the next lot to receive abuse were the Balts and Lebanese. The usual abuse and accusations of taking virtuous women, climb over fences and corrupt the Australian culture with kebabs and even more garlic.
The introduction of soccer was met with riotous behaviour, bottle throwing and burning down of strange flags.
Hot on the heels were people from Vietnam with rice dishes and totally ignorant of cricket and Phar Lap.
We are giving the same to Muslims that are coming from all sorts of countries that by and large we have bombed without much effect.
When will they ever learn, by Marlene Dietrich springs to mind or should that be ‘when will WE ever learn?
Tags: Balts, Greeks, Islam, Italians, Lebanese, Soccer, Vietnamese
Oosterman Treats Blog 
November 25, 2015 at 11:45 pm |
My thoughts precisely!
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November 27, 2015 at 1:33 am |
The acceptance of the ‘other’ is sometimes difficult. I have some trouble of finding the ‘Australian values’ that are different, better or more unique than those that live in the rest of the world. We are all orphans.
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November 26, 2015 at 6:21 pm |
I always loved the song, sung by an impressive Lady. Marlene Dietrich had a spine and backbone.
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November 27, 2015 at 1:34 am |
Yes, I can never get bored by her songs.
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November 26, 2015 at 7:30 pm |
And the aboriginal and native people have seen it all. It’s too late to object. If you can’t beat them, you have to join them.
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November 27, 2015 at 1:35 am |
Yes,Kayti, and no one seems to have asked them what they thought of Captain Cook’s landing here.
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November 26, 2015 at 9:26 pm |
It’s been my experience that both Australia and New Zealand are extremely xenophobic.
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November 27, 2015 at 1:37 am |
Both are borderless countries and till recently were more isolated than any other ‘western’ country. Even to day, people go to Bali not knowing they are travelling to Indonesia.
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November 26, 2015 at 9:30 pm |
It’s no different in the UK, and the more established immigrants are resenting the newer ones… never mind the dishes that come too. Yet we all eat pasta and rice now, as a child these were difficult to obtain. Marlene made me melt.
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November 27, 2015 at 1:43 am |
Yes, perplexing isn’t it? ‘Go and speak English’, someone with a foreign accent, told my father soon after arrival in 1956. Some migrants are indeed more xenophobic than the locals and sadly so keen to jettison their background. Many do so their best in assimilating their slang is often stronger that that of the locally 3d generation born.
The pasta has been overtaken by Ikan Goreng or even Pisang Goreng. Soon, I will be in trees harvesting coconuts. 😉
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November 26, 2015 at 10:11 pm |
Indeed, when will we ever learn.
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November 27, 2015 at 1:47 am |
It just takes time and education, offering the locals a friendly arm and take them to tip-toe amongst the tulips.
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November 26, 2015 at 10:15 pm |
It is interesting to watch the evolution of Australian immigration policy. I thought we had finally grown up with the advent of multiculturalism. Now we seem to be regressing, largely on the basis of fear. Noone has noticed, it seems the parrellels between racism of the past, nationalism and scaremongering propaganda.
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November 27, 2015 at 1:52 am |
True, and perhaps being swept up by patriotism, which is always a bit overstated.
Sometimes people go overseas and look over the St. Petersburg Hermitage or the beauty of Venice and then tell the locals how much better and more beautiful things are in Australia.
Of course things are beautiful here as well, but different. It’s the difference that makes travel so interesting.
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November 27, 2015 at 1:56 am
Very true and beauty is in the eye of the beholder.Some may think Australia ugly and dry while the next person adores it. It is a shame we can’t accept different people as easily as some of us might accept a differing viewpoint.
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November 27, 2015 at 2:12 am |
Long live garlic.!
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November 28, 2015 at 12:23 am |
It often seems to me that those who have the least reason to complain, complain the loudest. I’ll never understand racism. We’re all human beings.
I love the definition of irony from an indigenous Australian – One group of boat people complaining about another group of boat people.
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November 28, 2015 at 12:44 am |
Nailing someone on the cross wasn’t very friendly either. Some sort of Death Cult?
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December 2, 2015 at 10:55 pm |
Interchange “USA” for “Australia” because it is exactly the same here. Thanks, Gerard!
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