The Aussie Ad “I am Australian” highlights Australia’s diversity and commitment to multiculturalism. The refrain goes: “We are one but we are many; and from all the lands on earth we come; we share a dream, and sing with one voice – I am, you are, we are Australian.”

However, Today Tonight on Channel 7 aired a segment on the “Changing Face of Suburbs in Sydney” last Monday night, 16 August 2012 showed that nothing could be farther from the truth.  Rather than oneness and assimilation, we have segregation and isolation. Little ethnic communities have sprouted and the theme has become “Yours, Mine or Ours”.

The show claimed that six million migrants have now bundled themselves in clusters and have carved their identities in little niche suburbs.  New pockets have emerged in suburbs which have undergone complete transformations beyond recognition. These suburbs have lost their original Aussie identities and ambiance.

The newly transformed suburbs include: Little Iraq in Fairfield, Little South Africa in Dover Heights. Parramatta started off shifting to a Chinese population in the nineties but was overtaken by the Indians who have turned Harris Park into Little India. So is Liverpool. The Lebanese community have settled in Lakemba, Bankstown, Punchbowl and Greenacre. The majority in Hurstville are now Chinese.

And the suburb of Woodcroft was labelled Little Philippines. The acquisition of Woodcroft simply adds to the territorial domain of Filipinos in the Blacktown area.

This of course is in addition to the suburbs already in existence such as Cabramatta, for the Vietnamese and Chinatown in the city.  The Jewish community have settled in the Eastern suburbs. The little quaint shops in Eastwood are all gone and are now filled with Korean shops.  And in these suburbs, it is the Aussie that feels displaced or as some would say it is a case of  “Spot the Aussie.”  Has Australia gone the opposite of the white Australian policy of the early 70s?  Would this be discrimination in reverse?

It is of course human nature to gravitate towards people of the same interests, who can speak the same language or where we have friends and relatives.  In the early 70s, most Filipinos took to the Mascot area for its proximity to the city. We landed in Meadowbank where cousins had already established themselves. By then, there were a few Filipino families who had set roots in the Meadowbank/Ryde area.

 Yes, in the beginning it was a wee bit overwhelming for the reserved Australians in our midst.  We were a raucous clan with music blaring at all hours.  We loved our music and our parties especially on Christmas Eve while the Australians would need their forty winks and waited till Christmas morning to open their Christmas presents.  But despite their sleep patterns, they eventually came around, joined us and had fun.

  The difference between then and now is that we weren’t isolated from the rest of Aussie land.  There was more of a sense of sharing each others’ cultures. There was a sense of excitement as we made friends with our neighbours – the Turkish, the Egyptian, the Polish, the Swedish, the Chinese – and our next door neighbour was a little old Australian lady, for whom we used to run errands for and who used to join us at family festivities. At work, we would sit around at lunchtime and share stories. Back then, we weren’t labelled “ethnic” and we were part of the so called “international scene”.  Mix and mingle was the spirit.  More importantly, there were no preferential treatments. Everyone waited their turn and went through the same queues.

Nowadays, that sense of sharing is gone. It feels limiting. Not much mixing and mingling. It’s to each its own and one wonders why they left in the first place. The community groups have become insular and parochial. But here is where politics come to play as politicians bend backwards to gain the majority in an area. The obvious result is the struggle for favours.

Perhaps, we should put ourselves in their UG boots.  After all we came and migrated at our own accord.  We weren’t kidnapped or held at gunpoint to stay. So how would we like it, if it was done to our Philippines?  Most of us have holidayed or stayed over friends and relatives whether for short term or long term.  And we know that it simply isn’t right to just go around changing things around to cater to our individual needs. Think about it.

So pardon me for asking, but where is Australia?  I came to Australia and I sure hope I am still in it!