-
Why Are Some Asians So Quiet All The Time?
There’s the common racial stereotype that Asians are quiet, and also shy and silent all the time. Sometimes this is true and there are reasons behind that. Many of these reasons are due to cultural upbringing stemming from school and class. Cultural upbringing and values also play a part in why some Asians are quieter…
-
Reasons Why The Question “Where Are You From?” Is Offensive. And Not Offensive
Time and time again, some of us get the question, “Where are you from?” We might dislike this question, or we might not. It’s a matter of perspective, or rather how we’re feeling in a moment in time that we decide if we like or hate the question there and then. Chances are if we’re…
-
Australia: Common Stereotypes That Are So Not True. And So True
There are many stereotypes about the land of Australia. Whether you have lived in, visited or heard of Australia, chances are you’ve come across typical perceptions of Australia in the geographic sense – and come across Australians agreeing with them. And disagreeing with them as well. Having lived in Australia for a while now, I’ve…
-
Why Having An Ethnic Name Is Annoying But Something To Be Proud Of
There are times when we find certain names harder to pronounce than others. Maybe ethnic names, cultural names or names with more than a few syllables. Names we have never heard of that make us stop and wonder if we’ll ever get the pronunciation down pat. I was born Mabel Kwong in Australia to Chinese-Malaysian…
-
Why Australians Love Sport. And Dislike It
Sport. Most Australians love it and it’s almost a religion in Australia. If we don’t play sports, we usually watch it: Aussie Rules Football (AFL or footy, a ball game played with hands and feet), cricket, rugby, netball and soccer to name a few. We also host numerous sporting tournaments each year like the Australian…
-
What Does It Mean To Be Australian?
As an Asian person living in Australia, being Australian has always confused me. It’s something I’ve struggled to put into words. What is “Australian” exactly? When I was a kid and up until university, I remember my Chinese-Malaysian dad saying to me countless times, “You were born in Australia. So you are Australian.” The older…
Mabel Kwong 