We live in a very diverse society.
Our First Peoples have been on parts of this continent for over 65,000 years and, even in the face of colonisation since 1788, are still going strong. In Victoria, the growing community is now represented by the First Peoples Assembly.
At the same time, over one-third of Australians have ancestry or connection to another country around the globe. Some Australians are part of First Peoples and multicultural communities. Some Australians were born on this land and some have great-great-grandparents who arrived here a century or two ago.
Despite this, there is a dominance of ‘western’ culture in Australia, which is derived from older European cultures. It is embedded in our political and legal systems and influences our society in lots of other ways. In this context, there can also be a lot of assumptions about things like ‘Anglo-Saxon’ or ‘Anglo-Celtic’ identity being the norm. Or sometimes, there is a strange silence about diversity to reflect the assumption that everyone is – or should be – the same. In some cases, this can turn into race-based discrimination or racism.
It is likely we will always have discussion in media, politics and community about these things because they are not fixed. That’s why seemingly simple things like Australia Day are being debated every year. In Australia, culture and identity will always be evolving. Our understandings are always changing.
Being able to ask questions and share opinions is a sign of a healthy democracy.
Our children are a part of this ongoing discussion. Every child will have their own starting point for understanding diversity, because every human has their own unique culture and identity.
Being able to ask questions and share opinions is a sign of a healthy family relationship.
There isn’t one way to talk about diversity in our community. Just like there isn’t one story that sums up being ‘Australian’.
Picture books can help you explore the many stories in our many cultures and communities here. They are helpful for multicultural families in being proud of their identity, and they are helpful for Australian-born families in discovering more about their neighbours and friends.
The teacher-librarian Lotte Ten Hacken says the best thing for parents and carers to do in exploring diversity is keep the conversation open. She recommends using books to explore other people’s stories together, so that your kids keep asking questions and they keep thinking.
Parents don’t have to have all the answers, but it is important to show that you value the questions.
Lotte recommends the following titles to explore cultural diversity:
Lotte also recommends the following books to explore First Peoples culture and history:
According to psychologist Bimba Chavan, there are a lot of benefits to understanding your own cultural identity better. Bimba says: “Your cultural identity can influence your sense of belonging and fitting in. It can influence what you eat, who you spend time with and what you do for fun. It also shapes your values and your views on health and wellbeing.” Read more advice from Bimba here.
The important thing is to avoid trying to make it simple and avoid making assumptions about other people’s experiences.
You can easily achieve this by exploring picture books together with your child. Let their curiosity lead the way.
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