Multiculturalism

Question: How have people responded to you as an American? What kind of mix of people is there?

Answer:
The percent people quote is that 25% of people in Australia were not born here, and 40% of people have at least one parent who is a first-generation immigrant.

I think that there must be many places in the rest of Australia where there are no foreigners if that statistic is true, because in Melbourne, everyone is from somewhere else. Malaysia, the UK, the US, South Africa, New Zealand, India, Holland, Greece, Italy, and on and on and on. In fact, they say that Melbourne is second only to Athens in the number of Greek people here.

That's why the food here is so good. It's also why the food that is good here isn't really "Australian" at all, but world cuisine. I love it. The only thing I don't see enough of is Latin American food, and that's not to say it doesn't exist.

There are a lot of Australians here, so don't let me mislead you. But I sometimes have a hard time nailing down the Australian accent because I'm never sure who really has it. What's great is how well everyone gets along. It is truly a melting pot of cultures in Melbourne, with everyone coexisting well. There are places where populations are more concentrated - Chinatown on Bourke Street downtown; Lygon Street for Italians and Greeks - but there is almost always a mix.

The most culturally diverse area of Melbourne is said to be Dandenong (the suburb, not to be confused with the Dandenongs, the mountain range / forest east of Melbourne). I've only been to Dandenong once, and I hear it isn't the place to be, but it is diverse.

What's great also is the blend of cultures. There is an Asia festival starting up in a couple weeks; there are Western musicals and ballets; people playing sytars along wtih guitars on the streets; European markets; American fast food (unfortunately, that must be our claim to fame); etc.

A world apart, and a world city.