Flying the flag

[zdcol71]

Originally Posted by XBROO

Yeah I get crap about my last name it's polish. it's one of those long names ending in ski. But I just turn around an say "My grandfather fought in WWI, my dad, his brother(my uncle) and grandfather in WWII and my eldest brother in Nam. And I can show you the registries to prove it. And on my mums side she's PNG her father(my other grandfather) was a fussy wussy angel. So you think your still more Australian then me?" And that usaully shuts them up.

Hopefully we are going down a path where we will not need to have to explain our ethnic backgrounds, or defend where our heritage came from or still lies.
That to me would be a truly great Australia Day outcome

[|||]

Originally Posted by schnoods

It's something to think about before inking your body with something that is supposedly "Australian."

i could pick the "aussie" southern cross from any of those flags quite easily. count how many southern cross logos appear on the current one day cricket uniform. doesnt get much more aussie than one day cricket.

[XBROO]

Originally Posted by zdcol71

Hopefully we are going down a path where we will not need to have to explain our ethnic backgrounds, or defend where our heritage came from or still lies.
That to me would be a truly great Australia Day outcome

Anyone that calls Australia home and loves this country, as a free country where everybodies equal is Australian.

[Fled74]

My wife and I are Filipino by birth, we've lived in Melbourne for 6 1/2 years, we got our citizenship (and passports) 3 years ago, our daughter was born here just before that.
I contribute to society and try to build a life for my family.
Talk to me on the phone and you'd never realise you were speaking to an Asian.

To me, that makes me Aussie, and I celebrate that with the Aussie flag stickers on our car's rear window (we're having a barbecue tomorrow too).

I've been called "slope head", "yellow peril", and the like, but I know that's just the great Aussie tradition of taking the mickey. Where else could verbal abuse be a sign of affection?

[zdcol71]

Originally Posted by Fled74

My wife and I are Filipino by birth, we've lived in Melbourne for 6 1/2 years, we got our citizenship (and passports) 3 years ago, our daughter was born here just before that.
I contribute to society and try to build a life for my family.
Talk to me on the phone and you'd never realise you were speaking to an Asian.

To me, that makes me Aussie, and I celebrate that with the Aussie flag stickers on our car's rear window (we're having a barbecue tomorrow too).

I've been called "slope head", "yellow peril", and the like, but I know that's just the great Aussie tradition of taking the mickey. Where else could verbal abuse be a sign of affection?

Fair enough fled74, but I wonder if a lot of other asians take being called slope head and yellow peril so affectionately??

[grandpa_spec_F6]

I've had the aussie flag as a dash matt for the better part of a year and I never seems to cop any grief. If anything people look at me then look away as soon as they see the flag, as if im about to belt the daylights out of them like a "true aussie"

Gives the car something different, as costs one hell of a lot less than a proper dash matt :P my main reasoning.

I usually fly a couple of those little flags on australia day just to join in the festivities

[XBROO]

Originally Posted by Fled74

My wife and I are Filipino by birth, we've lived in Melbourne for 6 1/2 years, we got our citizenship (and passports) 3 years ago, our daughter was born here just before that.
I contribute to society and try to build a life for my family.
Talk to me on the phone and you'd never realise you were speaking to an Asian.

To me, that makes me Aussie, and I celebrate that with the Aussie flag stickers on our car's rear window (we're having a barbecue tomorrow too).

I've been called "slope head", "yellow peril", and the like, but I know that's just the great Aussie tradition of taking the mickey. Where else could verbal abuse be a sign of affection?

You hit the nail on the head, at work we are so multinational that the Australian sense of humour is taken as racism. So you find yourself watching what you say in case it offends somebody. I wish that more new Australians could see it that way. Good on you mate and I'm proud to call you Australian. _2:

[zdcol71]

Originally Posted by XBROO

You hit the nail on the head, at work we are so multinational that the Australian sense of humour is taken as racism. So you find yourself watching what you say in case it offends somebody. I wish that more new Australians could see it that way. Good on you mate and I'm proud to call you Australian. _2:

XBROO, have a think where just these 2 (affectionate) names came from and suggest that they are used as some sort of "Australian sense of humour"
I'd still suggest that the majority of people recieving these tags would find them extremely distasteful, even though the giver wonders why they don't share in this "Aussie sense of humour"

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Fled74

I've been called "slope head", "yellow peril", and the like, but I know that's just the great Aussie tradition of taking the mickey. Where else could verbal abuse be a sign of affection?

Last year at school (I've finished now) in our group of friends we'd refer to each other as racist names depending on where/what religion you/your parents/ancestors where from as some fun and we'd pick on each other just for a few laughs but we never took it or meant it seriously. We judge people on their actions, not their race/skin colour.

You don't have to be white or born here to be Australian, "Australian" isn't even a race, its a bunch of communities who come together as one I reckon.

My Nonno, fought against the Allies in WWII and he come over here after the war and got a job, married and raised 2 kids and before he died, my sister made him an Italian flag and he said to her "burn it, I'm an Australian".

[XBROO]

Originally Posted by zdcol71

XBROO, have a think where just these 2 (affectionate) names came from and suggest that they are used as some sort of "Australian sense of humour"
I'd still suggest that the majority of people recieving these tags would find them extremely distasteful, even though the giver wonders why they don't share in this "Aussie sense of humour"

I know where your coming from mate, but when a true blue Aussie says things like that, they aren't trying to be disrespectful. It's the way olden day Australia was, but I guess times are changing and it is no longer acceptable even if it was in a light hearted way. It's a shame because back then you called each other anything underneath the sun and it was laughed upon. And if you ever needed a hand that same person would be there for you. Black, yellow or white.

[Chopped]

Keep it how it is and fly it when you feel the need too. (we don't need Ray Martins head on there though!)


maybe >

[Airmon]

Originally Posted by schnoods

Hardly any Australians seem to even realize that the Southern Cross appears in any form on any other flag other than Australias.
It's something to think about before inking your body with something that is supposedly "Australian."

Next you'll be trying to tell me the Union Jack is on other flags aswell.
Must have missed when people started calling it "The Australian Cross"?

[TUF_302]

Originally Posted by Chopped

Keep it how it is and fly it when you feel the need too. (we don't need Ray Martins head on there though!)


maybe >

Now that makes a good aussie flag!

[Fled74]

Originally Posted by zdcol71

Fair enough fled74, but I wonder if a lot of other asians take being called slope head and yellow peril so affectionately??

I have to admit that when I started my first job here I had a major case of culture shock. Where I come from, swearing is frowned upon in the workplace, and if a boss does it when speaking to an employee he can get into a lot of trouble.

I was pretty thin-skinned back then, and took offence very easily, and I didn't stay in that job for long. With my second job, I worked with a couple of old Aussie blokes who taught me a lot about the Aussie culture and sense of humour. I owe a lot to them.

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that immigrants need to make an effort to assimilate and not stick to their own ethnic groups. Sure, it's comfortable and familiar, but I feel they'll never be truly "Aussie" until they break out of that comfort zone. I did it, and it's not that hard.

My only real complaint now is that I'm always being mistaken for a kid in my 20s (I'm 35). My advice: when guessing an Asian's age, add about 10 years and you'll be about right.

Flying the flag tomorrow, and if people dont like it they can toss my salad. ;)

[XBROO]

My only real complaint now is that I'm always being mistaken for a kid in my 20s (I'm 35). My advice: when guessing an Asian's age, add about 10 years and you'll be about right.
I know what you mean we have alot of chinese were I work, and they are always older then what they look.

[SSD-85]

It is disappointing that we live in an age where the southern cross is associated with racism. I saw a car the other day with the southern cross and "white pride" written underneath it. What suprised me the most is that i DIDNT see the car completely smashed up and torched on the side of the road. Disgusting really.

[Pinch]

Originally Posted by XBROO

Yeah I get crap about my last name it's polish. it's one of those long names ending in ski. But I just turn around an say "My grandfather fought in WWI, my dad, his brother(my uncle) and grandfather in WWII and my eldest brother in Nam. And I can show you the registries to prove it. And on my mums side she's PNG her father(my other grandfather) was a fussy wussy angel. So you think your still more Australian then me?" And that usaully shuts them up.

Just ask them who the tallest mountain in the land is named after!

[Pinch]

Flag is flying proudly from my boat now. Maybe when things calm down around home I can fly some more there too.

The funny thing is that as soon as people hear you are from The Shire (which includes Cronulla for the non-Sydneysiders) they automatically assume you are racist when you are anything but. Hell even I can't spell my surname sometimes ;)

I guess the irony is not lost on them that they feel free to have a go at all people from the Shire being prejudiced and racist and label me simply because of my postcode (which is not tatood on my body) when I am anything but.

Guess irony to those people is just something you do to crumpled shirts.

Looking forward to some sailing, wakeboarding and bbqing on the beach tomorrow with mates. Nice.

[pertuan]

Australia Day is awesome. In previous years I used to get people yelling abuse to me to the tune of "Go back to your own country! We don't need you here!" I'm Asian by the way and have been here for 21 years now since I was 9 which makes me 30 now. My comeback is usually "Yeah? I'm in our Navy. I'm doing my bit for this country. What do you do?" They either mumble some swear word or just remain silent and keep walking. It was gold. haha

[XBROO]

Originally Posted by Pinch

Just ask them who the tallest mountain in the land is named after!

I like that one.

[Fled74]

Originally Posted by pertuan

My comeback is usually "Yeah? I'm in our Navy. I'm doing my bit for this country. What do you do?" They either mumble some swear word or just remain silent and keep walking. It was gold. haha

That's awesome. My brother wants to move here and join the Army. What could be more patriotic than taking up arms in defence of our homeland?

[[Tonko]]

Originally Posted by LTDHO

Read my post before replying.

I wrote "I don't know what's more anti patriotic than a southern cross tattoo"
Not "I don't know what's more anti patriotic than a southern cross"
Today the southern cross tattoo is a fashion symbol, not a patrionic one. I was going to get one, then everyone did. People get them to be 'cool' not aussie.

Because you know everyone that has one and their motives behind doing so?
Everyone i know that has one got it because they are proud of this country.

[Mark351]

We're flying a couple of Aussie flags we got from Bunnings on the way to our campsite in Lorne on the tent, but have been completely outdone by a brown LC torana two sites down that has two smaller flags af the front, and a full size flag attached to the roof racks which looked pretty cool as we were following him into town on Saturday!

[pertuan]

Sorry... wrong thread. haha

[dsyfer]

Does anyone else see the irony when some drongo uses the anniversary of white immigration (yes white people immigrated here originally or were deported here) to have a go at someone else doing the same thing, just a few hundred years later?

What I would have loved to have seen, was captain cook rocking up in his boat to a thousand black fellas wearing "************** off we are full" t-shirts.

anywho, who's got the Pale Ale, need one here stat.

[Airmon]

Originally Posted by Fled74

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that immigrants need to make an effort to assimilate and not stick to their own ethnic groups. Sure, it's comfortable and familiar, but I feel they'll never be truly "Aussie" until they break out of that comfort zone. I did it, and it's not that hard.

I think thats great advice their mate, but on the same token you don't want to loose your heritage and cultural identity at the same time. I think there is room for both.

[Windsor220]

Originally Posted by Fled74

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that immigrants need to make an effort to assimilate and not stick to their own ethnic groups. Sure, it's comfortable and familiar, but I feel they'll never be truly "Aussie" until they break out of that comfort zone. I did it, and it's not that hard.

I agree with this. I have no issue with people from other countries coming here. I was born in England anyway so I cant accuse others. I think they do need to adapt to Australia way of life though to a degree.
And one thing I dont understand is living here and not learning the language. Should be a compulsory.

[Falc'man]

From what I've seen there are just as many "ethnics" flying the Aussie flag as "Aussies". Some people should get out more.