My Mixed Culture by Liv H

My heritage and culture: Interview with my mum

34575062 — 2023-10-05 11:18:33 UTC

The following is the transcript of an interview that I conducted with my mum. We chose to do the interview in English, though please note that this is not her first language.

General profile questions:

[Me] (paraphrased): Who are you?
[Mum]: "I am Claire, Olivia's maman (mum)."

[Me]: Where are you from?
[Mum]: "Alsace, France"

[Me]: When did you arrive in Australia?
[Mum]: "In 2005"

Reflective questions:

[Me]: Were there any culture shocks you experienced when you got here?
[Mum]: "Yes, I was very surprised by the level of materialism and superficiality of relationships in comparison to Europe.
Distances were also expressed very differently. In Australia, when someone says 'just down the road' or 'around the corner', it can mean 10 minutes by car, whereas for me, it meant 5 minutes on foot; I got caught out by this a few times."

[Me]: Do you think there are any differences between the healthcare system here and in France?
[Mum]: "Yes, in France the healthcare is free for everyone, not just people who are on very low earnings. This means that lower and middle-class people don't have to choose between their health and something else."

[Me]: What about the culture around drinking and smoking?
[Mum]: "This is much more advanced in Australia, where a much much much lower proportion of people smoke compared to Europe. The people in Australia abide by the rules of where to not smoke, where this is very grossly disregarded in France. I feel that in Australia, smoking is not considered cool, whereas in France it still is."

What does health mean to me?

34575062 — 2023-10-06 06:17:54 UTC

Over time, I've come to believe that health is not just an essential part of life, but life is an essential part of health. I feel healthy when I am well in the physical, mental and social aspects of my life.
For example, I feel good when I've been on a long walk with a friend where we stopped for breakfast or after I've had a chat with my counsellor about things that have been weighing on my mind.

34575062 — 2023-10-06 06:28:45 UTC

Domain 7: Professional Practice

34575062 — 2023-10-11 07:03:30 UTC

Studying units NUR136 and NUR137 has helped me reflect on my own cultural beliefs, values and biases, and in doing so, I feel that I have become more aware of how they shape my everyday life. I think that maintaining this awareness will be essential in my future nursing practice because it will remind me to remain conscious that my patients may be of different cultures. Because I am aware of how important my own beliefs are to me, I can empathise with my patients and make accommodations to suit their cultural needs (ex., remembering not to make direct eye contact with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander patient or making sure all male doctors/nurses are out of the room if I need to ask a Muslim woman to remove her hijab/head covering).

Citations:
Migrant and Refugee Women's Health Partnership. (2019). Culturally responsive clinical practice: Working with people from migrant and refugee backgrounds. Competency Standards Framework for Clinicians. https://culturaldiversityhealth.org.au/competency-standards-framework/

WHO social determinants of health

34575062 — 2023-10-13 12:01:25 UTC

Social determinants can have several impacts on migrant and refugee health in Australia (WHO, n.d.). Some examples of this have been provided below:

1. Education: Refugees and immigrants may not have learnt English in their home country and now have to learn a whole new language quickly, as language barriers significantly impact job opportunities, social inclusion, and access to healthcare. This is likely very stressful and may impact mental health.

2. Access to affordable health services of decent quality: The healthcare system may be tough to navigate for someone who has recently immigrated from a foreign country, where policies and norms surrounding healthcare may be very different. Accessing services like Medicare may also be difficult, especially due to language barriers.

3. Structural conflict: Refugees and migrants face structural conflict in Australia, especially when trying to secure a visa. People who arrive in Australia without a valid visa are held in immigration detention facilities while waiting to be granted entry, which can sometimes take years (Jeong, 2022). Prolonged living in these facilities can cause significant harm to mental health (Essex et al., 2022).

Citations:
Essex, R., Kalocsányiová, E., Young, P., & McCrone, P. (2022). Psychological distress in Australian onshore and offshore immigration detention centres from 2014–2018. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health 24, 868–874. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-022-01335-7

Jeong, H. (2022). Waiting to be seen: Problems of Australia's visa processing delays. Migrant Workers Centre. https://ssrn.com/abstract=4251951

Refugee Council of Australia. (2020). Australia's detention policies. https://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/detention-policies/

World Health Organisation. (n.d.). Social determinants of health. https://www.who.int/health-topics/social-determinants-of-health

Filipino refugees in Australia: Health concerns

34575062 — 2023-10-14 13:31:03 UTC

Some common health concerns that refugees immigrating from The Philippines may face when coming to Australia include:

1. Schistosomiasis (Davis et al., 2023) - a parasitic disease caused by flukes (of the genus Schistosomiasis), endemic to specific regions, including The Philippines. Treatment includes Praziquantel, administered peroral twice daily at a dose of 20mg/kg, each 4 hours apart.

2. Malaria (Phillips & Francis, 2023) - a parasitic protozoal infection (of the genus Plasmodium) spread via the Anopheles mosquito. This disease is active in The Philippines. One possible treatment option is an oral artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), such as artemether-lumefantrine (also known as Riamet).

3. Tuberculosis (TB) (Denholm et al., 2023) - a bacterial lung infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (WHO, n.d.). Over half of overseas-born cases of active TB in Australia are from India, The Philippines, China and Nepal (Denholm et al., 2023). Treatment may include Isoniazid, 10mg/kg (up to 300mg daily) over 6-9 months.

Citations:
Davis, J. S., Phillips, C., & Clifford, V. (2023). Schistosomiasis. Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide. https://refugeehealthguide.org.au/schistosomiasis/

Denholm, J., Bailes, M., & Francis, J. (2023). Tuberculosis (TB & LTBI). Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide. https://refugeehealthguide.org.au/tuberculosis-tb/

Phillips, C., & Francis, J. (2023). Malaria. Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide. https://refugeehealthguide.org.au/malaria/

World Health Organisation. (n.d.). Tuberculosis. https://www.who.int/health-topics/tuberculosis

Kugelhopf

34575062 — 2023-10-15 11:19:28 UTC

Kugelhopf (pronounced koo-gloff in Alsace) is one of my maman's (mum's) favourite Alsatian pâtisseries. She has used the same recipe from the recipe book la pâtisserie alsacienne since around 1990.

The recipe ingredients include:

500g flour
75g sugar
1 pinch of salt
150g butter
2 eggs, though my mum uses 3
150g raisins
1/4L milk
20g yeast

She also adds an unspecified amount of vanilla extract and poudre d'amande (almond powder/meal).

Citations:
Syren, J., & Syren, J. -L. (1982). La pâtisserie alsacienne. Editions S.A.E.P. Ingersheim.

34575062 — 2023-10-15 11:48:09 UTC

Language and accents: My experience with feelings of alienation and estrangement

34575062 — 2023-10-15 13:35:09 UTC

I love being bilingual and am incredibly grateful that I grew up in a bilingual household. However, growing up, I've felt somewhat alienated from both French and English speakers. I feel self-conscious about my Australian accent when I speak French and my odd, slightly 'off' accent when I speak English. There are certain words that I find myself avoiding as I know that they never sound quite right when I say them. I also feel ashamed when I forget words in French and feel guilty for not speaking it often enough.

I believe that social support is a vital resource for immigrants and culturally diverse people in Australia. Attending social events such as the international cafe on Wednesdays at Murdoch has helped me feel less alone. Conversations with other bilingual Australian students have made me realise that many people have shared this experience. I feel less alone knowing other people have also lived similar experiences.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtMDWzK9VCM
The link above is to an interview discussing the differences between French and Australian culture. From 1:00 to around 3:53, they discuss accents. I found Cara's experience very relatable, especially when communicating in French.

Music and bonding

34575062 — 2023-10-15 14:12:45 UTC

Music therapy has been found to be beneficial in reducing stress, and is increasingly being used in medical and mental healthcare settings (de Witte et al., 2020). For me, music is also a connection to my culture and to my mum.

As a child, most of the music I listened to was my mum's. She used to play her old CDs in the car, and we would listen to old French songs together. My music taste today is very different from what it used to be, but I still hold a special place in my heart for the songs that remind me of my childhood and the strong relationships they have been a part of. This music is also important to me because it reminds me of my extended family in France.

Here is a list of songs my mum and I like:

Edith Piaf - La foule

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2Tz1yV48NQ

Edith Piaf - Padam padam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXqLj7X1WDU

Dalida - Gigi l'amoroso (personal favourite)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfNr3KNDoRs

The live version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X-eqDmJ8CQ

Dalida - Bambino

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3tgRxTijq8

Dalida - Love in Portofino (Italian)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKDLoUSaPV8

Lynda Lemay - Le plus fort c'est mon père

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENePCYsFjXg

Yves Duteil - Prendre un enfant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gptrrfP6Gfc

Andre Bourvil - Salade de fruits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdTIVl-CJAY

Charles Aznavour - La bohème

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNGXUNjlWbk

Citations:

de Witte, M., Pinho, A. da S., Stams, G. -J., Moonen, X., Bos, A. E. R., & van Hooren, S. (2020). Music therapy for stress reduction: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Health Psychology Review, 16(1), 134-159. https://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2020.1846580

Sport

34575062 — 2023-10-15 16:49:40 UTC

The Scottish side of my family (dad's side) are very enthusiastic fans of the Celtic Football Club. Following the Scottish Premiership is a way I connect with my family from overseas. However, Scottish football can be very political and is about a lot more than just football. Tensions between the Rangers FC and Celtic FC (known collectively as the Old Firm) are firmly rooted in religion, politics, and colonialism (Bradley, 2021), leading to continuous clashes between fans (Pooran, 2023).

Citations:
Bradley, J. M. (2021). British colonialism, Ireland and the ‘old firm’: postcolonial identities and contemporary Scottish football and society. Postcolonial Studies, 25(4), 489-507. https://doi.org/10.1080/13688790.2021.1932255

Pooran, N. (2023, February 26). Celtic v Rangers: Fans seen fighting outside Hampden ahead of Old Firm game. The Scotsman. https://www.scotsman.com/news/people/celtic-v-rangers-fans-seen-fighting-outside-hampden-ahead-of-old-firm-game-4042077

Family

34575062 — 2023-10-15 17:22:29 UTC

One of the things that I regret about living in Australia is being away from my family. Growing up I felt jealous of my peers who could see their extended family regularly. Having access to social media and facetime has been very important to me (and my parents!), as they enable us to connect with our families overseas.