What are you?

[i-need-a-martini]

I was just watching Hannah Gadsbys (brilliant!) show on the ABC on Australian Art and they brought up some interesting ideas about indigenous culture. It was particularly interesting given the debate on Q&A last night about Bolts "white aborigines" tirade.

So how many generations can pass before you shed your culture? 

I am a first generation Italian and my kids are second generation. But we all call ourselves Italian if asked what culture we are. I imagine my grand and great grand kids will also refer to their Italian culture. Not sure beyond that.

My husband embraces his dads Canadian culture and his mothers Englishness. Yet his mothers ancestors came out from England in the early 1900s. Can he still really claim that his culture is English?

How would you relate your culture if asked what your background is?

[cherry*135]

---

@i-need-a-martini wrote:

---

@am*3 wrote:

Who would you label yourself as English (or Scottish, Welsh) etc too. Most people would ask where you were born, not where your ancestors hailed from?

---

I never get asked where I was born but often get asked what my "background" is.

If you speak with an Australian accent you wouldn't get asked where you were born.

---

Yes, that is why I get  asked where I come from, because I was not born here.  Not what my background is.

[boris1gary]

---

@the_great_she_elephant wrote:

---

@i-need-a-martini wrote:

Then perhaps the answer is that we stop referring to our culture once we forget where we came from?

Or simply when we have lost (or chosen to lose) our links to specific cultures?

---

Mr Elephants ancestors were convicts - I suspect most of them were quite happy to lose their links to Old England.

---

hahah mr ele. I would go with tini's - or simply when we have lost (or chosen to lose) our links to specific cultures - that's what I have done.

[cherry*135]

If someone was 2nd gen Aust and their grandparents were Russian, Polish, English & Scottish... you hardly going to say all those if asked what your background is?

[i-need-a-martini]

---

@am*3 wrote:

---

Yes, that is why I get  asked where I come from, because I was not born here.  Not what my background is.

---

Why do you get asked where you come from? Do you not look like you belong here? Do you have an accent?

[i-need-a-martini]

---

@am*3 wrote:

If someone was 2nd gen Aust and their grandparents were Russian, Polish, English & Scottish... you hardly going to say all those if asked what your background is?

---

My 2nd gen kids say they are Italian with some English and Canadian.

[i-need-a-martini]

---

@i-need-a-martini wrote:

---

@am*3 wrote:

If someone was 2nd gen Aust and their grandparents were Russian, Polish, English & Scottish... you hardly going to say all those if asked what your background is?

---

My 2nd gen kids say they are Italian with some English and Canadian.

---

But I suspect that the next generation will only reference their Italian heritage because they won't know their Canadian and English relatives.

[azureline**]

I wish. Small accident which has restricted use of my right hand. Plus am in bed using phone.

[punch*drunk]

But that is what I am asking.

At what point do you stop being one culture and become another?

Is it only as far back as you remember? Ie if your grandmother is Russian then you still have a living reminder of your culture and your background. So chances are you would answer "Russian" if someone asked about your 'background'.

Most of my family goes back 160 - 200 years in Australia. There are equal amounts of English, Scottish and Irish, but I wouldnt consider myself any of those any more than I would consider myself Japanese. I dont know where the point is, its probably somewhere between how long my family has been here for and how long yours has.

[cherry*135]

---

@i-need-a-martini wrote:

---

@am*3 wrote:

---

Yes, that is why I get  asked where I come from, because I was not born here.  Not what my background is.

---

Why do you get asked where you come from? Do you not look like you belong here? Do you have an accent?

---

Yes, a NZ accent. Some people can pick it up after I say a couple of words. 

[punch*drunk]

I never met any rellies that were born outside Australia

Neither have I.