Students discuss themes and issues of culture, identity and self-esteem and construct responses to them.
How often do we really think about who we are? Our identity is influenced by our name, our family and friends, the language we speak. It is also influenced by where we were born, where we grew up, and where we live now.
When migrants leave their homeland and go to a new country to live, one of the most difficult things they have to do is adapt their sense of self to their new environment. In unfamiliar surroundings, people may feel they no longer know who they are.
‘V-R-A-N-T-I-S’ by Ana Vrantsis and ‘Me’ by Temuçin Mustafa look at the importance of a person’s name for their self-esteem.
Adapted from Australian mosaic.
What does your name mean to you?
In small groups, discuss the following questions:
One of the problems immigrants often experience is the misunderstanding or mispronunciation of their name. To avoid this, some take on a different name, or one that is similar to their own but sounds more ‘Australian’ (meaning that it sounds more English). While some people may not mind adopting a new name, others may find it upsetting and frustrating.
What do you think is the message of these two poems?
Centrelink 1997, Naming Systems of Ethnic Groups – A Guide, Australian Government Publishing Service
Australian Mosaic – An Anthology of Multicultural Writing – Edited by Sonia Mycak & Chris Baker, 1997 – Rigby Heinemann, Melbourne.