Bo-wen (博  文 - rich culture??),

1. You came to Australia to pursue your own interests, as an individual, not as an ambassador for your culture. As an individual. Personal merit (if you came as a skilled migrant). Not cultural merit.

2. Immigration didn't ask you about your culture because it doesn't matter. Nobody asked you to bring your culture - or to leave it completely behind you.


3. Your bringing your culture here for us to respect it or even like it was never part of the deal. The only deal was that you have a certain level of English and that you acknowledge the laws and customs of this country and that you have a level of individual merit that this country needs and accepts. There was nothing about us needing to learn to like your culture or learn your language. If your cultural practices contribute to life here, people ill like your contribution. Otherwise it's either keep it to yourself  if it's not illegal or stop it if it is. BTW, what are the great Chinese cultural practices that Australia has been missing out on?

4. Australia being an immigrant country doesn't mean that people here have to tolerate or even respect every other cultural practice, and they rightly don't.

5. Apart from Chinese and Australians, do you know any other ethnicities here? Or do you live in a Chinese ghetto?  There are people from over 200 different nationalities in this country. You'd better start learning some community languages yourself. Restricting yourself to English is, by your own reckoning, a 'racialist' attitude.

As the new project of Fed government, to learn a secondary language.

Every Chinese children learn English. Why not you learn some Chinese?

Many western people in China do not understand Chinese especially 10 years ago.

Chinese do not hesitate to communicate with them in English on the road side in China.

Why not you can do the similar thing?

Bowen wrote on Nov 1^st, 2012 at 8:27am:



They learn English because it is in their interest. They are not learning, say, Greek or Arabic or Hindi. You have learned English because it was in your interest.

People will learn Chinese when it is in their interest. It isn't now - because most of you guys are learning English already. As are the Brazilians, Arabs, Greeks, even the French.

Bowen wrote on Nov 2^nd, 2012 at 10:08am:



This doesn't make sense to me.

English opens the Chinese to the world.
Australians speak English already = are open to the world.

You are saying that if the Chinese are learning English, they are open to the world but if Australians speak English, they are not open to the world.

Is this Confucianism?

Bowen wrote on Nov 2^nd, 2012 at 10:43am:


I have been all around the world and besides a passport there are only two things that you really need. US dollars and English. Chinese is simply not required.

Bowen wrote on Nov 2^nd, 2012 at 11:23am:


Actually mate, that's a recipe for internal conflict.  There are 2 ways to avoid the "war and blood" you speak of - complete totalitarain domination under one banner, or complete segregation.  Which would you prefer?  I reckon I'll pick option 3 - accept that conflict and suffering are inevitable, and go on living your life.

Bowen wrote on Nov 2^nd, 2012 at 11:23am:


Actually mate, that's a recipe for internal conflict.  There are 2 ways to avoid the "war and blood" you speak of - complete totalitarain domination under one banner, or complete segregation.  Which would you prefer?  I reckon I'll pick option 3 - accept that conflict and suffering are inevitable, and go on living your life.

And segregation in 21st century will only lead to destroy. When people do not believe understanding of each others is necessary. They won't hesitate to kill all others who is different from them. When both side have nuclear weapons. The only result is destroy each others.