Who are you? Please give us an overview of your cultural background/heritage?
My name is BayLee, Bay for short. My mum’s side of the family are Germans from Russia. Germans from Russia refers to a large number of ethnic Germans who emigrated from the Russian Empire, peaking in the late 19th century. The upper Great Plains in the United States and southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan have large areas populated primarily by descendants of Germans from Russia. From what I’ve been able to figure out from our family tree, my great great grandparents migrated to eastern South Dakota in the USA in 1875.
My dad’s side of the family is a little harder to pin point as a lot of documentation has been lost throughout the years, as well as the few members of our family who knew our history. So, for simplicity sake, African-American. I lived in America with my family until I was 18. One day I decided I needed change, and I picked up and moved myself and all of my things to Perth. In July I will have been here for 4 years.
Name one thing you really passionate about and why?
I am very passionate about working with kids and young adults who come from families where there is a lot of trauma, substance abuse, mental health struggles etc. I struggled a lot as a child and young adult with a variety of mental health issues that stemmed from various traumatic experiences, severe discrimination and racism and bullying. I know how awful it felt to think I was alone in my experiences, so I started a blog (alifefullofchaosandcalm.wordpress.com) and started writing about what I went through. From there, I became a certified Lived Experience Speaker.
I travel around WA and speak about my own experiences to let people know they are not alone in what they are feeling, that it is ok for them to not feel ok, and that life will get better- you want to be around to see it happen. I spend a lot of time at places like Headspace and Youth Focus speaking to their psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and various other staff giving them tools for de-escalation that they can go out and use with any one of impact who comes to them. I also go to various businesses and corporations and speak to them about how to aid the youth in their staff when they are struggling with their mental health.
How has living in a multicultural society shaped who you are as an individual?
Living and growing up in a multicultural society made me very aware of any biases I may have held and helped me to correct them. I understand that biases are something we all have, but there is no need to be ignorant about them. Educating yourself on various cultures and taking the time to embrace the diversity around you is important.
I have always been very interested in other cultures and moving to Australia has given me the opportunity to learn about and meet so many people from various backgrounds and walks of life. I believe I have always been a very inclusive individual and would go out of my way to get to know people and what they’re about. Australia has just helped me be able to do this more often.
What aspects of Australia’s multicultural society do you find fascinating?
Where I grew up in America, there was not a lot of cultural diversity. Upon arrival into Australia, my eyes were opened to a variety of different cultures and a very diverse population. People say that America is a melting-pot society, but I’ve lived all over the states and after moving to Australia, I believe this is more true of Oz than the USA.
What kind of experiences have you had in relating with people whose backgrounds differ from your own? Any key lessons from these experiences/encounters?
I am a very curious person, which can be both a blessing and a curse. I always worry about offending people when I ask questions about their cultures but if they’re willing to talk to me about it, I spend as much time as I can asking as many questions as possible. I’ve found that most everyone I have spoken to welcomed the questions as they would rather I ask than continue living in ignorance. So many people love talking about where they come from. Take the time to ask people about where they come from, you’d be surprised how many people open up to you.
In your opinion, how can multiculturalism be used as a vehicle for positive change in our society?
Multi-culturalism can be a source of national identity and a tool to unite those from all walks of life. It is a key factor that drives success in citizenship integration and legitimizes diversity and provides a sense of inclusion. It is a symbol of moderisation, showing how much progress we have made as a whole, where minority rights and equality for all are cherished. It promotes inclusion and helps to attract skilled workers, which pushes an influx of talents, foreign capital, and boosts the economy.
With the influx of immigrants, many retain transnational ties with their home countries, which helps to promote trade and international business. We all know that immigrants are key source of diverse knowledge and experience, which increases innovation, creativity, and prosperity amongst cities and countries. It introduces new foods, music, traditions, beliefs, and interests and once again make for a more inclusive and diverse population. Who wouldn’t want to be apart of something like that?
What fun and interesting activities/events can we do/hold to aid in bridging the cultural gap thereby creating an inclusive society for all to enjoy?
I think across Australia, the country does a good job of holding events for various holidays from different cultures. The college I lived at when I first moved here held multi-cultural dinners where everyone from all the different countries would get together and make a traditional meal for the college so we had the opportunity to explore a variety of different cuisines.
I think a big event like that would be very interesting as there are still so many differences in how things are prepared within a culture. I also think having a large multi-cultural festival would be interesting, bringing in cultures outside of the larger populations that we are already holding festivals for, which would be an easy way to include a multi-cultural dinner.
Follow BayLee: @baylee.aj.dansby
Photo cred: @stephaniellaura
