The question of what it means to belong in Australia came into focus recently when the ABC National Forum brought politicians, policy experts and community voices together to debate migration, multiculturalism and Australian identity. Among the panellists was Sudanese-Australian lawyer and human rights advocate Nyadol Nyuon, whose contribution examined the relationship between cultural identity, race and belonging.
During the forum, Nyuon said, “I have no intention of assimilating,” distinguishing assimilation from participating in Australian society. She also said, “I don’t have to look a particular way to love this country,” while discussing the resistance some people face when expressing their belonging in ways that do not fit traditional ideas of Australian identity.
Many cultures, but one people: Australians
For African communities, the discussion has an important economic dimension. The ability to retain cultural identity while participating fully in Australian workplaces, education and business can affect whether migrants are able to use their qualifications, professional experience and networks effectively. Research from the African Impact in Australia project identifies belonging and identity as important foundations for the political and economic participation of African migrants and people of African descent in Australia.
Economic participation is not simply about securing employment. African professionals and entrepreneurs can also face barriers involving recognition of overseas qualifications, access to networks and opportunities for career advancement. Research on African migration in Australia has documented challenges around professional recognition and employment, while current research continues to examine how policy and institutional settings can either support or limit migrants’ economic agency.
The forum took place amid a broader national debate about Australia’s migration system, including questions about migration numbers, social cohesion, national identity and the economic contribution of migration. ABC reporting noted that the discussion brought together substantially different perspectives, with participants examining both the economic effects of migration and questions about who is understood to belong in Australia.
The author of the original reflection wrote that “What struck me is the clarity,” describing Nyuon’s contribution as a reminder that people living between cultures can be asked to reduce or reshape parts of their identity in order to fit expectations of belonging. The writer concluded that “you can love a country and still refuse to be rewritten by it,” presenting the discussion as an argument for a form of belonging that does not require cultural erasure.
For African Australians, the debate connects identity with practical questions about participation in Australia’s economy and society. Being able to maintain cultural identity while accessing employment, education, entrepreneurship, professional networks and leadership opportunities can influence both individual economic outcomes and the wider contribution of African communities. The National Forum therefore placed a personal question at the centre of a broader national conversation: whether Australians can share common civic institutions and opportunities while allowing different cultural identities to remain part of the country’s social and economic life.
Alex Nyembo | AMA contributor
