System04104 - Cabramatta: A Photographic Essay on Migration & Culture

This essay explores Cabramatta, a suburb in South-Western Sydney, as a significant display of Asian culture in Australia, particularly Vietnamese culture, following the influx of Vietnamese refugees after the Vietnam War. It discusses the suburb's history, including its challenges with street gangs and drug dealing, and its transformation into a vibrant multicultural center. The essay highlights the dominance of Asian businesses, the presence of various cultural and religious landmarks like Buddhist temples and Vietnamese temples, and the overall unity and diversity of the community. Through photographic evidence, it illustrates how Cabramatta represents a blend of Asian cultures, fostering a sense of shared identity and respect among its residents. The essay concludes by emphasizing Cabramatta's beauty as a place that showcases Asian culture and the resilience of the Vietnamese people, promoting a message of cultural harmony and coexistence. Desklib is a platform where students can find more such past papers and solved assignments.

Running Head: Cabramatta
Cabramatta
Essay
System04104
1/10/2019

Cabramatta
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Cabramatta
Cabramatta is a suburb in South-Western Sydney, located in New South Wales in Australia
and one of the best places that display Asian culture in Australia. The story begins when
Australian prime minister opened the door of Australia for thousands of Vietnamese refugees
at the end of the Vietnam War. In the 1980s and 1990s, there were few incidents of street
gangs and the Vietnamese people are vilify and demonised (Noffs, 2016). Cabramatta
supports to represent all that is wrong with Asian immigration. In the late 1990s, this place
had the wrong reputation because it was a point of drug dealing but after 2002, this problem
has been ended when NSW state parliament enforced the anti-drug law in the region (Flux,
2017).
There are large numbers of Asian people (especially Vietnamese people) lives in Cabramatta,
and thus it is popularly known as ‘Cabra’. One of the major cons of these area is that the
population demographics of Cabramatta include large numbers of people who belong to
Vietnamese Australian or Chinese Australian, thus the major businesses and shops are
operated by these people and no other people involves in the Cabramatta business area. Thus,
people usually say that it is the suburb that represents gourmand destinations for both the
cuisines (Chinese and Vietnamese). Cabramatta is a place of all types of Asian and European
peoples in the late 20th century (Jakubowicz, 2015). Then after Cabramatta has been a centre
for the Vietnamese, Chinese, Indian, and some other European people. A large number of
people from Asian countries live in Cabramatta where most of the people belong to Vietnam,
China, and Cambodia follows Buddhism culture and their ethics while the Indian people
worship Hindu God and Goddess (Kałuski, 2017).
Fig. 1 ‘Welcome to Cabramatta’ sign that show the unity of Asian people and their diverse
culture.

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Fig. 1 Figure shows that Cabramatta is a mix of Asian culture, where a person can experience
Indian, Chinese, and Vietnamese culture. This is the holding on the entrance of Cabramatta,
which shows that the city represents the Asian culture and celebrating different diversity in
the region. This picture shows the domination of Asian communities in that area and they
also give a message through this is they are unite and show the different culture and ethics of
the Asian people.
Fig. 2 Gateway or Pai Lau in Cabramatta represents different culture of Asian countries by a
message “the world is for us to share and respect” with some animals sculpture.
The gateway is titled and ornamented with a pedestrian stroll and covered by a tree that has
bushes growing in large oriental tubs. In the lower part of the gateway, there are two bronze
dragons and some animals can be easily depicted. The gateways represent the different
culture of Asia including that represents Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Laotian, Cambodian
culture and English inscriptions (Castillo and Hirst, 2010). This place provides maximum
jobs for the Vietnamese and Asian people, and even the shops are operated by the people who
belong to Vietnam and other Asian countries. The negative side of this place is that only
those people get jobs who are Asian or Vietnamese.
The front view of the gateway shows a message that is “the world is for us to share and
respect” that shows the liberty and democracy of Asian culture. This palace also includes a
smart shopping centre. One can also view the ‘Little Saigon' in the Cabramatta.

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Fig. 3 Buddhist Temple in Cabramatta shows the religious view of Budhha and it is a temple
that is used by most of the Asian migrant people who believe in Lord Budhha.
Fig. 3 This picture shows the Buddhism temple in Cabramatta. Buddhist temple in
Cabramatta shows the cultural change and cultural diversity. People from China and Vietnam
worships for Buddha and thus this place has great importance from their religious point of
view. Cabramatta is a city of cultural diversity where people from different religions and
different countries are living together (Reid, 2018). This place is mostly connected those
people who belongs to Buddha religion.
This temple shows the Buddhism culture and it represents the Asian culture. The temple and
meditation centre represents the Asian culture mostly Indian, Vietnamese, and Chinese
culture. Thee temples are the ministering to refugee communities. Monks and nuns are
coming in the temple with empty hands and there is no central fund involves. The people of
this community encourage being independent and they are motivated to live independently
and supports others if they required help.

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Fig. 4 ‘Statue of Pig’ John Street that represents the faith and trust of Vietnamese people in
Pig, because they think that pig brings good luck and fortune for people.
Fig. 4 The Oriental Centre: Bestowed with accolades of monuments to rest with the Asian
populace thriving here. This place is called John Street. This sculpture shows the strength of
Vietnamese people. People in Vietnam think that pig brings good fortune and luck but they
are also being eaten and it is so worst for them. Although, this one is one of the cute sculpture
in Cabramatta that represents the Vietnamese culture and shows what they think about the
pigs.

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Fig. 5 Russian Orthodx Church shows the unity among people in diverse cultural place.
The Russian Orthodx Church shows the unity among people and provides knowledge to
youths and the adult people. The Russian Orthodox Church treated as ‘the most holy mother
of God’. It has been consider by the people of Cabramaata that in the XII Century, Churches
in honour of the pokrov-protection of the mother of god appeared in Russia (Birrell, 2012).

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Fig. 6 Minh Quang Vietnamese Temple
Fig. 6 This figure shows the Vietnamese culture and it is a temple that shows the Asian
culture and mix of their art on the buildings. The script above the pic shows the manuscript of
the Vietnamese language. The ethnic enclaves help migrant communities to reproduce and
preserve their culture, because it can be said that religion is the crucial part of any culture.
Dutton plaza is another famous place in Cabramatta located in central Cabramatta city. The
Fairfield city council invested huge amount for the development of local community and this
development of community compromises 31 retail premises and amenities buildings on the
ground floor (Loka, Nossar, and Bauman, 2017).

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In the end, after visiting all the places in Cabramatta it can be said that it is one of the
beautiful places in Sydney that represents the Asian culture and their unity. It also shows the
braveness of Vietnamese people that how they fight in the Vietnam War and then migrated to
Australia. The Cabramatta shows the unity of people and also give a message about how the
different cultural people can live together and the diversity in culture does not matter for
them.

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References
Birrell, B., (2012) Ethnic concentrations: the Vietnamese experience. People and Place, 1(3),
p.26.
Castillo, A. and Hirst, M., (2010) Look both ways: Fairfield, Cabramatta and the media. The
other Sydney: Communities, identities and inequalities in western Sydney. Melbourne:
Common Ground Publishing.
Flux, E. (2017) Battling with stereotypes:'Maximum choppage'and Asian
representation. Metro Magazine: Media & Education Magazine, (185), p.46.
Jakubowicz, A. (2015) In the beginning all is chaos: Roaming the Dystopic Realm in
Australian Multiculturalism. In Social Transformation and Migration (pp. 221-236). Palgrave
Macmillan, London.
Kałuski, M. (2017) Polish Religious Life in Australia. Studia Polonijne, 12, pp.179-197.
Loka, P., Nossar, V. and Bauman, A.E., (2017) A comparative study of the growth of South‐
East Asian children in south‐west Sydney born in Australia and overseas. Journal of
paediatrics and child health, 30(5), pp.436-438.
Noffs, M. (2016) Breaking the ice. Matters of Substance, 27(3), p.26.
Reid, S., (2018) Religious identification around Australia: Diversity in geography. Pointers:
Bulletin of the Christian Research Association, 28(1), p.6.