One.

A collection of stories illustrated through

poetry written by Ella Avni

My purpose,

I wish to share the stories of those who have had similar experiences to me, to bring people

together through the medium of poetry. Through this compilation of poetry, I wished to

present the diversity of our young people on the Central Coast as I feel like it is an area which is

often overlooked.

The fact is, adversity and ignorance in our community is at an unacceptable level. A lack of

cultural education and representation contributes to the “us and them” rhetoric which is so

common on the Central Coast.

Individuals are no longer being seen for their merits, but rather the colour of their skin.

Stereotyping and engrained racist values are allowing young people to bury their culture and

differences in fear of being judged.

This should not be the case,

Young people should wear their culture and history like a badge of honour, using the

experiences of themselves and their families to inspire and be the change they wish to see.

A community which remains silent on issues within it is one which

fosters negative behaviour.

I created this small book as a tribute to those who do not feel comfortable within their culture,

who are silenced. I want to empower young people to stand up and speak of their experiences,

their culture, to have a voice without fear of any negative response.

While illustrating our differences through poetry, I used a red string to link all stories together.

To me, red is a colour of empowerment and resistance, I wanted to portray that although we all

are different, we are intrinsically linked by our ability to have a voice. Although we are diverse,

although we have differences, we are all connected

We are one.

Lily, age 16

Horsfield Bay

Female

I am Lily,

I am strong, vulnerable

I am different, mind rich with empathy

I am Australian born Chinese, an acronym of the ABCs,

In order to call Horsfield Bay my home,

my parents crossed the seas.

I struggled to come to terms with my race

Racism and discrimination remaining unspoken,

People do not at first notice my face-

They see, assume, generalise before my mouth opens.

I am connected with my culture,

In both small and big ways

I switch between languages, as they watch in a daze.

Mandarin and English both drip from my tongue

The remnants of a culture which I must carry on.

My culture present In celebrations, such as

Chinese New Year- where red pockets I receive from my loved people

Noodles representative of longevity

Stringing from my mouth as I age another year

I am connected to my culture, I love my heredity

I want to be unafraid of failure,

Start businesses,

Start charities,

NGOs, NPOs,

Failed relentlessly.

I want to share experience with others,

I want to travel and sail the sea

I want to see what this world offers,

I want to leave a legacy

I feel challenged by ignorance

A bubble surrounding those who are afraid to confront the unknown.

Rather than accepting difference

My abilities are assumed, not proven

We must not dwell on ignorance,

As ignorance is bliss- to those who wish

To remain in blissful indifference.

We must stay strong together

in the face of adversity, the fight is never done

we are one.

Bilguun, age 15

Killcare

I am Bilguun,

I am multicultural,

I am different

I recently migrated from Mongolia,

A culture of Russian and Chinese background,

My grandmother from Korea,

Stepfather from New Zealand,

Learning my multicultural history-

A lesson which is worldly.

I came to Australia in April last year,

I have built friendships, relationships here.

I feel accepted by my community,

A culture of love and harmony.

I find it hard to relate to Australian culture,

Culture shock when interacting with one another.

Different upbringings, different lives,

Our diversity is what allows our community to thrive.

I learned a new language,

A new culture, a new life

It is my friends who helped me manage.

I stay with those who understand,

Who empathise and lend a hand.

When I believed I did not belong,

They believed I can.

We must reach out,

We must not stay silent when troubled

With unbelonging or struggle.

We must band with those who can save,

Us from a hardship and remain unscathed.

Friends, we must never have none,

we are one

Joojoo, age 16

Ourimbah

I am Joojoo

I am different from my peers,

My features set me apart.

I am from South Korea,

Adopted and brought to Australia at a young age.

Although disconnected from country and family,

My culture remains at every life stage.

Immersed in culture through food and tradition,

Enabled me to maintain that connection.

I value my culture

It gives me a sense of identity,

exploring myself, knowing my history.

I discover my culture, digging deeper everyday

Languages I learn and international friendships I maintain.

I must hold my culture close as where I live in stability

Is not synonymous to my ethnicity.

I have a dream of entertaining,

In Korea, my place which culture is reigning.

I see my idols of my place of birth,

They make me happy- understand my worth.

I wish to be able to make someone feel

The way this music and dance enables me to heal.

I have a passion for dance,

However, my home is not allowing me a chance,

Opportunities for international success

Are not available in Australia, I confess.

I am alone,

A lack of diversity in my home.

My name, my face,

I am different

Because of my race.

I look and see no reflection of my culture,

In those whose mouths speak so vulgar.

In response to ignorance I learn,

I empower myself with knowledge of I,

And not of them.

I build friendships with those who understand.

We should not ignore,

A community which stays silent

Only fosters ignorance

Encourage education,

Stand together, be patient.

With ignorance, no one has ever won,

We are one.

Allirra, Age 17

Bensville

I am Allirra

I am a Wadi Wadi woman of Yuin nation

I have passion for my land,

Nature my inspiration.

I am connected to the land where bush meets sea,

A love for the natural world

I feel it coursing inside of me.

Born on the peninsula, I belong in Jervis Bay

Through connection to my culture,

From materialism and greed, I stray

I am of the oldest culture in the world,

Kinship, bush and spirituality

I am proud of these roots, they are my identity.

My culture lives in my heart, heard through my ears.

I wish to educate everyone who hears.

Values of kinship, bush and spirituality

Be like the powerful voices of my family.

Activism in the wake of injustice,

I will fight for a cause, I will fight for my rights

I will fight for recognition of our existence.

“If you look after land and country

Land and country will look after you”

I walk the lands which meet the sea

I wish to take care of the lands, I do

My land where tradition grows like

Black sheoak from dunes with foliage like spikes.

I feel challenged by apathy,

A lack of knowledge of my history,

Representation here is at a low

A plague of ignorance disturbs me so.

In the face of injustice I try

To educate those who refuse the story of i.

Our story which remains untold,

We must learn of what has been and can be done

We are one.

Ella, age 16

Copacabana

I am Ella

I have a voice

My Nene and Dede came here from Cyprus,

I am grateful for their choice.

I feel it hard to connect to culture,

When my vision is flooded by none

I sport an evil eye blue in colour

With my family I celebrate Bayrumi

I feast on traditional foods when I visit,

Dolma, Mulukhiya and pilaf

My friends laugh when they try to pronounce it.

My Nene was stripped of her voice,

No education, she had no choice.

A life of oppression she could not flee,

Reading and writing she was never allowed

Her experiences are what empower me.

My life purpose to make her proud.

I have skin similar to the earth in hue

Juxtaposed against the sand which is surrounding

A monocultural environment nurtures a girl of two

Taken as a token, ignorant words resounding

I am known for my race, not my value.

I drown the apathy with empathetic words,

Defeating hate, loving and being heard.

I wish to give a voice to the silenced,

To give peace to a world which is violent

Words and difference stream through my mind

Crashing upon this page of mine

Taking physical form in charcoal ink

Think, to transform I think

The air I breathe as my fuel

My pen as my tool

I think to challenge

My thoughts my bullets I slay my world

In a mad waltz, my dreary whirled

I am my word, a girl of the sun

We are one.

We are one

We are different,

Yet the same.

Our diversity is what makes us, us

We cannot allow stereotypes define us

As we are more than our race. Thus

Allow empowerment through difference.

Allow proudness in culture in every sense,

A generation breaking from silence.

Although we are different,

We are intrinsically linked by humanity

Red, weaving, intense humanity

The type which refuses to be undermined

The type which screams, which will not be confined.

It is bright like the blood which courses in our veins,

It is loud to shatter any prejudice which remains.

A humanity expressed through our voice,

Together we stand in solidarity, defiance

As we recognise that some do not have a choice

But to remain in silence.

Let our voices be heard,

Each sentence let them echo word after word.

A community which remains in silence

Fosters a world of compliance

we must stand

allow our words to drip like honey,

empower us through our ability

empower us through our humanity

empower us through our diversity

through our differences we are empowered

through our differences,

we are one

Thank you

Marie James, community coach

Lily Wang

Bilguun Wicks

Joojoo Brown

Allirra Miller-Moore

Jaqaiar Liufalani

Hannah Lang of MYAN

For making this happen