one day in cabramatta book

One day

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One day

One day in C

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One day

Dawn, Sydney25 January 2012

“I am an Australian born Vietnamese. Today I stand as an empowered young woman with an array of opportunities to seize, knowing many Vietnamese fled their motherland in hopes of a greater future. The struggles and battles they fought to secure their families’ safety and security and the stories of sacrifice and dedication of these people is what inspires my pursuit of happiness to the utmost potential. It is the fusion of my Vietnamese and Australian upbringing that I speak from, to which I’m eternally grateful for.”

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Foreword

Once Upon a Time in Cabramatta tells the story of our community’s setbacks and struggles, and more importantly, how the Vietnamese-Australian community fought back to become a multicultural success story.

Today, Cabramatta is Australia’s most culturally diverse postcode. It is a vibrant, exciting destination that attracts visitors from Sydney and beyond. This SBS documentary gave voice to our community, and the story was told by the community- the people who were there at the time.

The telling of our story goes beyond the documentary itself and extends to One Day in Cabramatta, a community storytelling project that was created to collect stories of contemporary Cabramatta from locals living in the area today. Over a period of seven weeks, the ‘One Day in Cabramatta’ Mobile Story Exchange gave hundreds of people an opportunity to contribute their voice and experiences to the rich Cabramatta story. The results are 464 story cards and this stunning commemorative book that will live on as a resource for future generations.

Whilst about the Vietnamese refugee experience, the stories that unfold in Once Upon a Time in Cabramatta are universal. I’m so proud to be part of this landmark project that documents the transformation of Vietnamese refugees into Vietnamese-Australians. I hope that it instils a deeper understanding of refugee communities and helps to enrich the lives of refugees settling into new homes worldwide.

Thang Ngo Fairfield Councillor (1999-2008)

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One Day in Cabramatta

Cabramatta is a vibrant multicultural suburb in Sydney’s South West and is home to the largest Vietnamese community in Australia. Also known as Sydney’s ‘Little Saigon’, it is a cultural, culinary and shopping destination full of colours, textures, flavours and accents. With more than 75 percent of its residents born overseas, Cabramatta is a dynamic community with more than 120 different nationalities living together. This commemorative book is full of personal memories, reflections, hopes and dreams for Cabramatta, scribed by the community itself, as a part of the ‘One Day in Cabramatta’ storytelling project. It captures the community’s voice and creates a record of their thoughts and views for future generations.

This unique storytelling project was created in partnership with national broadcaster, SBS, Western Sydney arts organisation, Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE), and arts collectives’ Popperbox and The Lot. It was designed to generate and facilitate discussion in Cabramatta, and the surrounding area, around the issues raised by the SBS documentary series, Once Upon a Time in Cabramatta.

Inspired by the documentary, the local community was asked to share their own experiences of Cabramatta through the ‘One Day in Cabramatta’ Mobile Story Exchange, a custom-built roving tea cart which acted as a point of exchange and generosity. Community members received a cup of chilled chrysanthemum tea in exchange for story cards, which have been compiled in this book as a legacy for the community.

The ‘One Day’ Mobile Story Exchange journeyed the streets of Cabramatta throughout December and January 2012 in the lead up to and during the screening of the SBS series to facilitate conversations and accumulate stories. Community engagement ambassadors interacted with people on the streets, the Lunar and TET Festivals, community pre-screenings, live screenings of the series, at visits to local community groups and Cabramatta High School.

The result culminates in this commemorative book - a legacy for the community, created by the community. This collective voice captures the spirit of Cabramatta and will serve as a time capsule for future generations to read and share stories from the past, and better understand the journey that has shaped their suburb.

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Introduction

Once Upon a Time in Cabramatta is the untold story of how the Vietnamese community overcame the odds and found their place in modern Australia. The three- part series explores the extraordinary transformation of this tiny Sydney suburb, and the impact this had on the entire nation.

The story begins with the landmark decision of Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser to open Australia’s doors to thousands of refugees at the end of the Vietnam War. It is a moment in history that finally buries the infamous White Australia Policy, and transforms a nation.

The years that follow are as dramatic as they are turbulent. The 80s and 90s see the arrival of street gangs, a heroin epidemic and the first political assassination in Australia’s history. The Vietnamese people are vilified and demonised, and Cabramatta seems to represent all that is wrong with Asian immigration. What’s more, the community exists against a political backdrop that is fractured, and universal support for multiculturalism is a distant memory.

But as the century draws to a close there is a remarkable turnaround as the people of Cabramatta say enough is enough. The Vietnamese people finally find their voice, speaking up to claim their rightful, democratic place in their adopted home. Cabramatta is a community transformed and Australia is a continent changed forever.

Once Upon a Time in Cabramatta was a cross platform initiative extending beyond television screens with exclusive content available online, as well as discussion across a range of SBS radio language programs and through social media. Helping to bring the series to life on the streets of Cabramatta, the unique community project, ‘One Day in Cabramatta’, encouraged local residents to share their thoughts, memories and hopes for their suburb.

The series was broadcast on SBS ONE over three weeks in January 2012 in the lead up to the Vietnamese Lunar New year. A Vietnamese subtitled version of the series was simulcast on SBS TWO as part of SBS’s Lunar New Year season of programs. Arabic and Mandarin subtitled versions were also available to view online.

sbs.com.au/onceuponatime

“I’d like to thank the Vietnamese community of Australia, and the people of Cabramatta, for letting SBS tell this important Australian story.

I hope the series is something the community can be proud of, and helps all Australians to appreciate the adversities Vietnamese refugees overcame.

Most importantly I hope this program helps us to never forget the lessons learnt from what happened in Cabramatta, and encourages a better understanding of the struggles that many people still face today when coming to Australia, and a greater appreciation of our multicultural society.”

Michael Ebeid, SBS Managing Director

“I’d like to thank the Vietnamese community of Australia, and the people of Cabramatta, for letting SBS tell this important Australian story.”

“The ‘One Day in Cabramatta’ journey with SBS has been a significant experience for Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE) as it created an important opportunity for us to re-engage with the Vietnamese and non-Vietnamese community of Cabramatta and deepen our relationship with them.

Facilitating storytelling is a major aspect of ICE’s everyday work and ‘One Day in Cabramatta’ allowed us to work with the Vietnamese community to encourage them to share their thoughts and feelings about Cabramatta and relieve themselves of their sometimes unspoken memories. This was a richly rewarding project for ICE to partner on and our heartfelt thanks goes to each member of the Vietnamese and Cabramatta community who contributed to creating such an important legacy - this book is for you.”

Lisa Torrance, ICE Executive Director

“This was a richly rewarding project for ICE to partner on and our heartfelt thanks goes to each member of the Vietnamese and Cabramatta community who contributed to creating such an important legacy - this book is for you.”

“Fear > Change > Strength = Peace”

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Community Events

The ‘One Day’ project included bespoke events such as community sneak peeks of the series, community and school workshops, and set up stall at the Fairfield Lunar New Year and TET festivals . The wider conversation took place across local and national press and Social Media networks with twitter, Facebook and the Once Upon A Time in Cabramatta website all providing a platform for hundreds of comments and personal stories to be shared.

This book showcases the conversation that took place around the series. All manner of creative expression are included with drawings, stories, and poetry, all coming together to take you on a journey of Cabramatta through the eyes of the Community.

DEC 15, 2011 Pre-screening at Cabramatta High Sneak peek of episode one for Year 10 graduates at Cabramatta High.

DEC 21, 2011

Community Pre-Screening Preview for the Cabramatta Community at Powerhouse Youth Theatre with guest speakers Maria Tran and Commissioning Editor, John Godfrey, SBS Photos by Michael Chin

JAN 14 – 15, 2011

Lunar New Year Festival Freedom Plaza The Mobile Story Exchange collects community stories about Cabramatta’s past, present and future at the Lunar New Year Festival. Photos by Michael Chin

JAN 15, 2012 Live Screening of Episode 2 Maria Tran leads a bespoke screening and discussion event at Youth ‘Shed’ in Cabramatta.

JAN 22, 2012 Live Screening of Episode 3 Live screening and discussion event at Powerhouse Youth Theatre in Fairfield with approximately 100 locals attending. Photos by Michael Chin

JAN 28, 2012 TET Vietnamese New Year Festival The Mobile Story Exchange visits the TET Festival at Fairfield Showground. Photos by Ravi Kambhoj

FEB 9, 2011 Project presentation at College Open Day Maria Tran discusses the project with the English Navitas Program at Cabramatta College Open Day. The class had previously used the story cards to practise their English.

“The stigma of Cabra being a community of imports, gangs and misconducts will be changed”

“I love Cabramatta Cabramatta is heaven for everyone”

Alex Bui Aged 11

It keeps getting better and better. I went into Freedom Plaza yesterday to ask people about it, and not only had everyone I spoke to seen the documentary and loved it, but I had a group of about 15 teenagers clamouring to give me their input. Congrats to the whole team – a fantastic response so far!!

Lauren McMah Journalist, Fairfield Advance

“Just went back there for the first time in 15 years last month. I must admit I felt a little nervous.”

From drug addicts to food tourists

“I lived close to Cabra for most of my younger life. Yes, in the 90’s it was horrifying what had become of that particular community. This doco was great in showing what a huge turn-around can happen when a resilient community based on family ties gets government support. Really inspiring stuff. Just went back there for the first time in 15 years last month. I must admit I felt a little nervous. As a ‘whitie’ the last time I had been there I couldn’t walk 10 metres without being approached, in some way, to buy heroin. ‘Seedy’ doesn’t come anywhere close to describing how it used to be. The only other ‘whities’ (back then) were lying in the gutter with needles still in their arms. It was otherworldly, sad - and disgraceful. So, this time - what a change! We had come there with a group of well do to other whities to eat our way from one end of town to the other. AMAZING. Quite unsurprisingly, the SMH Good Food Guide has weaved its way through there before us... Cabra is amazing.”

Audrey, Hunter Valley26 Jan 2012 | 16:16 AEST

22 people agree, 0 people disagreeComment from SBS Online

This type of documentary should be done more often by SBS to breakdown prejudices and stereotyping and to show that, in the long term, Australia always comes out a big winner with Multiculturalism.”

“Congratulations to SBS on the production and showing of the 3 part series “Once Upon the Time in Cabramatta”. Our community regards this documentary as a significant and important step towards improving Australian public perceptions and understanding of the history of Vietnamese refugee, migration and settlement in Australia. The combination of professional journalistic approach and the provision of balanced viewpoints on such delicate, complex and sensitive topics were exquisitely well done. The feedback on the series from our Vietnamese-Australian community was overwhelmingly positive.

As a former refugee from Viet Nam, arrived in Australia at the age of 18 with no English, struggled to fit in with the new Australian culture and finally making positive contributions to Australia both academically and socially, I can so much identify myself with the stories, the struggles, challenges and triumphs against all odds of the Vietnamese people in the series. I am so glad these stories were finally told in such a professional, balanced and beautiful way for the benefit of all Australians. I have no doubt at all that the series has made a strong impact on anyone who watched it. It has certainly had a big impact on me and on other Australian and Vietnamese people that I met.

This type of documentary should be done more often by SBS to breakdown prejudices and stereotyping and to show that, in the long term, Australia always comes out a big winner with Multiculturalism. Once again, congratulations on a very meaningful and well done series. Thank you for making it so sensitively and positive.”

Phong Nguyen, CM. Federal President of the Vietnamese Community in Australia People of Australia’s Ambassador 2012

“We could relate to these families on so many levels...”

New Perspective of Cabramatta

Well Done! After watching all three episodes of “Once upon a time in Cabra..., I finally felt a big sign of relief that we, Vietnamese are not portrayed as the trouble makers, junkies, stupids who defended and silenced crime when questioned by the police. I live in Cabramatta since 1981 as a child and am currently raising my three children here and watching these series was very reflective to me and my family. I am 38 years old now. Yes it revealed stories of the drugs and the 5T gang but that was really our biggest problem and shame then. Look-ing back, I must say we did very well for ourselves, my three sisters and brother never touched drugs nor in trouble with anything unlawful, but stories of our struggles to survive here as refugees was very touching. We could relate to these families on so many levels in particular working virtually 24 hours for next to nothing, my dad drove a truck Syd to Mel for a week for $150 wage and we didn’t have much food we wore charity clothes. Thanks.

Son Nhan Truong, Canley Vale24 Jan 2012 | 21:26 AEST


“The youth of Cabramatta are the future of not just our community but of Australia as well. We are losing our connection & they are losing their identity. This documentary will be great at opening their eyes & making them realise who they really are, Australian-Vietnamese.

Khoa, Federal President Vietnamese Students Association, 2011

“It took weeks for me to muster the courage to watch this documentary as it has been 15 years since I was an IV heroin user in Cabramatta.

Numb

“It took weeks for me to muster the courage to watch this documentary as it has been 15 years since I was an IV heroin user in Cabramatta. Having watched the episode last week I sat dumbfounded by what I saw. As a 16-year-old female, my boyfriend and I visited Cabramatta on a daily basis to buy drugs for others and us. I was just numb as I watched the world that was once my life. I had no idea at the time of what kind of reality I was engaging in, and to see the people and the streets and the buildings again after all of these years was just heart-breaking. I am now a health worker and feel so deeply sad for what I put my family through. I also feel a sense of deep remorse for the authoritative figures that were looking at users just like me and wishing they could do more. Looking back at that time I feel very sad for the Vietnamese community and for those that were selling the drugs. Very challenging to watch.”

Cori, Gold Coast22 Jan 2012 | 21:12 AEST


“The series for me painted a cultural picture and revealed layers of our community that I had never viewed in that way.”

Could’ve been any race

I grew up in Cabramatta in the 80’s and 90’s and watched with helplessness the decay heroin caused to our city and its people. The series for me painted a cultural picture and revealed layers of our community that I had never viewed in that way. It hit the mark in terms of telling the story of the plight of a people leaving their homes in search of a new life... Finding it, only to have it turned upside down... Then, amazingly, rising like the proverbial Phoenix from the fire to flourish once again. Looking back, it’s quite an achievement for the people of Cabramatta. If there’s one thing to be learnt from this, it’s that multiculturalism is worth every dollar spent. It is however, only rewarding to a country if there are sufficient support structures in place to make it work... Not unlike most other things.

T, NSW23 Jan 2012 | 01:00 AEST


My proud history growing up next to a community I grew to love –

So glad to see this go to air. I grew up next to Cabramatta in the 80 ‘s and 90’s and made so many Vietnamese friends that I still respect so much. Such a rich culture full of wonderful people that have, and will continue to contribute so much to the wonderful culture of the Sydney I love so much. My memories of being a young anglo boy invited into such a fun loving, family orientated and open community, even though it had its own problems, which it faced head on will remain a core of me forever this is so much part of what makes our Australia culture so strong. We learn from each other’s cultures. Yes, i was offered drugs so many times as a young anglo in Cabra station, but i marched on past the station with my head held high, as did my Viet friends, to the legitimate business of my school friends, past the needles and the junkies knowing that being human means knowing that everyone wants the same thing for their children

Shane, Parramatta21 Jan 2012 | 22:30 AEST


“I grew up in the same group of people around Tony Hoang and was on the streets of Cabra until the age of 17... it wasn’t pretty. I’m 30 now and it took me over 10 years to be able to go back there, but can honestly say it is a beautiful place now where I take my daughter to eat often. Cabramatta and the people who survived should be proud. I am. RIP all the friends we lost during that horrible time.”

Anonymous, Cabramatta18 Jan 2012 | 00:56 AEST


“I was born and raised in Cabramatta from 1971-1990. I had lots of Vietnamese friends and even a boyfriend. I am an Australian, but I can tell you that some of my Vietnamese friends were more ‘Aussie’ than me. I am still in touch with a few and have often taken my now grown up children back there. I wouldn’t be who I am without growing up there. Like Tony Hoang said, Cabramatta is like a tattoo and I wear it with pride.”

Leeann, NSW16 Jan 2012 | 14:46 AEST

3 people agree, 1 person disagreesComment from SBS Online

“I found the documentary to be quite an accurate portrayal of what went on in Cabramatta during that period because I lived it. I had become addicted to heroin at 17 and my life just spiralled out of control where not even my own family could save me at the time.”

“I found the documentary to be quite an accurate portrayal of what went on in Cabramatta during that period because I lived it. I had become addicted to heroin at 17 and my life just spiralled out of control where not even my own family could save me at the time. I now live a completely different life but I must admit, watching this documentary was painful. When I turned my life around, I never looked back. Who would have thought 15 years later I’d re-live this bad memory by watching SBS. Today Cabramatta is an exciting and beautiful place with so much culture! I wish more action had been done to clean up Cabramatta during the 90s.”

Ms Anonymous, Sydney23 Jan 2012 | 21:29 AEST


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#2 Once Upon a Time in Cabramatta and the ‘One Day’ Project were a sensation on social media, with #onceuponatimeSBS trending #2 worldwide on Twitter during the broadcast of the first episode on Sunday 8 January 2012*. The series was also trending in Australia with many viewers reflecting on their own memories of living or visiting Cabramatta.* Source: Twitter.com.

shiecake now the only addictive substance sold in cabramatta are pho and pork rolls #onceuponatimeSBS

ancyru Back in school, we’d walk in pairs around parks to scout for syringes and teachers move them…before we could play sport. #onceuponatimesbs

timsout I remember the bad old days of Cabramatta. Much changed. Drug haven one day, cultural attraction the next.

adamgdunn The story of Cabramatta is a symbol of what makes me a proud Australian. Don’t let racism & bad policy mess up our place. #onceuponatimeSBS

samkoh s reminiscing my childhood growing up in Cabramatta #OnceUponATimeSBS

lindivine To Mr Son Nguyen, You are NOT a failure. #onceuponatimeSBS

maralynparker Congrats to SBS for #onceuponatimeSBS on an impressive series. Must view for Australian high schools dealing with drugs and multiculturalism.

timkayau Once Upon a Time In Cabramatta: Every single Australian should be watching this. onceuponatimeSBS

sophierosebyrne “I escaped the bombs & bullets of Vietnam, no longer have to think of death, but my children have fallen into other things” #onceuponatimeSBS

shehascuteshoes #onceuponatimeSBS So much I didn’t understand as a kid/teen. growing up in Cabramatta.

eddy_trinh Watching #onceuponatimeSBS on Foxtel live. I’m learning a lot about the struggles of my parents’ generation and those who lost their way.

jenius Just called my parents to tell them to turn on #onceuponatimeSBS. Wish I was watching it with them. Ashamed I haven’t heard their story.

blueapocalypse My mum sewed at home, t-shirts for like 20c each I think & after school I would help her fold all the clothes & bag them #onceuponatimeSBS

cinema Having just seen the exact same story of how my family got to Australia on #onceuponatimeSBS just brought on tears.

sinsofasaint_ Cass&ra #ONCEUPONATIMESBS this is so heart breaking. I’m going to bow down to my grandparents on Chinese new year and thank them for everything.

adamgdunn Seeing those images always reminds why we should look after newcomers. Nearly all of us were newcomers once. #onceuponatimeSBS

lisa_singh Thank you to the courageous Vietnamese families who shared their story on #onceuponatimeSBS

“...you can barely see the scars of old Cabramatta – they’re nearly fully healed.”

Its amazing to see how Cabramatta has changed, my dad came to Cabramatta around 1999 - 2000, I was only 3 but he came to try help and change the place. I come from a half Australian half Asian family, and I’m glad to see it’s changed, I went to primary school in Cabramatta at Cabramatta public school, and now I attend the high school, you can barely see the scars of old Cabramatta – they’re nearly fully healed.

Jared, Cabramatta 05 Feb 2012 | 13:43 AEST


“Brilliant doco! I grew up in Cab and saw all of this first hand.”

“Brilliant doco! I grew up in Cab and saw all of this first hand. The transformation between then and now is truly amazing. There is no place in Australia like Cabramatta today. It’s because of the bravery and struggle of so many that I’m able to safely take my kids to Cabramatta and witness the bright smiles, enjoy the cultural diversity and indulge in the beautiful food that’s on offer. Cabramatta will continue to get better with time!”

Kosta, Chipping Norton06 Feb 2012 | 22:58 AEST

1 person agrees, 0 people disagreeComment from SBS Online

1.98 million +Almost two million Australians tuned into the broadcast of Once Upon a Time in Cabramatta when it aired on SBS on 8, 15 and 22 of January 2012, across SBS ONE and SBS TWO*. * Reach based on five minute consecutive viewing, 1,484,000 metro viewers and 498,000 regional viewers, based on consolidated data) Source: OzTAM 5 City Metro, RegTAM Agg Reg, Consolidated.

“I love Australia. I can’t see myself living anywhere else in the world. I love this country. I have a deep sense of pride in the fact that I grew up in Australia and that I am Australian.

There’s also a part of me that has a tie to my roots. I think it gives a lot of reassurance to know where you came from – why you’re here, that history. It’s almost something sacred. I haven’t been back to Vietnam yet, but I think I’d need to really prepare myself for that. I think it would be a sort of spiritual journey.

One of the funniest sights for me growing up was watching my parents, with their broken English, cheering on the Australian swimming team during the Sydney 2000 Olympics. They were so into it – they loved it! There was that deep sense of belonging to the Australian community despite seeing themselves as Vietnamese. Seeing how proud they were when Ian Thorpe won those gold medals – to me that was an amazing sight to witness. There was so much meaning in that moment. For me it encapsulated both my past and my future.”

Vy Nguyen

Excerpt from interview ‘Ever after in Cabramatta: A (different) Vietnamese-Australian story’ by Katrina Yu24 January 2012

“I love Australia. I can’t see myself living anywhere else in the world. I love this country. I have a deep sense of pride in the fact that I grew up in Australia and that I am Australian.”

Once Upon A Time in Cabramatta – Timeline

Cabramatta is a tiny Sydney suburb that changed Australia forever. These are 45 of the key dates in Cabramatta’s history and some thoughts and reflections from Cabramatta’s residents.

This timeline is featured on sbs.com.au/onceuponatime

1962

The Vietnam War (1955-75) was fought between communist North Vietnamese forces and the American-backed South Vietnamese government1. This conflict was preceded by the First Indochina War, which ousted French colonial rule (1946-54). Australia was involved in the conflict from 1962 until 1975 (although its role was predominately diplomatic after 1971), and it was to be the longest war in Australia’s military history. Almost 60,000 Australians served in Vietnam; 521 died as a result of the war and over 3,000 were wounded2.

Australia becomes involved in the Vietnam War

1 http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/fact-sheets/fs243.aspx 2 http://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/vietnam.asp

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Troops of 1st Battalion Royal Australian Regiment move through paddy field after being dropped by American helicopters during a search and destroy mission Vietnam, 1967 (National Archives Australia).

1973

The ‘White Australia Policy’ (Immigration Restriction Act 1901) intentionally restricted the migration of ‘non-white’ people to Australia from 1901 until the early-1970s. It was gradually abolished after the Second World War, but an emphasis on European migration remained until 1966, when the government allowed the migration of ‘distinguished’ non-Europeans.3 These migrants were expected to ‘assimilate’ and to shed their existing cultural identities when they came to Australia. In 1973, the Whitlam government removed the last vestiges of the policy by dropping all references to race as a criterion for immigration,4 and replacing the policy of ‘assimilation’ with that of ‘multiculturalism’. However, migration rates at the time were kept low and the new policy had yet to be tested by large-scale migration.5

Official end of ‘White Australia Policy’

3 http://www.dfat.gov.au/facts/culturally_diverse.html 4 http://www.immi.gov.au/media/fact-sheets/08abolition.htm 5 www.apa.org.au/upload/2000-5A_Lopez.pdf

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A British mother and her son stand outside a row of Nissen huts at Cabramatta Hostel, circa 1960 (Fairfield City Library).

“How strange to know that the White Australia policy wasn’t fully removed until 1973. That’s 2 years after I arrived in Sydney from Saigon, and 2 years just before the Vietnam War ended and the arrival of Vietnamese refugees began. But Vietnamese are now a deep part of Australia’s richly diverse landscape, contributing so much. Two former Young Australians of the Year have been Vietnamese. We bring much social and cultural richness, through our stories, working lives, creative explorations and charity work. We might have lost much, but never our courage and heart”.

Nga Tran Aged 56

11 June 1975

The Racial Discrimination Act was finally passed by Parliament after three failed attempts - subsequently allowing Australia to ratify the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD), to which it had been a signatory since 1966 6. This Act outlaws discrimination and or vilification of an individual on the grounds of race, colour, descent, national or ethnic origin, and immigration status7.

Racial Discrimination Act 1975 passed by Parliament

6 Making Multicultural Australia Key Events and the Racial Discrimination Act. Race Discrimination Commissioner, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission State of the Nation 1995 - A Report on People of Non-English Speaking Backgrounds Canberra, Australian Government Publishing Service, 1995, pp 289-292. 7 http://www.hreoc.gov.au/racial_discrimination/guide_to_rda/ index.html

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Proclamation of Racial Discrimination Act by Immigration Minister, Mr Al Grassby, 1975 (National Archives of Australia).

30 April 1975

Saigon (the capital of South Vietnam) fell when the North Vietnamese Army invaded the city, capturing the presidential palace. This action marked the official end of the Vietnam War10. The fall of Saigon initially triggered the flight of up to 150,000 South Vietnamese to overcrowded refugee camps in surrounding countries11. In the years that followed the war, two million people sought to escape the country as conditions worsened12. The scale of the crisis prompted the Australian Senate’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence, to begin an investigation of how Australia should respond.13

Fall of Saigon signals beginning of Vietnamese immigration.

10 http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/fact-sheets/fs243.aspx 11 Hawthorne, Lesleyanne, 1982 Refugee, the Vietnamese experience / edited by Lesleyanne Hawthorne Oxford University Press, Melbourne 12 http://vietnam-war.commemoration.gov.au/aftermath/ 13 http://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/resources/history.php#

Nga Tran Aged 56

“1975 was when the communist took over Vietnam. I was 20, I was still studying and we knew we lost when the soldiers charged into the Saigon city and told over the all the buildings. From that point our future was uncertain.”

The Vietnamese refugee crisis prompted an international humanitarian response, to which Australia committed support. Australia’s treaty obligations and involvement in the war meant it had a moral obligation to assist the refugees14. However, the government was initially reluctant to accommodate large numbers of refugees, choosing instead to provide aid. In 1975, Australia gave refuge to 748 Vietnamese people selected from camps in Guam, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia15. These were mostly elite Vietnamese, Chinese Businessmen and Catholics who faced severe reprisals from the new government16.

Australia pledges support to Vietnamese refugees

14 http://www.multiculturalaustralia.edu.au/library/media/Timeline- Commentary/id/115.The-Blainey-debate-on-immigration- 15 Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (1976) Australia and the Refugee Problem. December 1976 16 www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/statistics/federation/ body2.pdf

1975

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Australia provided aid to Vietnamese civilians both during and after the war. In this picture Australian soldiers watch young boys eating food donated to the Dong Chua Orphanage, Saigon, 1967 (National Archives of Australia).

In August 1975, a further group of refugees arrived in Australia, having fled by their own means from Portuguese East Timor to Darwin. By September 1975, this group had swollen to 1355 persons, many of whom were accommodated at the Cabramatta Migrant Hostel17. The area around Cabramatta contained three migrant hostels where many Vietnamese refugees stayed until they got on their feet. Most found their first jobs in Western Sydney’s manufacturing sector and once they were able to move into homes in the private rental market, stayed in the area18.

Refugees begin arriving in Cabramatta

17 Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (1976) Australia and the Refugee Problem. December 1976, p.46 18 http://www.dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/vietnamese

August 1975

Park Rd looking toward John St, Cabramatta, 1970 (Fairfield City Library).

On 26 April 1976, five Vietnamese refugees came directly to Australia by boat to seek asylum. Landing in Darwin Harbour in a 17-metre fishing vessel, they were Australia’s first ‘boat people’ 19. Another 55 boats would follow in the next six years, carrying about 2000 Vietnamese refugees, a small proportion of Australia’s overall intake.20 Many others died making the perilous journey on unseaworthy vessels, in severe storms or were attacked by pirates.21

First Vietnamese refugees arrive by boat

19 http://www.multiculturalaustralia.edu.au/library/media/Timeline- Commentary/id/115.The-Blainey-debate-on-immigration- 20 http://www.migrationheritage.nsw.gov.au/exhibition/ objectsthroughtime/tudo/ 21 http://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/resources/history.php#

26 April 1976

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Four fishing boats bring refugees to Darwin, 1977 (National Archives of Australia).

In 1976, the Senate’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence published its report, ‘Australia and the Refugee Problem.’ The committee found that the Department of Immigration had failed to adequately assist the refugees. The reports 44 recommendations marked the beginning of a new thinking which transformed the national refugee program22. The census that year, the first to record Vietnamese born people separately, showed there were 2,427 Vietnamese foreign-nationals living in Australia23. Over the next ten years, 94,000 refugees from Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam settled in Australia24.

Senate Standing Committee publishes refugee report

22 http://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/resources/history.php# 23 http://www.dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/vietnamese 24 http://vietnam-war.commemoration.gov.au/aftermath/ 25 http://www.dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/vietnamese 26 Collie, J. (2005) History of the CCC. Cabramatta Community Centre, NSW.

December 1976

In 1978, 5,400 Vietnamese refugees arrived in Australia25. Many arrived having suffered severe trauma from war, torture, starvation and family separation. Most spoke little or no English26. As the numbers of refugees increased, the limited welfare services available at the time were unprepared to deal with their needs. Cabramatta community volunteers formed the Carramar Activity Group to provided basic support services like childcare and English classes to the new arrivals, without government funding.

Community members form the Carramar Activity Group to assist refugees

1978

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Ulla Bartels, founder of the Carramar Activity Group gave the refugees free English classes in her home. Here she is pictured receiving the Australia Day Citizens Award in Fairfield, 1982 (Fairfield City Library).

As the numbers of refugees arriving on boats increased, a group called ‘National Action’, under the leadership of a self-proclaimed neo-Nazi, organized demonstrations at migrant centres in the Cabramatta area, protesting against the ‘Asian invasion’.27

Anti-immigration group ‘National Action’ stages demonstrations

27 www.multiculturalaustralia.edu.au/doc/vietnamese_jakubowicz_03.pdf 28 www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/statistics/federation/body2.pdf

1978

In Geneva in 1979, following negotiations between the Government of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Vietnamese Government agreed to forcibly constrain unregulated boat departures, but permit an Orderly Departure Program (ODP) in which Vietnamese were permitted to apply to migrate to specific countries28.

The Orderly Departure Program begins

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Vietnamese refugees arrive in Canberra, 1979 (National Archives of Australia).

1979

Tuyen Vu Aged 50

“My family stayed back in Vietnam. We had little choice and freedom and I dreamed of leaving to Australia to join my husband. I finally came and settled into Cabramatta. It was a new place but with familiar faces. I was still homesick and longed for my daughter left in my country to join me”

The ‘Australian Refugee Advisory Council’ was established to recommend improvements in the way the country dealt with an increasing number of refugees.29

Australian Refugee Advisory Council is established

29 http://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/resources/history.php#

October 1979

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Women and children in cabin on the boat from Vietnam, Darwin, November 1977 (National Library of Australia).

By the end of 1979, the Carramar Activity Group had realized that the needs of recently arrived refugees required the establishment of a formal organization. They made an application for funding to the Department of Immigration, which was granted in 1980, and the group moved into an office in the Cabramatta Civic Centre30. During 1980, 12,915 Vietnamese refugees arrived in Australia - the second largest intake of any year31.

The South East Asian Community Assistance Centre (SEACA) is established

30 Collie, J. (2005) History of the CCC. Cabramatta Community Centre, NSW. 31 http://www.dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/vietnamese

1980

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The Cabramatta Civic Centre on Railway Pd, 1971 (Fairfield City Library).

In 1981, the work of SEACA was formally recognized by the Department of Youth and Community Services and it was funded as a Migrant Neighbourhood Centre, the first in NSW. The organization continued to expand its services and changed its name to Cabramatta Community Centre. Over the decade from 1981 to 1991, the average Vietnamese intake stood at around 8,000 per year.32

SEACA becomes Cabramatta Community Centre

32 www.multiculturalaustralia.edu.au/doc/vietnamese_ jakubowicz_03.pdf

1981

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These signs point to the range of services made available to the community by the centre, 1981 (Fairfield City Library).

By 1982, 55,000 Vietnamese refugees had been resettled in Australia33. In that year, the Australian Government began admitting Vietnamese refugees under the Orderly Departure Program, largely focusing on reuniting refugees with their relatives who were already in Australia.

Australia accepts refugees under the Orderly Departure Program

33 www.multiculturalaustralia.edu.au/doc/vietnamese_ jakubowicz_03.pdf

1982

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Vietnamese refugees board plane for Australia, 1979 (National Archives of Australia).

After initial success finding jobs in the manufacturing sector in western Sydney, Vietnamese Australians were hit hard by the restructuring of the 1980s, particularly in the auto and garment industries. Subsequently they suffered some of the highest rates of unemployment of any group in the nation through the 1980s and 1990s (over 30 percent).34

Restructuring of the manufacturing sector causes unemployment

34 http://www.dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/vietnamese

Early 1980s

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Refugees were employed by lawn mower manufacturing firm Victa in Canberra, 1979 (National Archives of Australia).

Between 1981 and 1986 the number of Vietnamese refugees living in Cabramatta more than doubled, from 3,800 to 9,40035. An increasing number of Vietnamese and Chinese businesses began operating in Cabramatta, largely to service the needs of the growing migrant community and the suburb began to take on an ‘Asian character’.

Cabramatta CBD begins to take on an ‘Asian character’

35 home.exetel.com.au/ichsanna/resources/shortarchreview.doc

Early 1980s

Park Rd, Cabramatta in the early 1980’s (Fairfield City Library).

At first, the Australian public was sympathetic to the cause of Vietnamese refugees, but as their numbers increased, so did fears of an ‘Asian invasion.’ In 1984, Melbourne University’s Professor Blainey initiated a debate in the media over the scale and pace of Asian immigration and its potential detrimental effects on social cohesion, which has become known as the “Blainey Debate”. However, the refugees continued arriving at a steady rate and between 1986 and 1991, 44,984 Vietnamese arrived in Australia.36

“Blainey Debate” takes place in Australian media

36 www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/statistics/comm.../vietnam.pdf

1984

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Historian Geoffrey Blainey at a Constitutional Convention, 1998 (National Library of Australia).

In 1986, Labor MP John Newman, won the State seat of Cabramatta and would hold it for three successive elections. Newman, a migrant of Austrian-Croatian descent, changed his surname from Naumenko by deed poll in 1972. He grew up in the Cabramatta area and was elected to Fairfield council in 1977, where he remained an alderman for 10 years. He was also Deputy Mayor from 1985-86 and served as Acting Mayor in 198637.

John Newman wins the Cabramatta state seat

37 Priest, T. (2010) On Deadly Ground: The Assassination of John Newman MP. New Holland Publishers Australia

1986

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John Newman (centre) during his time as an Alderman for Fairfield Council, with Mrs Kathy Collins (left) and Mr Bernie Creach (right), Fairfield, NSW (Fairfield City Library).

In 1988, the Liberal party, under the leadership of then Opposition leader, John Howard, launched the ‘One Australia Policy’, which urged that Asian immigration be reduced for the sake of social cohesion38.

Liberal party launches One Australia Policy

38 www.multiculturalaustralia.edu.au/doc/vietnamese_jakubowicz_03.pdf 39 http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/stories/s321466.htm

August 1988

In 1989, John Newman warned the NSW State Parliament that ‘Asian gangs’ had a foothold in Cabramatta. “The Asian gangs involved don’t fear our laws. But there’s one thing they do fear and that’s possible deportation back to the jungles of Vietnam, because that’s where, frankly, they belong.39 “ Newman would become a frequent spokesperson on the issue ‘Asian gangs’ in the media, however little changed for the local community which was increasingly affected by street crime.

Newman warns State Parliament of the threat of Asian gangs

1989

An Phan Aged 49

“It was like a real turning point for Cabramatta. The 80s and early 90s saw law and order issue problems developing in Cabramatta and Newman was the only one getting attention from parliament. He was constantly trying to get action done and trying to clean up Cabramatta. All the efforts after was a bandage solution”

The iconic gateway or Pai Lau is built in Freedom Plaza, a pedestrian mall between the main shopping areas of John Street and Arthur Street, and opened on Chinese New Year by then Premier of New South Wales, Nick Greiner. It is a symbol of the South-East Asian communities in the area and reinforces Cabramatta’s image as western Sydney’s Chinatown. The gateway has since been Heritage listed because of its significance to the whole community40.

Iconic Pai Lau gateway is built in Cabramatta’s Freedom Plaza

40 www.fairfieldcity.nsw.gov.au/upload/stwru95196/Cabramatta.pdf

1991

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The Gateway in Freedom Plaza, Cabramatta, 1991 (Fairfield City Library).

While heroin had been in the area prior to the arrival of the Vietnamese, new links to South East Asia meant supply lines to Australia had improved41. In the years between 1990 and 1992, there was a major shift from low-level to high-level dealing of heroin on the streets of Cabramatta. High unemployment rates among young people, coupled with financial disadvantage and the existence of a large group of young men without adequate familial support meant that dealers had a large labour pool to draw from. Locals noticed an increasing number of non-Vietnamese people coming to Cabramatta to score, where the available heroin was purer and cheaper than other parts of Sydney.

Heroin dealing in Cabramatta increases dramatically

41 New South Wales. Parliament. Legislative Council. General Purpose Standing Committee No. 3 (2001) Report on Inquiry into Cabramatta Policing. PARLIAMENTARY PAPER NUMBER 864. July 42 Collie, J. (2005) History of the CCC. Cabramatta Community Centre, NSW. 43 Priest, T. (2010) On Deadly Ground: The Assassination of John Newman MP. New Holland Publishers Australia

Early 1990s

As the heroin problem escalated, the CCC began operating a low-key needle exchange program, which became busier and busier in the years that followed. The CCC later also established an Outreach Needle Exchange van that operated in Cabramatta on Friday and Saturday nights42.

Cabramatta Community Centre (CCC) opens needle exchange service

1992

In September 1994, John Newman was shot outside his home, in what would come to be known as Australia’s first political assassination. From that point on, Cabramatta found itself perpetually in the shadow of negative publicity. The tabloid press began calling it ‘the heroin capital of Sydney’, referring to the Cabramatta train as the ‘junkie express’. His controversial death sparked a four-year investigation – during which many assumed he had been the latest victim of Cabramatta’s ‘Asian gangs’. Reba Meagher was appointed to replace Newman in the seat, later winning it in her own right at the State election in October43.

John Newman is assassinated

5 September 1994

Tri Minh Tran, leader of Cabramatta’s highest-profile ‘street gang’ 5T, was murdered in his apartment on McBurney Road. The 5T’s main activities consisted of extortion, home invasion and heroin dealing. With the death of Tri, the heroin problem in Cabramatta worsened. The number of dealers multiplied and street violence increased as they fought each other for control of the heroin trade.

Tri Minh Tran is murdered

7 August 1995

By 1996, Vietnamese immigration had effectively ceased, following tough new rules on family re-union made by the Howard government (elected in 1996)44. Meanwhile, the CCC Needle & Syringe Exchange Program was distributing clean needles to an average of 80-100 drug users per day45.

Howard government introduces tougher immigration measures

44 www.multiculturalaustralia.edu.au/doc/vietnamese_jakubowicz_03.pdf 45 Collie, J. (2005) History of the CCC. Cabramatta Community Centre, NSW. 42 http://australianpolitics.com/parties/onenation/ 96-09-10hanson-first-speech.shtml

1996

In April 1997, right-wing politician, Pauline Hanson together with her senior advisor David Oldfield, formed the controversial ‘One Nation Party’. Their main platform was anti-immigration and anti-multiculturalism. In particular, she mobilized the discourse around Asian gangs and criminality to justify her position that Australia should put a stop to Asian immigration46.

Pauline Hanson forms One Nation Party

11 April 1997

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John Howard on the campaign trail, 1996 (National Archives of Australia).

Farid Farid Aged 28

“Pauline Hanson, a supposedly hardworking fish and chip shop from Ipswich in south east Queensland, inserted herself in the national political picture of Australia by demonising Asians and their hard work ethic. In the process of racialising whole communities and playing on the politics of fear, Hanson actually ironically strengthened the resolve of communities in Cabramatta to show a different side to her flawed narrative.”

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In 1997, Bob Carr announced that his government was going to ‘clean-up’ Cabramatta. Under the new police commissioner Peter Ryan, “Operation Puccini” was launched in July, with the intention of swamping Cabramatta’s streets with hundreds of police officers applying ‘zero tolerance’ to crime47. In the short term, the operation appeared to be a success producing a high volume of arrests. However, such policing was expensive and could not be maintained indefinitely. The operation also had the effect of pushing the problem out of the CBD and into residential areas. In response to the operation, many dealers moved into highly fortified drug houses, making it more difficult and more expensive for police to make high-profile arrests because they needed warrants. It also meant some residents were now surrounded by drug houses and were living in fear of their drug-dealing neighbours.

Police launch “Operation Puccini”

July 1997

In March 1998, former Labor MP Phuong Ngo was arrested for the murder of John Newman. The arrest sent shockwaves through the Vietnamese community, as Ngo was largely seen as a community leader48. Ngo had come to Australia as a refugee from Vietnam in 1981 and become a prominent businessman in the Cabramatta community. He had established the Mekong Club, a community club providing employment opportunities for local Vietnamese. In 1991, he became an independent councilor and, in 1993, joined the ALP, but he was not eligible for pre-selection in 1994 election.

Phuong Ngo arrested for murder of John Newman

13 March 1998

47 www.aic.gov.au/criminal_justice_system/policing/~/.../dixon.ashx 48 Priest, T. (2010) On Deadly Ground: The Assassination of John Newman MP. New Holland Publishers Australia

<<

Phuong Ngo, during his period of service as a Fairfield City Council Alderman, 1991 (Fairfield City Library).

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Vietnamese refugee Thang Ngo was elected to Fairfield council as an Independent, in March 1999. Ngo was disappointed at the indifference toward Cabramatta’s drug issue in the council and decided something needed to be done. He and Ross Treyvaud, President of the Cabramatta Chamber of Commerce initially formed a group called ‘Cabramatta Against Crime’, which they used to highlight issues to the police. Ngo also began compiling a series of media releases about drug related problems in Cabramatta that attracted media attention and put pressure on the police to take action and make the streets safe again.

Thang Ngo is elected to Fairfield council

March 1999

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Fairfield Council Alderman, Thang Ngo (Fairfield City Library).

In 2000, Cabramatta was ranked 51st out of 80 Local Area Commands using the police reporting system known as the Crimes Index, supposedly making it safer than North Shore commands like Roseville, which ranked 38th. This was largely due to the fact that the Crimes Index did not include drug offences or violent crimes, and was therefore misleading. The figures resulted in the Cabramatta police department being seriously under resourced during one of the darkest periods in its policing history49.

Cabramatta Police Local Area Command ranked 51st out of 80 in the state

49 New South Wales. Parliament. Legislative Council. General Purpose Standing Committee No. 3 (2001) Report on Inquiry into Cabramatta Policing. PARLIAMENTARY PAPER NUMBER 864. July

16 June 2000

Cabramatta Police Station, 1992 (Fairfield City Library).

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In June 2000, Thang Ngo received a letter from Year 6 students at Cabramatta West Public School, drawing his attention to the playground in Hughes Street near which most of the kids lived50. They told him that they couldn’t play there because there were too many syringes on the ground; they had been approached by addicts and had seen addicts overdosing on the playground “with their lips turning purple and stuff coming out of their mouths”. Thang sent out a release to the media and the response was immediate. Following the incident, more people in the Vietnamese community began to come to him with their grievances and the community began to find a voice.

Thang Ngo receives a letter from Year 6 students about Hughes Playground

26 June 2000

Following intense lobbying by Thang Ngo and Legislative Council Member Helen Sham-Ho, the NSW Senate announced a parliamentary inquiry into Cabramatta policing51. The inquiry began taking submissions in December and continued to do so for a year. The State MP for seat of Cabramatta, Reba Meagher, refused to support the inquiry.

NSW Upper house parliament announces inquiry into Cabramatta police resources

27 June 2000

In March 2001, Bob Carr announced expanded police powers aimed at combating the drug trade, including powers of search and arrest that would assist police to penetrate the drug houses. Police could now arrest people for being in the vicinity of a drug house or for being on premises where drugs were sold. Using these powers police was able to make significant arrests and gradually dealers began moving out of Cabramatta.

Bob Carr introduces special police powers to combat the drug trade in Cabramatta

March 2001

In June 2001, after two mistrials, Phuong Ngo was convicted of ordering the killing of John Newman, and was sentenced to life imprisonment52. The prosecution in the case argued that John Newman was a political rival of Ngo and that Ngo had killed him to get his seat in Parliament53. However, senior Australian Labor Party figures, including John Della Bosca, testified that Ngo was in fact seeking a different seat in the Legislative Council. In June 2008, an inquiry into the conviction was conducted, which addressed several of the concerns raised about the validity the conviction, but the conviction was upheld.54

Phuong Ngo convicted of John Newman murder

21 June 2001

50 www.thangngo.com/rls kids.htm 51 New South Wales. Parliament. Legislative Council. General Purpose Standing Committee No. 3 (2001) Report on Inquiry into Cabramatta Policing. PARLIAMENTARY PAPER NUMBER 864. July 52 http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/stories/s416677.htm 53 http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/that-one-day-in- september/2008/11/14/1226318927537.html?page=4 54 http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/phuong-ngo-to-stay-behind-bars/story-e6freuy9-1225700888447

Farid Farid Aged 28

“A small group of year 6 students, from a variety of backgrounds, wrote to the local council as the result of a unity on Government. Students spoke of their concerns of drug activity near their homes and in the local park.

I validated their concerns and we spoke about possible solutions. Students were told that they or their parents were able to talk to their politicians and that it was safe to do so. They decided that they would like to write a letter to the local council and this became the focus of their lessons. We spent a great deal of time discussing their fears and worries. Their letter was posted to the local council and one member took the time to reply to the students. They felt proud that their letter was the catalyst for action. They came in excitedly when they saw the changes that took place in their park.”

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In July 2001, the Inquiry published its findings in a report that heavily critiqued the Crime Index reporting system and highlighted the police’s failure to engage with the community. It made 25 recommendations on Policing in Cabramatta, these included providing interpreters, raising the proportion on non-English speaking officers and undertaking cultural training,55 which has improved the relationship between the Cabramatta community and its police force.

Inquiry report on Cabramatta policing released

July 2001

Cabramatta’s Luke Nguyen opens Red Lantern, an Authentic Vietnamese Restaurant in Sydney’s Surry Hills. Red Lantern was awarded ‘Best New Restaurant’ by the Sydney Eats Guide its first month of trade. He has since starred in numerous documentary series and has published a cookbook showcasing his recipes and his family story.56

Luke Nguyen opens Red Lantern

2002

55 New South Wales. Parliament. Legislative Council. General Purpose Standing Committee No. 3 (2001) Report on Inquiry into Cabramatta Policing. PARLIAMENTARY PAPER NUMBER 864. July 56 http://freshfiction.com/author.php?id=20610

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The changes implemented by Cabramatta police following the report’s release have improved the relationship between police and the community (Fairfield City Library).

Directed by Khoa Do, The Finished People was released and nominated for two AFI awards: Best Direction and Best Original Screenplay. The screenplay was filmed and written in collaboration with ‘at risk’ youths participating in an Open Family film workshop in Cabramatta. The nominees included Cabramatta’s Khoa Do, Rodney Anderson, Joe Le, Jason McGoldrick and Sarah Vongmany.57

In 2005, Khoa Do received the Young Australian of the Year Award for his services in drama and working with youths in South West Sydney. A Vietnamese refugee, he arrived in Sydney with his family in 1980 and has since made five films, including ‘The Finished People’, the subject of much critical acclaim. Khoa Do is a film director, screenwriter, professional speaker and philanthropist.58

‘The Finished People’ receives Australian Film Industry nomination

Khoa Do becomes Young Australian of the Year

<<

2003 2005

57 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0400434/awards 58 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khoa_Do

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Director Khoa Do on set, 2008 (Haline Ly).

In 1995, a film starring Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Sam Neill, Lisa McCune, Susie Porter and Noni Hazelhurst was filmed in Cabramatta. In Little Fish, Cate Blanchett plays a former heroin addict who is trying to build a new future. The film won five AFI awards and two IF awards.59

Movie ‘Little Fish’ filmed in Cabramatta

2005

59 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Fish_(film)

“Dai Le transformed the political landscape in Cabramatta. Cabramatta was a very safe Labor seat, with a swing of more than 30%. As a Vietnamese refugee, Dai Le connected with the local population, she shared their story, their concerns and their hopes. Dai Le showed that no seat is inherently safe and that no voter is inherently Labor or Liberal. Dai Le crossed the political boundary and captured the imagination of a community. Dai Le achieved a 29% overall swing since the October 2008 by-election, making Cabramatta one of the most marginal seats in New South Wales today.”

In 2011, Vietnamese born Dai Le, ran against Labor MP Nick Lalich for the Cabramatta seat in the NSW state election. The former ABC journalist mounted a formidable challenge in the normally safe Labor seat and lost by a very small margin – receiving 47.9 per cent of the votes after preferences.61

Vietnamese born Dai Le runs as the Liberal candidate for the seat of Cabramatta, in the NSW state election

2011

Dai Le receives the Victorian Multicultural Commission/Australian Multicultural Foundation Award for the Promotion of Multicultural Issue for her ABC TV Foreign Correspondent report entitled ‘Return of the Boatpeople.60

Cabramatta Candidate Dai Le wins United Nations Media Peace Award.

Zaya Toma Aged 30

60 http://www.streetcorner.com.au/news/showPost.cfm?bid=12453&mycomm=WC 61 http://www.abc.net.au/elections/nsw/2011/guide/cabr.htm

Vietnamese born Dai Le runs as the Liberal candidate for the seat of Cabramatta, in the NSW state election.

2009

American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, and activist Noam Chomsky visits Cabramatta High School. Students welcomed him in national costumes from all over the world, performing in a music and dance festival to honour him. The release of two-dozen peace doves in the finale was the last piece of Sydney hospitality offered before he returned to the US.62

Voices Inspiring Peace

62 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noam_Chomsky

2012

“with thousands of different voices...”

Quan Tran

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Partner Credits

SBS

SBS is Australia’s multilingual and multicultural national broadcasting service. Our principal function, as set out in the SBS Charter, is to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians, and, in doing so, reflect and promote Australia’s multicultural society. SBS broadcasts to a national television and radio audience and delivers content online on its website www.sbs.com.au

Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE)

ICE is a charitable community, arts and technology organisation working at the frontier of digital arts to foster community creativity and empowerment in Australia’s most culturally diverse region- Western Sydney. We amplify artists’ and community voices to build resilience, autonomy and infrastructure, and to enhance quality of life. ICE’s main activity is to develop programs that engage communities and cultural leaders using creative practices and digital media. ICE’s programs build capacity and connections, provide learning and participation pathways, and enable communities and artists to create and share their expressions, stories and experiences in platforms that provide them with a conduit to the world. www.ice.org.au

Popperbox

Popperbox is a collective of artists with backgrounds in illustration, design, fine art, comics and software engineering. Since their formation, Popperbox has created work with an ethic of playful experimentation and accessibility, focusing on works that engage and connect communities in meaningful ways. Their public artwork can be found in various places across Sydney as they move in unison, creating memorable experiences whilst standing in the warmest light. www.popperbox.com

The Lot

The Lot is a Sydney-based public practice working across the fields of art/architecture/design/cartography/research. Together with a wide range of collaborators we design and build public machines of all scales: conversational infrastructures, open-source buildings, hand-made maps, serious games, personalised vehicles, adaptable shelters and so on. Through these machines we ask questions about the much larger structures which frame our lives, sticking our fingers into the cracks and guessing at what some alternatives might look like. www.thelot.net.au

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One Day in Cabramatta Community Engagement Team

This book was produced for the community by the One Day in Cabramatta community engagement team: Kristy Mayhew, Bindi Newman, Lisa Torrance, John Godfrey, Maria Tran, Heidi Axelsen, Hugo Moline, Haline Ly, Jackie Leewai, Yu Ye Wu, Michael Chin and Ravi Kambhoj.

Thank you to the following people for their contribution to this project:

The acclaimed SBS Documentary series Once Upon A Time in Cabramatta is out now on DVD. Get the full three episodes of this gripping story of how the Vietnamese community overcame the odds and found their place in multicultural Australia. Available at retailers and sbs.com.au/shop

Cheryl Bosler Sarah Burke Adrian Castro Sue Clothier Nick Doherty Marilyn Gallo Elizabeth Godwin Craig Graham Richard Huynh

Wendy La Hien Le Tiffany Lee-Shoy Thuy Ng Elizabeth Nguyen Teresa Pham Alex Tan Elizabeth Vu

Cabramatta Police Fairfield City Council Freedom Plaza Retailers Powerhouse Youth Theatre

“I will stay in Cabramatta”

First published and distributed by SBS.

Special Broadcasting Service Corporation 14 Herbert Street, Artarmon NSW 2064 AustraliaUrl: www.sbs.com.au Email: [email protected]

Project Executive: Bindi Newman, SBSExecutive Producer: Lisa Torrance, ICEProject co-ordinator: Kristy Mayhew, ICEEditors: Bindi Newman, Kristy Mayhew & Haline LyArt Direction & Design: Wil Loeng, Symple CreativePhotography: Michael Chin, Haline Ly & Ravi Kambhoj

This work is licenced as a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Non-Derivative Work (Australian v3.0). Users may distribute the work for non-commercial purposes (including educational purposes) as long as the work is unchanged and is attributed as follows: Copyright 2012 SBS and Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE).

The program Once Upon A Time in Cabramatta was developed and produced by Northern Pictures and Fredbird Entertainment in association with SBS Australia, financed with the assistance of Screen Queensland, Screen NSW and Screen Australia. © 2012 Once Upon a Time Productions Pty Ltd, Screen Queensland, Screen NSW and Screen Australia.

ISBN: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Printed by Digital Press on XXX stock in Sydney, Australia

one day in cabramatta book

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