January 29 2008: Sports Does Not Define Australia
Filed under Politics
Let me take you back to May of 2007, when I blogged about a citizenship test that the Australian government was implementing. Think as well, of my issues in October 2007 with the former Liberal government’s decision to halt immigration of Sudanese refugees into Australia.
With both entries in mind, consider the following table of figures recently released, showing the percentage of applicants who have failed the citizenship test, broken down by ethnicity/nationality:
| Country | Percentage |
| Sudan | 29.7% |
| Afghanistan | 24.8% |
| Iraq | 16.1% |
| China | 4.1% |
| Sri Lanka | 3.7% |
| New Zealand | 2.8% |
| Britain | 2.2% |
| Philippines | 1.9% |
| India | 1.1% |
| South Africa | 0.9% |
| Others | 7.2% |
The most startling thing about these figures of course, is the fact that immigrants from the three countries who probably most need to be sworn in as citizens of their adopted country, are the ones who are most disadvantaged by the cultural bias of the citizenship test. I highly doubt that the Sudanese, the Afghanis, the Iraqi, were brought up being taught how to answer questions about an Australian cricketer – more like they were brought up learning how to be self-sufficient and survive in adverse conditions, personal qualities that many ‘real’ Australians need to learn.
Methinks that the exam creators need to recognise that Australia is not (or should not be) a country that thinks of itself only in terms of its sporting achievements. The strong emphasis on Australian sporting trivia and the recollection of historial dates does not, as I have said in the past, make one a true Australian. I don’t know anything about, nor do I care about, Sir Don Bradman or the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games. I don’t believe that makes me any less of an true-blue, dinky-di Australian.
What then? What kind of questions ought be on this test? Below, a few suggestions (created by yours truly):
- The city of Melbourne prides itself on:
- Its superiority to Sydney
- Its sophisticated cafe-style European culture
- Being the home of Australian Rules Football
- All of the above
- You would only make yourself drink a keg of Victoria Bitter when:
- You’re already so drunk that you can’t taste it
- Your mates have dared you $50 that you can’t do it
- It’s the only beer left at the pub
- All of the above
- The greatest Australian alive is:
- Kevin Rudd (Prime Minister)
- Nicole Kidman (actor)
- Kylie Minogue (singer)
- Amanda of Jingwen (blogger)
I think the answer to the last question is self-evident. :)
12 Responses to “Sports Does Not Define Australia”
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LMAO!!
I agree though, in the US, the citizenship question are all based on the government and political history I.E. What are the three branches of the US government?Who was the first president of the united states? Which were the last two states to enter the US? Who is the current president-vice president? Who are the current senators and who is the current governor for your state? Etc.
Dude, my mom passed ans she can´t even converse in english… I think her exam was in spanish.
Noemi on January 29 2008 #
I think the last question’s answer is
NOTDEFINITELY the last one… Yes, there’s no doubt about that :PChien Yee on January 29 2008 #
The last answer is totally Kylie Minogue!
Julie on January 29 2008 #
I first went to the doctor, he said it was nothing, just a mere mole/birthmark, but he said if I still had any doubts then I should see a dermatologist (my hospital appointment)
So I have seen two health experts about it, both saying it’s nothing to worry about, I still do worry about it a little but there’s nothing I can really do about it.
Thanks for your concern though :)
Jabed on January 29 2008 #
Woah, I agree. And I definitely know the answer to the last question :P ahaha, definitely D
Regina on January 30 2008 #
I remember reading an article once about how 80% of Canadian citizens would fail our citizenship test.
Don’t they give the potential citizens little booklets to study from or something?
Kaylee on January 30 2008 #
I’ve always been a Nicole Kidman fan! :D
Amber on January 30 2008 #
My mom did a citezenship test- she had to get a big fat book and learn stuff I doubt that many british people know. How can you test someone on their right to live in a country anyway?
Saya on January 30 2008 #
Nicole Kidman and Kylie Minogu are Aussies?! I’ve been living under a rock…
Haha it’s easier in Canada ’cause we’re all about multiculturalism here. I think we even give the citizenship test in Chinese and Punjabi.
Crystal on January 30 2008 #
Nicole Kidman ftw. :D
I don’t know the contents of our citizenship test but if they’re questions like that, I’d fail and the country would lose an AMAZING citizen.
Rilla on January 30 2008 #
yeah, the US questions are pretty much all about government and loads of people who speak English poorly (or not at all) can still pass it….I think they can get a translator that’s why, because I think my grandparents passed. It’s just sad when people who were born and raised here don’t know some of these things.
marilyn on January 30 2008 #
The USA citizenship test is kind of weird, too, but not to that extent. My grandma took it about a year ago, and she had to learn all sorts of stuff that my US History classes didn’t even mention. There wasn’t anything about sports, though. :P
My answer for #3 isn’t on the list, so I’ll pick you. :)
Kycoo on January 30 2008 #