Cora Funk | Fall 2024
I have now lived in Sydney, Australia for over two months and during that time frame I have explored, tried new food, attended events and met so many awesome people from all around the world. At Macquarie University, I have met people from all corners of the globe, including Bali, Japan, Norway, Spain, The Solomon Islands and South Africa. And that’s just to name a few countries!
When looking into the demographic breakdown of Sydney, an amazing 50% of Sydney residents were born abroad and 34.8% of residents speak a language other than English at home! In comparison, according to DATA USA, the percentage of residents born abroad was 4.3% in 2022. So, while studying at UTK has allowed me to meet a wide variety of people, studying at Macquarie University as an international student myself has been a really immersive intercultural experience. I am so grateful for this opportunity to meet people from all different backgrounds and cultures because it has helped me to learn so much about the world and about different cultures and has allowed me to hear stories from far-flung places.Every time I go out, I find it fascinating the number of languages that can be heard. I get especially excited when I hear people speaking Spanish because I am hoping to minor in Spanish at UTK.
I would be remiss if I did not talk about the influence of the Traditional Custodians of the Land because these communities play a very large role in shaping the culture in Australia. According to the Indigenous Work Group for Indigenous Affairs, as of 2021, 3% of Australia’s population were First Nations People. First Nations People are people who have familial heritage with the first people who lived in the territory of Australia before colonization. While nothing can remedy the severe oppression and brutality faced by the First Nations People during colonization, the Australian government, universities and business are now trying to pay respect to the First Nations People and spread information about the customs and traditions of the different communities of the First Nations People. Many lectures, meetings and websites begin with an Acknowledgement of Country. Country describes the “land, waterways and seas” to which First Nations people are connected. With the Acknowledgement of Country, respect, appreciation and awareness is raised for the First Nations People and the land on which Sydney and other cities are built on. Additionally, in many places you will see plaques with different stories told by the First Nations People. These stories have been passed down from generation to generation to describe creation, Country and traditions.
I really encourage studying abroad if you want to learn more about the world we live in and the culture and customs of people from all over the world! Through my travels I have been very fortunate to learn more about different cultures and parts of the world, through museums, art, stories and school.