Here is the text of a letter I sent out a few months ago to various ministers, party leaders, and media about the issues with Australian migration systems, particularly in response to Senator Chris Evans' constant change of rules. Since it's election season and migrants are being scapegoated again, I figured I'd actually post the text here for direct reference.
This version is slightly adapted from the original; it was sent to Andrew Bartlett (Brisbane rep for The Greens) a month ago and I included a line about how I had sent this letter in elsewhere but the response wasn't encouraging. Bartlett hasn't responded.
Please feel free to pass this letter on and use it as reference for any other projects or protests.
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I am an emerging artsworker and creative producer originally from Malaysia, of Bangladeshi heritage and citizenship, currently applying for Australian permanent residency. I have completed a Bachelors Degree in Creative Industries (Interdisciplinary) from Queensland University of Technology over two and a half years, with the assistance of a partial Dean's Merit Scholarship. I am active within the arts and youth empowerment communities here in Brisbane and across Australia, and have made very strong and fulfilling relationships and connections with people from a variety of cultures.
I desire to continue my creative and community life in Brisbane, hence the permanent residency application. However, I find that the overall process of migration and the constant changes of rules - especially with the new rules proposed by Immigration Minister Chris Evans in mid February 2010, and the proposed bill to terminate categories of visa applications at any one time - is restrictive, time-consuming, and not reflective of reality. I am writing in to share my perspective on these changes, highlight the specific issues involved, and provide suitable alternatives to improve the current immigration system.
People from developing countries, young people, career changers, entrepreneurs, and other people that do not neatly fit into pigeon-holes are highly disadvantaged by the system's unwillingness to recognise their contributions, skills, and potential. People like us hold strong resources for Australia financially, socially, and culturally, but are often confused or put off by the unnecessarily-complicated and invasive bureaucracy that is the visa application process. Our frustrations, however, go unheard - overpowered by under-informed people who use global warming, water restrictions, and the Global Financial Crisis as excuses for xenophobia and misleading statements. [1]
Most immigrants move to Australia in search of a better life - improved career prospects, financial standing, education, and social standing. Some have come from restrictive and oppressive regimes, disadvantaged by the lack of human rights or opportunities. Most immigrants do seek to contribute to the Australian way of life and be assets to the country - however, the manifold layers of the system forces us to begin as "guilty until proven innocent", requiring us to submit highly invasive documentation - bank statements, blood tests, police checks - to make sure we are not "cheating" the system. At the same time, we are considered Australian residents for tax purposes (and tax purposes only), which means we effectively subsidise plenty of Australia's public services, such as Medicare and tertiary education, while getting very limited and often expensive access to only a limited subset of these services [2].
On the 8th of February 2010 the current Australian Immigration Minister Chris Evans announced that 20,000 applications filed before mid 2007 would be rejected solely due to the introduction of new rules [3] . My application was submitted in mid 2009, so it should not be part of the churn, but the prospect of my application suddenly being cut due to the whims and fancies of whoever is in charge is frightening. The process takes many months and years to complete, and it is not fair to punish applicants with wasted time and resources for no justifiable reasons.
Evans claims that they are building a more targeted list of skills needed for the application process, with priority given to people who already have jobs lined up. However, based on my experiences and from talking to other migrants (past and present), even these suggested changes are difficult and unrealistic. Here is what I see is problematic with current Australian immigration policy:
The current "skills" list [4] isn't really a list of skills, but a list of occupations. It disregards the fact that many people nowadays, especially young people, don't just belong to an occupation - they build up a set of transferable skills, and move between occupations. Some hold multiple jobs that bear little relation to each other - or even to their initial university degree - but are still able to utilise the skills picked up from previous experience. An architect, a hairdresser, and an executive all share skills in design, problem solving, research, knowing their client, application of ideas and concepts - yet they're all treated differently by DIAC. The current system assumes that people stick to one career path from university to retirement, which is no longer a realistic proposition.
Newer industries, such as the Creative Industries, are not represented in the Skills list at all. Each occupation is given a number of points according to demand, and residency applicants need to meet a minimum number of points to have their application considered. However, there are a lot of occupations that don't give you points at all. Anything to do with the creative industries, for example, doesn't get you points - you need to already be hired as that role for that "skill" to be relevant to your application. The only Creative Industries occupations with points are related to journalism - but they favour traditional media over new media, not considering that traditional media sources are currently losing financial ground. The current and proposed updates tend to focus on healthcare and sciences, without taking into consideration the considerable contributions the creative industries [5] (or other industries for that matter) provide to the national economy, as well as to Australian culture and society. It perpetuates the notion that only certain occupations and skills are prized, which disadvantages both international migrants and local residents.
You can only claim one "skilled occupation" on the list, regardless of your abilities. If I could claim more than one skill on that list, I'd have about 300 points easy - stage management, production, journalism, marketing, all sorts. But I could only claim one, and spent ages with my agent figuring out the best occupation that encompasses both my skillset as well as my degree (the only deciding factor). As I said before, the list doesn't account for people who have worked across occupations and industries, and those that have changed careers. Wouldn't Australia be happy to have people that are flexible and can adapt? The current economic climate demands that people multi-skill and be prepared to switch careers - but the immigration system disadvantages (and in some cases punishes) people who are trying to adapt and contribute better, as they do not always fit neatly into systems or pigeonholes.
Determining your "skilled occupation" doesn't actually involve your past experience, but rather your degree (and now where you've worked for a year). If my CV had anything to do with the occupation I could choose for my PR application, I would be qualified as some version of youth or community worker. However, my CV and years of experience within the Brisbane community did not matter one bit. According to my degree, I was qualified to be a Print Journalist (while I do write, it is primarily for online indie media). A new rule has been added saying the degree wasn't enough - you need to have one year's worth of work experience to claim it. Yet how many students are actually able to get a skilled job while doing a full-time degree (until very recently international students couldn't do part-time study) continuously over a year, especially with the limitations of 20 hours a week? Volunteering does not count, personal projects do not count, ad-hoc or short-but-regular projects (like festivals) do not count. It also significantly disadvantages people who change their minds after their degree, or who took a degree in one thing but realised that their skills and passions lay elsewhere - perhaps somewhere without a degree available. As mentioned before, rules like these do not reflect the reality of the current job market.
It is extremely difficult for international students and migrants (especially people on Bridging visas) to get any sort of employment. The reasoning behind all these changes is the idea that migrants should be able to get a job in Australia to qualify as a permanent resident. This is often accompanied by cries of migrants "stealing jobs from Australians" and calls for tighter migration rules. However, it ignores the fact that migrants are already significantly disadvantaged in the job market merely for being a migrant. Here's how:
Stigma against minorities - just having an ethnic-sounding name can disqualify you from fair job prospects. [6] Having a foreign passport and an unusual visa makes this more complicated.
Company policies regarding visas - there have been a number of occasions when I was almost convinced that a company had a policy (written or otherwise) against hiring people on a Student or Bridging visa due to possible lack of permanence. QUT's Human Resources (HR) Department actually tried to tell me that they have a policy against hiring people with Bridging visas since they had no definite end date (they are valid up till a month after the final decision on a Permanent Residency application, but no date for that was available). However, a search through their Manual of Policy and Procedures [7] revealed no such policy. Their HR department did not respond to my enquiries. The Government does not want to give you a visa unless you have a job, yet from my experience many companies do not want to consider applicants with certain visas. It's a Catch-22, with the migrants being the ultimate losers.
Temporary residents are blocked from accessing job search help - despite being considered as Australian residents for tax purposes, international students and temporary visa holders (including Bridging visas) receive very little, if any, Government assistance - including programs geared towards job-seekers. Among these services are: Centrelink payments, Job Assistance, free training in childcare or hospitality, grants, scholarships, apprenticeships, traineeships, Recognition of Prior Learning, mentoring or residences sponsored by a Government agency (e.g. arts mentoring programs by Arts Queensland), credit cards, loans, permanent public service jobs, even entry into national television programs! Other avenues, such as further university or TAFE study, are priced at full-fee rates - which, at about 10x the cost for domestic students and without the option of grants or scholarships, is prohibitive.
International students must juggle study and work - international students can only work about 20 hours a week, even though most part-time jobs want at least 25 hours' commitment, often between 9 to 5 - clashing with university study. There is a misconception that international students are wealthy due to the requirement of paying full-fee; however, their entry into Australian universities has usually involved great familial sacrifices. After paying off the fees they may not be left with very much money, especially when it involves currencies that are weak against the Australian dollar. Also, the only jobs international students often get are menial jobs that hardly any local would do, paid at alarmingly low rates and utterly exploitative - to them, it's better than nothing.
Entrepreneurship is barely encouraged, and sometimes seems to be discouraged. Entrepreneurs should be welcomed by Australia - they create jobs and opportunities, and stimulate the economy. Migrants have traditionally created growth in their areas by setting up businesses to support their communities. Even people who don't make for-profit businesses, such as artsworkers or community developers, still enhance Australia's culture and lifestyle in major ways - often benefiting locals more than they are benefiting themselves or fellow migrants. These people dedicate part of their existence to the betterment of Australia - but they are not given any resources, support, or recognition for it. The focus on jobs actually discourages entrepreneurship and innovation - you're expected to fit into a mold to be approved for a visa. The process of migration gives no room for failure or experimentation - yet it is those two qualities that are greatly needed for entrepreneurial ventures to eventually succeed.
DIAC makes changes quicker than they, or anyone else, can keep up with them, and there are no recourses for people who are suddenly negatively affected. The average processing times for General Skilled Migration visas [7] range from 6 months to 2 years depending on where the visa was lodged and the priority levels. It is alarming to note that there were still a large number of applications from 2007 that were still not being processed - and now will be discarded not for any fault of their own. Migration agents, department staff, and applicants are not able to keep up with the rapidly-changing rules. It takes a lot of effort, time, and money to put in an application - not all of these can be recovered in case of an impromptu law change. Some applicants, tired by the constant changes and unable to wait any longer, simply leave the country [8] - but for many others, particularly those who have moved from war-torn countries or places where they are in significant risk, this is no longer an option.
The English language requirements completely disregard any university degree. Residency applicants are required to score well in the IELTS tests (International English Language Testing System) to prove their ability to communicate in Australia. This test was already required for entry into Australia as an international student - however, as the scores are only valid for two years, residency applicants would likely need to retake the test. The fact that they are able to complete an Australian degree satisfactorily should be be enough to prove language skills - but instead the degree is worthless.
This visa process is personally frustrating and heart-breaking, not just for me but for so many others involved - migrants, families, agents, and so on. Many people are left vulnerable and confused after trying to manage the unpredictable changes, leaving them open to exploitation by people-smugglers and human traffickers who take advantage by promising them "easier" but highly illegal and dangerous methods to enter Australia. After all, why bother putting yourself through the wringer if you're only going to end up worse than before?
Yet, other than the regular moral panics about "boat people", these issues with immigration from the perspective of migrants are hardly ever discussed. The only time mass media channels and shows like Today Tonight or A Current Affair bring up the issue is when it affects someone of European descent, or when it disadvantages an Australian. Yet this is the reality for many migrants out there, not just in Australia but in other places around there world - many of whom are unnecessarily troubled just for holding a green passport. International students and temporary visa holders are often too scared to speak out for fears of losing their visas; some have come from countries where the slightest criticism can lead to major repercussions. The Australian public is not sufficiently educated and are only exposed to the danger of allowing immigrants into the country. So this becomes a lost cause; one deemed unimportant because it is decided that no one is passionate enough to speak up.
There are a number of ways to improve the migration process, be more in line with the current job markets, and ultimately support Australian society in all its forms. Among them are:
Include documentation beyond just degrees in applications, such as resumes and references. If Australian businesses require a resume and look for skills and experience beyond a degree when considering a job application, surely a Government agency could do the same. It would not be too hard to ask for a resume, some portfolio samples, references, and maybe even selection criteria - thereby providing greater flexibility and enabling migrants to be properly certified for their best skills (and making it easier for them to be hired). The job experience considered should be taken as a whole - not just in picking one job that lasted a year.
Allow multiple occupation nominations, or nominate based on skills. Instead of concentrating a big proportion of points into one occupation, allow applicants to nominate various skills, backed up by proof such as resumes and skills tests, to create a package of their viability in the Australian job market. Once again, flexibility is encouraged, and migrants are more likely to find employment as they can prove their ability to adapt, change, and learn.
Changes should never be retrospective, and should always be include consultation with stakeholders: migrants (past, current, future), education bodies, migration agents, DIAC staff, and so on. There have been plenty of community consultations for issues such as youth & body image [9] and ratings on computer games [10]; however, none have been conducted about migration, despite the frequent changes. A thorough investigation on the realities of migration, including the experiences of migrants past and present through the different systems, as well as a look into hiring practices and obstacles, would go a long way into creating a more stable migration system - eventually benefiting Australia.
Substantially increase education around visas. There are plenty of misunderstandings and misinformation about the differing types of visas, especially with regards to work and study rights. Sometimes an applicant will ring DIAC for clarification only to be given different answers by different staffers. Having clearer information about each visa, and making sure it is consistently delivered, will help ease misunderstandings and create confidence within employers, migrants, and public service.
Substantially increase job search and financial resources. There are people and organisations who are willing to bend the rules to take in a worthy candidate who may not quite qualify due to residency concerns. However, this comes at great risk to their funding and the sustainability of the program. (This is a common concern shared by all types of non-profits and social benefit programs, trying to cater to demand that is greater than what their funding permits.) By relaxing the rules on residency for grants, scholarships, job assistance, apprenticeships, and other such assistance, more migrants will be able to skill up and equip themselves for employment - and employers will win by getting diverse well-skilled staff.
Australian immigration policies demand reforms that are realistic, humanistic, and takes into account the real-world experiences of migrants and current job-seekers. Migrants do not deserve to be taken for a ride as they try to keep up with the ever-changing rules. Many people come to Australia for the promise of a better life, and have often done all they can to contribute - however, the current restrictions only hinder them from doing the best they can, and ultimately hurt Australia as a country. A better, more organised, consultative system, based on real-world experiences and requirements, will not just benefit migrants but also bring prosperity and success to Australian economy and culture.
I call onto Senator Chris Evans, other relevant ministers, and the Australian media to open up more education and discussion on the migration system, informed by relevant and recent research into the effects and experiences of current migrants. I also call onto the Australian public to show empathy for the migrants who have worked very hard to integrate into Australian society, and to broaden their minds and be educated on the migration process.
I would greatly appreciate a response to this letter, to learn more about efforts to improve the immigration process, as well as any resources for those of us trying to thrive and contribute to Australian society despite issues with visas and regulations. Earlier this year I did a major mailout of this letter to significant politicians and media, and while I did get a few responses they weren't all that encouraging. I thank you for reading this and look forward to hearing from you soon.
Hi everyone who found me through my two-pager in Grazia (Australia)! I answered a callout on SourceBottle last week and got called in for a photoshoot and an interview. I was surprised at the space - I honestly thought it would be just a headshot and a paragraph! Now I can say I'm in the pages of a mainstream women's fashion magazine ;)
Just some things about me that the article probably didn't make very clear:
I'm not that desperate for a job, haha! I was pretty desperate by mid last year, before my parents' allowance stepped in, and there are months where I often wonder when or if I'll get any income. I find that things tend to sort itself out, though yes, if it weren't for my boyfriend (who works as a web developer) or my parents I would definitely be in much worse conditions!
Despite what the article implies, I do actually have stacks of experience. I've been active with events, festivals, non-profits, media, social enterprise, culture, youth, and performing arts in one way or another since about 2001 - possibly earlier. Here are my latest resumes (professional and performance). I get a LOT of praise and rave reviews about my resumes - both the look of them and the diverse range of experience - but I never seem to have the "exactly right" experience they're after. Which can be befuddling, especially when they don't seem to know what they're after either.
The freelance stage and events management work I do that was mentioned in the article is as The Merch Girl. As Tiara the Merch Girl I create performance art, assist creative productions & creators with their administrative or menial tasks, and am growing into event & project production. I love being The Merch Girl, and if I could I would just like to keep doing all sorts of creative projects and not worry about being properly "employed". But, as the article says, the money isn't reliable or much, so at this stage it would be good to have a part-time job that allows me enough flexibility for me to work on my own projects. (Or have people sponsor/hire me enough to just be The Merch Girl full-time. Ooo!) Besides that, I also do some temp childcare work from tiem to time.
The main drama surrounding my jobhunting is actually my Bridging visa. I came to Brisbane from Malaysia in 2006 for university and hung around to pursue performance and production opportunities. I applied for Australian permanent residency in May 2009, and while theoretically it means I can work just about anywhere anytime, realistically a lot of companies and agencies have no idea what to with you. The visa doesn't have an end date, despite being temporary (it expires 28 days after a decision is made on your PR application), so sometimes even forms don't work for me. I've had HR in companies knock back my application in seconds because they didn't understand the bridging visa (one time HR was telling me my visa was ineligible, at the same time the direct supervisor of the role I was applying for asked me to come in for an interview). The vagaries and inconsistencies of the migration system in Australia is something I amdeeply passionate about. I suspect my ethnic last name may be a factor too.
I don't tend to write job applications at 2 in the morning - I like my sleep! - though I have done job applications in the middle of the might mainly due to jetlag. I did reach a point where I was applying for every job possible, not getting anywhere, and feeling physically ill - just looking at job advertisements made me sick. Now I've pared down my approach; I only apply for roles and/or companies that feel like a great match with my skills, ethos, and personality.
Here are some other articles I've written about the jothunting process:
Five years ago I travelled with the WorldSmart Fall 2005 crew of Up with People across the US, Japan, and Europe and had the best time of my life.
This year was supposed to be my first crew reunion, hosted by the Up with People International Alumni Association. I had been looking forward to this event ever since my tour ended. I even still have my Time Capsule bag, with memories and letters from our crew (and a piece of chocolate I have to replace). The reunions are always held in Tuscon, Arizona (because it was past UWP HQ?), and while there are sometimes reunions in Europe and elsewhere, the big one is always in Arizona. It's the wone everyone goes to.
I was elected as Crew Representative. It's my job to hype up our reunion - our first one, especially - to get people to register, show up, and party. I had ideas for our reunion. I wanted to get everyone's baby photos and cast photos and put them together. I was half-considering an UWP burlesque routine. I was going to open that Time Capsule and see what was inside.
Then Arizona decides to sign in new laws that claim to be against "illegal immigration' but is really a license for thinly-veiled racism. This law allows the police to detain anyone suspected (not even proven) of being an illegal immigrant, and makes it a crime to not have your papers on you.
If you can't produce your passport, green card, or citizenship certificate on demand - and who walks around with them in their pocket every day? - the police can detain you. If you look brown, and talk with an accent - the police can detain you. If you happen to be wearing the wrong shoes - the police can detain you.
Getting to the US is already frustrating enough, given that most of our crew (including myself) come from outside the US and are either students or are in relatively low-paying jobs. Some of us went through great hassles just to get US visas for our tour; one of our crew members, a Russian girl, couldn't even join us in the US because her visa wasn't approved on time. And this was with tons of paperwork on UWP's side explaining the tour and providing an itinerary - the UWPIAA reunion crew isn't going to be that thorough. Yet for some reason, for those of us with the dreaded "green passports", a short holiday in the US means surrendering your bank statements and travel details of the past 10 years, just to prove that you won't hang around illegally (if Arizona police don't catch you).
My US visa expired last year and I wasn't sure if or how I was going to renew it in time for the Reunion, especially since it'd probably cost more than I could afford (they wouldn't be too impressed with my irregular freelancer/artist income). But the new Arizona laws directly target people like me - people who happen to look "foreign", people with weird accents and dark skin, people who don't have the privilege of looking like a white middle-class American.
I know what it's like to have your residency questioned, to be always on edge because you never know if or when you'll be kicked out due to a misunderstanding, to have to go through excruciating processes just to get permission to stay or travel. The new Arizona laws threaten my safety, and those of many of my crew members (some of whom are either Latino or can pass; I get mistaken as Mexican in the US). Our reunion might just be in jail.
Ironically, part of our UWP tour happened to be at Border Control at San Diego. We were right at the border of the US and Mexico. I poked my arm through a hole in the fence; a Korean friend managed to slide herself through the thinly-spaced poles meant to keep people out. I saw dolphins swim past the edge of the fence that went into the water. One of the border control people asked me where I was from, and when I replied "Malaysia", he said "...that's in the Philippines, right?"
There's been a disappointing lack of response from UWPIAA or UWP about the racist Arizona laws and how they relate to the reunions in Tuscon. The Boycott UWP Alumni Reunions group on Facebook has 12 members - twelve. There are more letters being passed around, mostly by older White Middle-Class Privileged American alum, about how we shouldn't boycott the reunion as it affects local businesses and it's still a fun event. And hey! It's Up with People! We're all about "bringing the world together", right? Our presence will make a difference, right?
How much of a difference can you make when you're cushioned in a bubble, the outside world thinks you're just an old-fashioned "happy clappy Christian cult", and the people who would actually make a hell of a difference get caught trying to get into your bubble because they look wrong?
How much of a difference are you making when you stay silent or promote the voices that maintain the status quo, instead of thinking about how your choice of location alienates a growing part of your membership - now that more and more people from developing countries are participating in Up with People?
How much of a difference are you making when you just take care of the people with privilege?
Below is a letter I send to the Reunions department of UWPIAA. Goodness knows if they'll read it; there's been some historical animosity and alienation between UWP, UWPIAA, and the 3 WorldSmart crews which tend to be dismissed as "a mistake". But if they're serious about making a difference and bringing the world together, they need to think about what their choices mean for their membership - and how it affects someone who had the best time of their life but can't enjoy it much anymore.
*************
Dear UWPIAA,
I am the current crew rep for the Worldsmart Fall 2005 crew, which has our first reunion this summer. Most of our crew members are from outside the USA, from a diverse range of cultures and races. I myself hold a Bangladesh passport and currently reside in Australia.
Recently the Arizona government passed laws that allowed police to question and harass anyone "on suspicion" of being an illegal immigrant. These can include the way they look, the way they dress, or the way they speak. If the person they apprehend is unable to provide their papers immediately, they are liable to further legal action. All for essentially looking "foreign".
These new laws (as well as simultaneous laws banning "ethnic studies" classes and people with strong accents from teaching English) are racist at their core. They allow for racial profiling, and do not consider that most people wouldn't be walking around with their citizenship certificate, passport, or Green Card (these items would likely be put away for safekeeping). It opens the doors for many people to be unfairly targeted just because they do not look like a typical White American.
It is for this reason that I am not attending the UWPIAA reunion this summer, have told my crew about this decision, and will not attend any other UWPIAA events for as long as they take place in Arizona.
It's already hard enough to obtain a US visa, especially when on a high-risk passport (such as passport from underdeveloped countries or Muslim countries - Bangladesh has the double whammy). The process is long and excruciating; you essentially have to give them your life story and lifetime accounts just so you can go to the US for a week or two! In my crew we had one person from Russia who was unable to join us on the first leg of the tour as her US visa was not approved, and another from Kenya whose passport, like mine, was often scrutinised closely. Also, most of our crew live far away from the USA and are either students or on low-middle income jobs (including a number of non-profit workers); we would not be able to afford the costs of heading to the UWPIAA Reunion.
I have read a number of letters from other UWP alum suggesting we do not boycott the UWPIAA reunions as they affect local businesses and UWP's presence will definitely spark change. These letter-writers come from a position of privilege; they are white middle-class Americans who would never be targeted until Arizona's new laws. They do not know what it is like to continually have your residency or citizenship challenged, to be singled out and harassed solely due to race, to be always on edge in case someone mistakes you for being an "illegal" immigrant. I nearly couldn't enter a club because my passport had hand-written details! The new Arizona laws are a threat to our safety and wellbeing, and it appalls me that more UWP alum and staff aren't openly speaking up, but instead choosing to endorse Arizona's laws by staying silent.
Will UWPIAA's mere presence in Tucson make a difference to Arizona law? That depends - does anyone else in Arizona know about UWP beyond "the super religious happy clappy group"? Will there be direct community outreach especially to migrant communities in Arizona, with something more substantial than "let's plant some trees together"? Is UWP and/or UWPIAA preparing a statement to the Arizona government strongly condemning the recent laws, including their potential to alienate a large and growing chunk of the alumni base? Or is UWPIAA content to stick to tradition and not rock the boat - even when it disadvantages their alumni?
I would like to see the following from UWPIAA:
A statement condemning the racist laws recently enacted within Arizona
Plans to bring the reunions outside of Tucson (and outside the USA)
Recognition that a lot of the newer crews, from about 2000 onwards, were majority non-American, and that more and more UWP alumni come from developing or underdeveloped countries that would end up suffering from the Arizona law
A statement reaching out to other UWP alum like myself who cannot or will not attend reunions due to these laws, with plans on how they can still be involved with UWPIAA and reunite
A stronger commitment to action to combat racism and inequality, either as UWP or UWPIAA, not just lip service or token gestures
UWP's motto is "bringing the world together". But maintaining the status quo and ignoring the massive amounts of privilege that make that possible only strives to pull the world apart. I am gutted to not be able to attend my first reunion, an event I had been looking forward to ever since my tour ended, for fear of my safety. Please recognise that many of us would like to attend the reunions if we could, and that we don't deserve to be ignored by UWPIAA just because we happen to have the wrong passport.
Thanks,
Tiara Shafiq Crew Representative, WorldSmart Fall 2005
A few weeks ago I edited this blog post about the pointless changes to Australian immigration procedures to formalise it, add references, and add suggestions. I then mailed it off to a number of key politicians and media, including Kevin Rudd, Michael Johnson, Scott Emerson, Anna Bligh, Campbell Newman, and of course the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship himself, Chris Evans.
Recently I got a detailed response back from the Ministry (not Chris Evans directly though). You can see the original letter here; below is the text.
Dear Ms Shafiq,
Thank you for your letter of 10 March 2010 to the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, concerning the requirements for General Skilled Migration (GSM). The Minister has asked me to reply on his behalf.
I understand from your letter that you have recently applied for GSM, and that based on your experience you have some suggestions on how the GSM program could be improved. I welcome and acknowledge yourfeedback, and would like to take this opportunity to address some ofthe issues you have raised.
The Skilled Stream of the migration program is designed to meet Australia’s national interest and needs and, in the case of GSM, to ensure that successful applicants have the characteristics that will assist them to settle and quickly find full-time skilled employment in Australia.
As you know, persons applying for a GSM visa must nominate an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) and be found suitable for that occupation by the relevant Australian assessing authority. You have asked on what basis occupations are included on the SOL.
The Australian Govemment recognises the need for a more targeted list of occupations to better meet the medium and long—term future skill needs ofthe
Australian economy. For this reason, from mid 2010, the SOL will be replaced with a smaller more targeted list of skilled occupations, based on research undertaken by ‘Skills Australia'. Skills Australia is an organisation which has been established by the Government to provide expert and independent advice to the Deputy Prime Minister on matters relating to Australia’s current, emerging and future workforce skills and workforce development needs. The Skills Australia based SOL will deliver a GSM program more tightly focused on high value skills that will assist in addressing Australia’s future skills needs. At this point of time the Department of Immigration and Citizenship cannot speculate on what occupations are likely to be on the SOL.
As well as nominating an occupation on the SOL, applicants for GSM must also obtain a valid skills assessment for their nominated occupation from the relevant skills assessing authority. The Government recognises the value of a person’s work experience in helping to equip them with the skills to integrate into the labour market. This is reflected in the GSM points test awarding points to applicants for specific work experience.
However, whether an applicants work experience is considered for the purposes of a skills assessmentis a decision for the relevant assessing authority. Since the changes to the Migration Regulations 1994 that commenced on 1 July 1999, the Department is no longer involved in the assessment process of clients' skills. The assessing authorities listed on the Skilled Occupation List are the experts in the various fields and, under the provisions of the Migration Regulations 1994, only these authorities can, in law, determine a client’s skill level for the purposes of migration.
I note also that some of your feedback relates to the difficulties faced by international students who wish to apply for GSM on the completion of their studies, including their limitation to 20 hours of work per week and their need to undertake a second International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test.
The educational outcome for international students is a prime consideration underpinning the current student visa regulations, including the work limitation.
International students, particularly those for whom English is a second language and who may be adjusting to a new culture and way of life, may experience difficulty working in excess of 20 hours per week and still achieve the educational outcomes they expect. Work limitations go some way to protecting vulnerable students from the pressures of excessive work commitments which may otherwise be prejudicial to their studies.
In regards to the need for international students to undertake a new IELTS test for the purposes of their GSM application, while there are cases where overseas students who demonstrated they had competent English prior to studying in Australia have since further developed their English language skills, there are also cases of students whose English language skills have declined since arriving in Australia and studying for two years. Accordingly, the majority of students applying for GSM are required to sit an IELTS test which provides an independent determination of a student's current English language ability.
You are also concerned that the current requirements for GSM make it difficult for international students to apply for permanent migration. It is important to note that Student visas are aimed at achieving an educational outcome. GSM on the other hand is predominantly driven by the labour market needs of Australia. While some overseas students make a decision to apply for permanent residence upon completing their studies, this is an entirely separate process from applying for skilled migration and there is no guarantee that, on the basis of having held a Student visa, a person will meet the requirements to be granted permanent residence.
The criteria for grant of GSM visas can and will change in response to the changing economic circumstances of Australia. All applicants seeking to be granted a permanent GSM visa must meet the relevant criteria set out in the migration legislation.
A key feature ofthe migration program is that it is continually reviewed and assessed for its relevance and outcomes in light of the economic and social needs of Australia. The program is modified as these needs change. Where appropriate, the Government does seek to involve relevant stakeholders in developing and implementing changes to the migration program. You may be interested to know that there was recently a public consultation process seeking comment on the GSM Points Test Review Discussion paper.
Thank you for bringing these matters to the Minister‘s attention.
I trust this information is helpful.
Yours sincerely
Peter Speldewinde (signed by someone else) Assistant Secretary Labour Market Branch
Some responses:
The people doing the assessments for most of the occupations on the Skilled Occupations List are VETASSESS, who are a general vocational education assessment organisation. It is not a specialised industry-specific agency. They do not consider work experience as part of your assessment, only your degree.
They are still conflating "occupations" with "skills", not realising that a lot of skills can be transferred across job titles and occupations.
You can still only choose one "occupation" no matter how skilled you are
Limiting international students' hours to 20 a week isn't going to protect them from vulnerability - it's just going them a chance at a job. Also, some employers have purposely not selected international students due to the work visa. It's their choice whether they want to work extra house or not- wjy the paternalistic attitude?
Students don't stay students forever. While they're on a bridging visa, how are they going to get the help they need? Isn't it irresponsible to make students go through all the expense and hassle to get a pretty Aussie-specific education, and then not support them after graduation?
Why do ESL students have to re-probe their English skills? Surely if they passed an Australian degree their English levels should be fine.
Still a lot of unanswered questions, still a lot of concern.
I'm a white activist who has done antiracist work with primarily white, female groups for decades. I used to do workshops for "progressive feminist" organizations to "help" them diversify when they found themselves with an almost all-white constituency. I'd tell them that they couldn't expect non-white women to join an organization that didn't represent them, and that true diversity required reconfiguring the organization at the most basic level: go to the community they wanted to include; form a focus group from the community; ask that focus group how the organization could best represent the community's needs; integrate a non-token number of women from that community into the organization's board; and undertake those projects along with the other projects the organization currently maintained. I advised brand new feminist organizations to do this from the ground up, rather than as a reconstruction project later. What I found, after 20 years of working with such organizations and such women, is that the huge majority of them do not want to be genuinely integrated -- what they want is enough non-white faces around them, that they can FEEL like they're diverse, WITHOUT changing the normative white model in which they operate. My experience -- and the experience of many antiracist "coaches" -- is that it's an extremely rare organization that will actually carry out a voluntary shift in the power balance. As Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "People can cry a lot easier than they can change."
"Reaching out" is not enough. Using different promotional media is not enough. People aren't stupid -- they know where the power lies even when you put black faces in your advertising (as many colleges do when they try to attract students, putting a proportion of non-white faces that is far higher than on the actual campus). You need to be willing to be inclusive on the level that awards real power to people who aren't like you.
I have been following the Constance McMillian story for a while now - the girl who wanted to bring her girlfriend and wear a tux to her prom, got denied, sued, saw her prom cancelled, got a lot of accolades for speaking up, and then on the promise of a "prom" was sent to a decoy with only 7 people (including 2 learning disabled kids!) while everyone else disappeared to a private party. Metafilter has a pretty good links roundup.
This whole thing is giving me flashbacks to primary school. Replace "being queer" with "being a racial minority" and you pretty much have my story. In 2008, I wrote an open letter to my old school - Sultan Ibrahim Girls School (Primary) Johor Bahru, come on, own up to your bloody bigotry - detailing some of the most egregious and terrible bullshit they put me through just because I was Bangladeshi ("Other" in Malaysian bureaucracy), my parents were migrant professionals closer to the "Expatriate" category who weren't diplomats nor starving labourers, and because I actually did pretty well in school. The first two may have been forgivable, but how dare I be amongst the top in the class, how dare I come to school in a chauffered company car, how dare I be the best student in English in the entire damn school the 6 years I was there! How dare I demonstrate a love for learning, an affinity to non-Malay English teachers, a keen interest in computers? Even my best friends left me after Standard 5, when most of the rubbish happened, partly due to peer pressure and partly because I was not dealing with it very well.
A lot of the racism was ring-led by the teachers and administrators, many of whom were Malay and benefited from Government-sanctioned Malay privilege (think of the White privilege in Western countries, change the dominant race, and add Government codification). My existence, and that of my parents, was an affront to them, their identity, their politics. My family was Muslim, which should bring me closer to their side, but I was a "labourer" race and not even properly a citizen (despite being born in Malaysia - another long rant), so I didn't make sense to them. I was a contradiction, I defied the labels mainstream media and the ruling parties put on me - and instead of accepting me and working with me, they decided to shun me and make me an outcast.
Secondary school wasn't that much better: there were more opportunities to get involved, so I developed a level of infamy just for being busy. I was revelling in it for a while, taking the applause as sincere, when suddenly one of the more well-known teachers told me "Tiara, they're not applauding for you, they're making fun of you." Even if she was right, why the hell tell me that?! Way to ruin my relationships and trust in humankind (if it wasn't ruined already by primary school). In Form 4 I gained controversy for skipping Pure Science in favour of Humanities, putting myself in the "last class" and being top of the class almost by default. In Form 5 I had a diagnosis of panic disorder and depression, as well as some new insoles that required wearing sport shoes instead of normal school shoes, and the students & teachers claimed that it was all in my head. I was so glad to be gone from school; it was an absolute waste of time and I wish I'd just skipped the whole malarkey.
Anyway, back to Constance. I read the story about the fake prom, the teachers joining in, the Facebook page. And I'm pretty sure that if Facebook existed in my time (and I wasn't the defacto Internet geek of the school), and if our schools had a prom culture, they would totally do the same to me. Hell, they may have been behind-the-scenes scheming without my knowledge; why else would I be denied the award for English Language skills when it was well-known that I was the best in the school? And then you have this absolutely horrible letter, where the students (and presumably the teachers) pegged her with one word:
Attention-seeker.
Attention-seeker, because she was out and proud. Attention-seeker, because she wanted to bring her girl to the prom. Attention-seeker, because she spoke up against injustice. Attention-seeker, because her mum's gay and that just made her even more undesirable. Attention-seeker, because she probably did very well at school too. Attention-seeker, because she existed and did not hide it.
Attention-seeker. The term brandied to me mostly in primary school but also in secondary school for some parts. The term that justified verbal and emotional abuse for years, sanctioned by administration, ignored by the Government.
Attention-seeker, because I did pretty good in exams and competitions while hardly trying - I loved to read and picked up stuff that way. Attention-seeker, because my love for reading (and then the Internet) meant that I was often a year or two ahead of the students. Attention-seeker, because I was passionate about what I believe in and didn't allow myself to be silenced. Attention-seeker, because I refused to participate in hazing sessions (whether as hazer or hazee) misleadingly named "orientation". Attention-seeker, because I got involved in anything interesting and so was up on stage to pick up some award or another a few times a month. Attention-seeker, because even though I was not Malay and the rest of my class was, I still was apparently the only person who knew how to fill in an exam bubble sheet right the first time (this happened in class in Std 6). Attention-seeker, because my parents were upper-middle-class Bangladeshis and my dad was head of a Government-owned company, with almost all his other staff and peers being Malay. Attention-seeker, because I declined a spot in the top-performing Science classes to study Literature. Attention-seeker, because I would speak to a teacher in English and when yelled at by a classmate for "not speaking your mother tongue" I wondered if I should break out into Bengali. Attention-seeker, for apparently making art so bad it apparently warranted taunts from teachers saying their 6-year-old does better, a demand to redo my exam piece in the middle of the text, and the teachers stopping a 12-year-old me in primary school one morning before assembly to tell me that my contribution to a poster contest was so terrible, they tore it all up. Attention-seeker, because I had random debilitating panic attacks in Form 5 and sometimes went home early, to the point of missing an entire month before exams started. Attention-seeker, because I did fine in exams anyway.
Attention-seeker, because I did not want my race to be a barrier or even a factor in being considered as a human being. Attention-seeker, because I was born in Malaysia as a foreigner and didn't get permanent residency since I was 7, because my dad wasn't a diplomat that moved countries every 5 years, because I went to school with permanent residency that required me to go to a Government school that kept trying to kick me out every few years due to my permanent residency, because I was the only non-Malay in the Malay prefects meeting and the only Muslim in the non-Malay prefects meeting when they discussed who should be Head Prefect. Attention-seeker, because I existed.
Hell I still get the same rubbish now - I recently had a big fallout with people I used to be tight with in the Brisbane burlesque world because I'm quite outspoken about issues of cultural appropriation and race representation on The Merch Girl, and that's apparently "insulting, derogatory, and pushy". People tell me that if I "cooled down on the feminism/activism" I would get more opportunities. I can't rock the boat of the people whose whole genre is all about rocking the boat, because I'm the Exotic Other and I should just accept my role as such.
Maybe Constance and I have utterly repulsive personalities, who knows. But even so, it is no excuse for absolutely reprehensive behaviour. You don't want to hang out with her at prom? Fine, but don't go deflecting her to a fake prom! You don't want to hang out with me? Fine, but don't go making me account for every single overblown news article on some Bangla crime when I'm 11. Dear God. Is there no human decency anymore!?
Maybe we're attention seekers. So fucking what?! Why is it such a bad thing to seek attention anyway? Just because we're different doesn't mean we're shrinking violets. Just because we're asserting our presence and speaking up against injustices doesn't mean we're uppity or sanctimonious.
The more I read this, the more sick to my stomach I get. For every Constance or myself there are likely more and more kids who are facing this in school and don't have the same level of support. I wish I knew how to support them. EducateDeviate was my attempt at bringing change, but my move to Australia and change of interest put that on hold. But I still want to support the outcasts, the weirdos, the attention-seekers. I want to protect them from those that would harm them, cut them down, abuse them, hurt them, and give them significant complexes that they are still dealing with many years later.
I want to protect and support them the way I wish someone had protected and supported me.
Granted, quite a number of these blogs do offer valuable information on rethinking finances, finding interesting work, and a whole manner of personal development. However, in their frenzy of preaching about how lifestyle design is the BEST THING EVAR, they're overlooking a very important point.
Lifestyle design is something that is only really possible for people with privilege.
I'm not talking about "being a rich dude with a mansion" type privilege. I'm talking about the privilege of not being considered a low-class citizen intent on terrorism because you're brown and have a green passport, the privilege of having your home currency stretch very far around the world, the privilege of still being able to access a whole host of resources if you end up rock-bottom. The privilege to be able to experiment, to have lifestyle design be optional.
Here's a very clear example of this kind of alarming privilege ignorance, from The Middle Finger Project:
What this is about is showing you that the cards you’ve been dealt do not matter. They are irrelevant. What does matter, rather, are the choices you make, and how much guts you've got.
Actually, they do matter. A lot. A lot of these cards are institutionalised - the stuff that makes up privilege, the stuff that makes a difference on whether lifestyle design is a choice or a necessity for you - and won't make a difference no matter how you play them.
Your nationality, residency, and passport make a huge difference on your ability to travel and migrate - with some passports putting you automatically in the "high risk" category for visas no matter what sort of history you have. It's not as easy to just pack up and move; if you can't prove that you have a substantial amount of money and assets beforehand, they won't let you out of the country.
You don't need to be living in poverty to make lifestyle design inaccessible. Currencies from a developing country - including relatively better-off countries like Malaysia and Singapore - do not travel well, both in terms of what it can buy and also in terms of exchange rates. A filling meal costs RM5 in Malaysia, and AUD8 in Australia - about RM24. That RM5 that got you a meal back home only goes to about AUD1.50 in Australia - not enough for a drink. It works in the lifestyle designer's favour when they travel, because suddenly everything is cheap-as, but not the other way. It's funny that there's so much love for hiring outsourced assistants, saying that it's about "US10 for a week of groceries in Bangalore" and claiming that you hiring them is some form of charity social justice work - how about dealing with the global economic inequality that makes it difficult for an Indian person to buy a week of groceries in the first place?
Many countries have restrictions on work for immigrants, and some big employers have a preference for hiring "local" - though interestingly if you come from a dominant Western White background you're usually able to avoid the "immigrant" issues and be protected in an "expatriate" bubble, courted for your money and social power. Working holiday visas are severely limited, and just having an ethnic-sounding name can hinder you from getting a job (even if - and probably especially - if you're in a country with stronger currencies and better-developed social security services). It can be hard to even launch an online-only business when PayPal restricts what you can do with your money based on where you are.
For some people, lifestyle design is necessary, because a lot of the usual options that "lifestyle designers" take for granted aren't openly available. On the surface my life could be an example of "lifestyle design" - I mostly work on my own creative stuff, I set the hours, I'm not in some 9-5. But I'm not in a 9-5 because circumstances I can't control, such as my name and my Bridging Visa, are making it difficult for me to get a job, or to get any sort of assistance. Most of those fancy consulting/education packages that are making top dollar (even though I suspect they are mostly saying the same thing) are too expensive for me, and probably wouldn't apply anyway. I'm having to be supported by my parents - a move that has gotten me called a "trust-fund kid" with disdain by some people, but normal in my home culture - and also pretty necessary, given that my dad's the one with the regular job (and he's supposed to be RETIRED by now). Lifestyle design, for us, then becomes less about how to design the life of our choosing, and more about how to make the best of difficult and challenging circumstances, usually involving bureaucracy of some kind.
Yet many lifestyle design bloggers don't seem to acknowledge how much of an impact privilege holds on their ability to do what they're doing. Instead, they rudely dismiss the concerns of non-designers, not-so-subtly denigrating them for staying in a conventional "template" lifestyle (while also ignoring that for some people, it is their choice to follow a conventional life, and that's perfectly fine.) Their dismissal and ignorance smacks so strongly of the dangers of "positive thinking", of the idea that everything in your life is merely because of your "attitude" and that everything can be solved if you just adopt the right thinking.
Never mind the condescension towards people from "third-world" countries, as well as some crazy appropriating - seriously, "protecting [something] like a father protects his daughter"? Do people still buy into those stereotypes? (And how much of a bad-ass can you really be if you ended up homeless with confusing residency and had to fend for yourself without direct response marketing to save you?)
I recently received a call from a recruiter, responding to a job application I made. I had been jobhunting for over a year with very little success - creative work via The Merch Girl and other courses is sporadic and unpredictable, and I needed a regular source of income that wasn't parental - so any response beyond "Sorry, no", especially over the telephone, would be greeted with excitement.
She asked me if I've typed up tenders. I haven't, specifically, but I am excellent at typing and have worked with all sorts of official documents.
"What kinds?" Almost everything - strategy plans, reports, employee handbooks, student databases, contracts, articles, marketing, the whole gamut. My typing speeds are phenomenal (78 wpm, 21900 ksph) and I knew that I could deal with tenders very easily.
"And this is all in Word?" I recall a conversation I had with another recruiter, this one more focused on getting me a job and helping me apply to more entry-level non-specific work. She had given me a link to a test on Word 2007 (most of it being "find this function hidden in a really inane spot on the toolbar and don't rely on F1"), and told me to list out all the software I was proficient in.
I was incredulous. I had enough experience with all sorts of office software, starting from Lotus 1-2-3 and Harvard Graphics in my childhood (I was a bit of a dork...) through to MS Works and Wordperfect, to the MS Office Suites, and now predominantly working with OpenOffice and Google Docs. Most office suites run the same way; if you know one, you know them all. Any hitches can easily be resolved with Help pages and Google searches. Even if I wasn't familiar with them, I could look it up easily and learn it on the spot. Listing every possible software brand would take up a whole PAGE!
Surely I could just categorise them? Office software, word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, databases, desktop publishing, accounts? According to my recruiter, no - most other recruiters and HR people are after specific keywords and won't take the time to decipher what "word processing" means, let alone work out that I am pretty flexible and can deal with any sort of software.
So I said "Yes", even though I haven't really worked with Word for at least a year now. Her next question proved my regular recruiter's point:
"Do you know Adobe?"
Well, Adobe what? I know of the company, sure, but which software do you mean? Image editing like Photoshop or Illustrator? PDF managers like Acrobat? The Macromedia suite - Dreamweaver, Flash, Shockwave - that they bought over? AIR? Film editing, sound editing, 3D? Why do you need to know?
She flustered for a bit. Stumbled. Then she asked: "Do you know Adobe Writer?"
There's no such thing as Adobe Writer!
There's Adobe Acrobat, which deals with editing and writing PDFs. But were they wanting me to edit PDFs, read PDFs, create PDFs from other documents, or just fill out PDF forms? But you don't even need anything Adobe, let alone Acrobat, to do all that. (Examples: Foxit and CutePDF.) A Google search for "adobe writer" brings you information about Acrobat.
But what does your client need? What do they hope to achieve with Adobe software? Who came up with the ad to look for "Word and Adobe Writer experts" - your client, or you?
She couldn't quite answer. She just said that she didn't feel I'm quite right, but she'll keep screen, and she'll keep me on file for something else. Which is fair enough, I guess.
What doesn't seem fair is penalising people who grew up around computers and technology because they have the ability to switch and you don't have the ability to think laterally. Do recruiters even know what they're looking for? Do they understand the software they ned? What about the companies - what do they know? Do they only ask because it seems like they need to ask?
If you're a digital native, like I am, you're probably very familiar with switching between OSes and computers and working out how to run a program through context and visual clues. Yet apparently, for some reason, people with the power to hire you can't seem to give you enough trust that you do know what you are doing.
How many others have lost jobs because they said OpenOffice instead of Word? How often do computerised resume scanners catch context?
You share discussions on possible problematic uses of cultural appropriation and call out people who are ignoring their privelege. You get people asking you why you find it problematic, and you talk about how people are still being exploited for their cultural heritage, while they themselves aren't able to fully embrace their own cultural heritage without being significantly disadvantaged or discriminated against. About how it's part of larger patterns, about how it's so ingrained many don't realise it, about how people need to be more aware and take more responsibility for what they do and say.
Then those question-askers drag you into convoluted pleas of "how dare you say I'm privileged!". They say that because you have privilege your opinions are automatically invalid. They claim that you pointing out how unfair it is that someone from a dominant class can get away with looking "exotic" while the locals still suffer is "racist and elitist". And then, because you brought up examples of how this affects you now, you get told you're "taking this personally".
It's the same old patterns, the same old arguments and derails. You find yourself resending links to Racialicious, the Invisible Knapsack, to Derailing for Dummies. People much more learned and patient than you have researched this for many many years before you even started thinking about it. There's only so much you can convey in 140 characters.
You feel like a parrot. You feel like you are a recording machine stuck in a loop. You are drained. You have gone through this exact conversation how many times now? And you're still hearing the same old, same old.
You've been living this directly since you were a child. You have been debating this for years. You're exhausted. You wish you could stop, that you could just ignore this and it will all go away.
But you know you can't wish it away. You know it will not go away that quickly, not at least when you're alive.
Not when your name and passport still affects your ability to get a job. Not when you are automatically classified as "High Risk" by government agencies just for your parents' origins. Not when speaking another language gets you told off - "hey, speak the NATIONAL LANGUAGE you fool!" Not when your self-worth and acceptance hinges on having a skin colour, size, and features that are alien to you. Not when just wearing something from your culture or having an accent gets you "go back to your country!!"...if you're lucky and escape physical harm. Not when people take your appearance as an excuse to crack stupid jokes, to subconsciously place you into pigeonholes, to deny you your voice and claim to speak for you. Not when you are denied access to welfare, to funding, to scholarships, to education, to credit - unless you can prove that you are not a dangerous dole-bludging (what dole?) FOBbie. Not when people refuse to listen to you because you sound different, but take in your words when said by someone who looks more "normal". Not when you are still judged against an arbitrary "normal".
Even if you decide to stop, even if you decide to just shut up - you will still face this. Over and over. People and structures will still take advantage. You will still be pigeonholed, be ostracised. And they will still keep doing this, because no one's told them the problems, because people are excusing them and celebrating their behaviour and refusing to look at the consequences. Because people have pride and when you tell them they're doing something problematic, instead of working out what the problem was, they accuse you of being accusatory.
And the patterns go on. And the debates are smothered because the other side is too tired to stand up for themselves. Because they're accused of "not following the rules" of discussion - rules set by the Dominant Class without any consultation on their end. Rules that disadvantage them from the very start.
If only it was that easy to say "I'll stop now". But until I stop being discriminated against just for anything that makes me "foreign", until the structures that keep these attitudes flowing are dismantled and new structures of real diversity and intergration are established, until I decide to submit to abuses of power and just accept that I will always be pigeonholed and put away and ignored -
I am currently applying for permanent residency in Australia. As a (possibly) perpetual permanent resident in Malaysia and holder of a Bangladesh passport, as well as a relative to many migrants, I am very familiar with the pains and hassles of the visa and residency process. Every country in the world makes it unnecessarily difficult for someone to be a resident (let alone a permanent resident or a citizen), especially if you come from a developing country, particularly one filled with potential migrants. Financial checks, character checks, layers upon layers of bureaucracy...the whole process is a mess, and yet the People in Charge never seem to think of the real-life effects of their always-changing policies.
Just yesterday the current Australian Immigration Minister Chris Evans announced that they are automatically rejecting 20,000 applications - all of whom applied before late 2007 under relaxed rules. My application was made last year so hopefully it won't be part of the churn, but the prospect of my app suddenly being cut due to the whims and fancies of whoever's in charge is frightening.
Evans claims that they are building a more targeted list of skills needed and basing applications on that, with priority given to people who already have jobs lined up. Just that last line shows how out of touch with reality the Australia Government is when it comes to migrants. Based on my experiences, and from talking to other migrants (past and present), here's what I see is problematic with current Australian immigration policy:
1. The current "skills" database isn't really a list of skills, but a list of occupations. It totally disregards the fact that many people nowadays, especially young people, don't just belong to an occupation - they often multitask, transferring skills between one occupation to another. An architect, a hairdresser, and an executive all share skills in design, problem solving, research, knowing their client, application of ideas and concepts - yet they're all treated differently.
2. Newer industries, such as the Creative Industries, are not represented in the Skills list at all. Each occupation is given a number of points according to demand, and applicants need to meet a minimum number of points to have their application approved. However, there are a lot of occupations that don't give you points at all. Anything to do with the creative industries, for example, doesn't get you points - you need to already be hired as that role for that "skill" to be useful. The only CI-related occupations I could think of that are pointed are journalistic skills - but they favour traditional media over new media, not considering that traditional media sources are currently losing ground. They claim to be updating this list, but I don't think they'll get out of their left-brain science/health kick.
3. You can only claim one "skilled occupation" on the list, regardless of your abilities. If I could claim more than one skill on that list, I'd have about 300 points easy - stage management, production, journalism, marketing, all sorts. But I could only claim one. As I said before, the list doesn't account for people who have worked across occupations and industries, and those that have changed careers. Wouldn't Australia be happy to have people that are flexible and can adapt?
4. Determining your "skilled occupation" doesn't actually involve your past experience, but rather your degree (and now where you've worked for a year). If my CV had anything to do with the occupation I could choose for my PR application, I'd be some version of youth or community worker. However, my CV and gobs of experience within the Brisbane community didn't matter one bit. According to my degree, I was qualified to be a Print Journalist (even though I haven't written for any Australian print media). They've now added a new rule saying the degree wasn't enough - you need to have one year's worth of work experience to claim it. Yet how many students are actually able to get a skilled job while doing a full-time degree (until very recently international students couldn't do part-time study) continuously over a year? Volunteering doesn't count, personal projects doesn't count, ad-hoc or short-but-regular projects (like festivals) don't count. It also significantly disadvantages people who change their minds after their degree, or who took a degree in one thing but realised that their skills and passions lay elsewhere - perhaps somewhere without a degree available.
5. It is extremely difficult for international students and migrants (especially people on Bridging visas) to get any sort of employment. The reasoning behind all these changes is the idea that migrants should be able to get a job in Australia. However, it ignores the fact that migrants are already significantly disadvantaged in the job market. Here's how:
Stigma against minorities - just having an ethnic-sounding name can disqualify you from fair job prospects. Then they see your green passport and visa and positively freak out.
Company policies (written or otherwise) against hiring people on student/Bridging visas due to possible lack of permanence - QUT's HR Department actually tried to tell me that they have a policy against hiring people with Bridging visas since we had no end date. It wasn't in their policy documents at all.
Temporary residents (a.k.a. not PRs or citizens) are not allowed access to options that help with their job search - no Centrelink, grants, scholarships, skills training, Recognition of Prior Learning, job assistance, mentoring programs- basically anything Government-funded. (Which means stuff like YAQ's JUMP and YAMP programs are right out too.) Any options tha are available, such as further study, still charge full-fee rates, which are prohibitively expensive.
International students can only work about 20 hours a week - most part-time jobs want at least 25, and they want 9-5 hours too (which clash with uni study).
Employers don't want to hire people without a permanent visa. They won't even interview you. But the Government won't give you a visa unless you have a job. Chicken and egg?
6. It doesn't encourage entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs should be welcomed by Australia - they create jobs and opportunities, they stimulate the economy. Even people who don't make for-profit businesses, such as artsworkers or community developers, still enhance Australia's culture and lifestyle in major ways. These people are dedicating part of their existence to the betterment of Australia - but are not given any resources, support, or recognition for it. Sure, their immediate community may welcome them, but they're not the ones with the power of the Visa. The focus on jobs actually discourages entrepreneurship and innovation - you're expected to fit into a mold. Yet with the Global Financial Crisis, the idea of a "job" has changed so much - we need to rethink what it means to be employed.
7. The Immigration Department makes changes quicker than they, or anyone else, can keep up with them. Notice how they still had applications from 2007 that were unprocessed. A few months ago they mentioned more changes that would likely make my application only processed by 2012! At that rate I should skip over permanent residency and get citizenship on the spot! Yet they change the rules every year, less than that even - and expect everyone to change their lifestyles immediately to follow suit. Worse of all, they make it retroactive - so if you applied before the rules changed, and you followed everything to the letter, bad luck anyway. What a waste of time and resources for everyone involved - at least clear the backlog first before you start making sweeping changes.
8. There are no recourses for people who are suddenly negatively affected by the rule changes. 20,000 people are going to get a letter saying that even though they followed the rules, their applications will be denied because the Immigration Minister changed his mind. These people have sacrificed years of their lives, sources of income, family connections, possibly their passions and livelihoods, and have willingly put themselves through the gauntlet that is the immigration process - only to have all their hard work thrown away. The whole process costs thousands of dollars - sure, they'll refund the fee, but can you refund lost time? Some have started lives in Australia - are you going to help them transition? Will they be deported because they haven't left fast enough? The process is invasive and stressful - comprehensive health checks (even HIV!), bank checks, police checks, family trees, what have you. But there's nothing to compenstate for that.
9. The English language requirements completely disregard the degree. You need to score at least a 6 in your IELTS tests to qualify (the highest is 9, I got 8). The tests are only valid for 2 years, so the one you took to get to Australia to study in the first place likely won't be valid. The fact that you did an English language degree apparently doesn't mean anything to anyone. Also, if you scored pretty high on your first IELTS test, surely your English can't have deteriorated from living and studying in Australia? (I do feel that local Australians' command of the language leaves something to be desired, but that's another rant...)
Visas disgust me in general, but this especially makes me frustrated. So many vulnerable people - young people, arts and humanities, people living non-traditional lives - affected by stupid unrealistic policies. So many of us came to Australia because there were communities that supported us (I don't thinK I could do half the stuff that I do back in Malaysia). Yet, even though there are Australians who would welcome us with open arms, the Government doesn't seem to care.
You want to know why there are illegal migrants? Because things like these just show what a big sham the whole process is. Why bother putting yourself through the wringer if you're only going to end up worse than you are before?
Yet the only time the Australian public ever gets to know about things like these are when it affects someone from a developed, privileged country. Today Tonight or the Courier Mail will report about a British person that now doesn't have a visa and they make such a big deal about "how terrible!" it all is. But this is the reality for many migrants out there, especially from developing countries. Yet because we're not white, we don't get the press. We deserved it after all, filthy people fresh off the boats.
The Immigration policies definitely need a reform. However, they need a reform that is realistic, humanistic, and takes into account the real-world experiences of migrants and current job-seekers. At the very least, talk to migrants about what they experience. Don't just make up a whole bunch of rules, fail to keep up with them, and then just say "Ooops, we're sorry you're disappointed."
Ever since news of the Haiti earthquake broke out, I've heard quite a few people - friends, acquaintances, reblogs - grumble about how their local media seems to only care about the people of their country that were affected. Australian press talks about the 2 Brisbane-based aid workers who were injured and rescued; the American press talks about the Americans; and so on.
There are THOUSANDS of Haitians dead! they cry. But no one cares about them! Not the media! They often say it so smugly, as though the supposedly-amorphous "media" is beneath them and they're so much better for thinking about the Haitians.
They seem to forget, though, that this isn't a conspiracy on the part of the media - it's basic human nature.
One of the things that makes something news is relevancy. And something is relevant to us if it has something to do with our lives, our characters, our demographic. Since newspapers aren't often niche enough to cater to very specific needs, they choose items that are relevant based on broader categories - locations of their readership being one such factor.
Remember Dunbar's Number? The theory that our brain can only manage about 150 strong relationships at any one time? Same thing is happening here. Unless you're personally connected with Haiti in some way - Haitian friends, you've been there, you live very close to Haiti - Haiti is just an abstract concept. You could care about them as fellow human beings, have concern and empathy over their situation, but your brain can't really comprehend then as anything more than that.
The people that you care about, that are within your Dunbar circle of 150, are relevant to you in some way. Family, lovers, close friends, regular social circles, education, work; you interact with them enough that you know something about their life and they know something about yours. They're familiar. And one of the traits that makes someone more likely to be familiar is their location. You're more likely to be familiar with someone if they live close to you than if they live far away. (The Internet does make it very easy to make more friends online but foreign than with your neighbours, but they're "close" in spirit and contact, easy to reach.)
The mainstream media publishes all sorts of major disasters every day. Airplane crashes, earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, terrorist attacks, what have you. People die in the hundreds and thousands. Infrastructure collapses. Bangladesh gets flooded so often that my parents aren't so fazed when they hear the news of another "disastrous" flood - compared to foreign friends who freak out on our behalf.
So much of this happens so often that it can be hard to process. If we deeply evaluated every disaster we wouldn't get out of the house out of gloom or fear. We can only deal with so much. So we take the things that are relevant, and put aside the rest. Aware that it exists, but unable or unwilling to do much more than that. Even donating money is an effort.
News reporters know this. They know that the only way to have people care is to put a face on the issue. Make it less about statistics and details, and more about the heart and spirit of the story. And one effective way to do this is to report on anyone local that may have been involved - whether as victim, lucky survivor, expert, assistance.
The local people they pick, like the Brisbane aid workers in Haiti, they could be your friends. Your siblings. Your colleagues. Your teachers. Your lovers. You could have met them on the bus, you could have sold them a cup of coffee, you could have asked them for directions. Heck, that person trapped in the earthquake could have been you.
When the Twin Towers first fell on September 11th, the only thing that got me to really realise the severity of the situation was a report on CNN on a bomb threat to the Petronas Twin Towers in KL. (It was a hoax, thankfully.) I was most concerned about my Channel [V] friends, especially Asha who was travelling on a plane that day; my family tracked down some family friends living in New York. Later on we learnt from the Savage Garden fanboards that Darren Hayes had narrowly missed being on one of the crashed planes; most of us freaked out. When the tsunami hit on Boxing Day 2004 I spent the day trying to get in touch with my friends in Penang and Indonesia (they were all fine, though I didn't hear from one last person till the end of the night and got scared). My sister and her now-husband called us from London on July 7th 2005 to tell us they were OK - just before we checked out the news to find out that the Tube and some double decker buses were bombed. The rest of the day i looked out for Asha's London-based sister (she was found safe) and sighed with relief when a close relative mentioned he'd just barely missed one of the bombed trains.
It's not that we don't care about all the other disasters in the world. It's just that we can only care so much. Sometimes it takes the involvement of someone or something close to us to make us aware of the situation, of the mess and the pain and the importance of reaching out. That's what the mainstream media is tapping into - writing up stories of people like us, people we may have known, people who could have been us.
It's part "this could have been you", part "they were one of us". It's only natural to look out for your kind. It doesn't make you racist or prejudicial - just human.
The mainstream media - both as a collective and within individual presses - have quite a few areas that need improvement and deserve scrutiny. Working by human nature isn't one of them - especially not by people who themselves wouldn't have thought about Haiti or any other disaster-prone area until their name showed up as a Twitter hashtag.
A lot of people - especially young somewhat-socially-aware people looking for Gap Year work - are really big on volunteering overseas. This especially comes up during times of international crises or natural disasters, such as the recent earthquakes on Haiti. Everyone wants to help, and they feel that actually working there and giving a spare pare of hands would be more useful than giving money, which feels impersonal.
However, as this Ask MetaFilter thread shows, volunteering from overseas can be very counterproductive if the volunteer doesn't come with significant experience and expertise. It is expensive to host a volunteer - food, shelter, insurance, travel, etc - and many volunteers aren't able to deal with the sheer amount of effort and will that is required for the disaster area. Also, there have been plenty of bad experiences of underresourced locals having to deal with well-meaning foreigners who can't cope with cultural change.
What can you do then? Donate to organisations that already have people there - money is a lot more useful than things, as it won't spoil and will be made useful quickly. Volunteer your time locally, even if it means doing grunt, non-glamourous work like handling phonecalls or folding letters - they still need to be done. Work on long-term projects that deal with the bigger issues that make things like Haiti's earthquake such a mess - poverty, water access, corruption.
Here are some choice comments from that thread that should be mandatory reading for anyone wanting to volunteer overseas.
Sidhedevil:
The unemployment rate in Haiti before the quake was something like 75%. Any Haitian adult who can physically be of assistance to their fellow Haitians is going to be a lot more use to others--and benefit a lot more by having paid work--than an untrained foreigner.
If your friend has specific skills in health care, construction, civil engineering, or public infrastructure maintenance, her professional organizations will have information on volunteer efforts. If your friend is just a nice person who wants to help, she will do better by staying where she is and organizing fund drives and blood drives.
CIDI Statement for volunteering on disaster relief:
Volunteers without prior disaster relief experience are generally not selected for relief assignments. Candidates with the greatest chance of being selected have fluency in the language of the disaster-stricken area, prior disaster relief experience, and expertise in technical fields such as medicine, communications logistics, water/sanitation engineering. In many cases, these professionals are already available in-country. Most agencies will require at least ten years of experience, as well as several years of experience working overseas. It is not unusual to request that volunteers make a commitment to spend at least three months working on a particular disaster. Most offers of another body to drive trucks, set up tents, and feed children are not accepted. Keep in mind that once a relief agency accepts a volunteer, they are responsible for the volunteer's well-being - i.e., food, shelter, health and security. Resources are strained during a disaster, and another person without the necessary technical skills and experience can often be a considerable burden to an ongoing relief effort.
Forktine:
The comments above about untrained warm bodies not being needed right now are true. However, those willing-but-unskilled people will be desperately needed a year from now, when the sexy news teams have gone home and the world's focus is somewhere else. Haiti will be recovering from this disaster for decades to come -- your friend could play a tremendously important role in some piece of that recovery.
Right now, however, Haiti needs self-contained field hospitals, search and rescue teams with heavy equipment, and the kind of large water desalination equipment carried by military hospital ships. Send money today, and make plans to go and help with long term recovery when Haiti recovers to a point where a volunteer won't be siphoning resources from the people most affected.
Nothing... and like it:
I'd like to echo what others have said above re: untrained, unskilled volunteers. When I went through disaster relief training with the Red Cross in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, they were very explicit that neither they nor any other reputable relief organizations were in the habit of deploying volunteers who didn't have extensive training and applicable skills in the various areas of disaster relief, even for domestic relief.
For international incidents, they are even more stringent; they generally only deploy people internationally with training, skills AND EXTENSIVE DISASTER RELIEF EXPERIENCE. For areas where the native language is not English, they also require some ability in the native language. I was led to understand that this is the case for all reputable relief agencies, especially for those which respond in the immediate wake of disasters.
As forktine mentions, Haiti will need assistance for a long time to come. Your friend could get the relevant training now, and be able to help in the future. This is similar to the route that I took after Katrina, which ended in my doing family service case work for the Red Cross in southern Mississippi a couple of months later, when people were still recovering from the effects of the hurricane. In case it's helpful, here's what I did:
Katrina hit while I was unemployed (and too broke to donate any money) in the Pacific Northwest. I spent the first 24 hours or so after the disaster sitting on my couch gorging on disaster porn on CNN muttering to myself that "someone should do something." Duh. I'm a somebody. I can do a something.
The phone lines at my local Red Cross chapter were jammed when I called, so I said "fuck it" went down to the office. I walked in and it was pretty chaotic, so I just walked up to someone wearing an ID that said "Volunteer Coordinator" and said "Hey, what can I do to help right now?"
They had set up a phone bank in an unused conference room and desperately needed people to answer phones and process donations and volunteer applications, so that's what I did, full time, for about a week. Most of the people who called in were like your friend. They just wanted to go where the action was. When I suggested that they could help at the local chapter, they often scoffed and hung up on me.
But I was there, every day, helping the Volunteer Coordinator process the massive influx of people and paperwork, so when the chapter set up fast-track disaster-relief training classes (Shelter Operations, Mass Feeding, Family Services/Case Work, etc.) she was able to get me into those classes.
After the classes I went back to helping out in the Volunteer Coordinator office for another month or so of paperwork, filing, and phonebanking. Now some of the calls were actually angry: "I gave you my name a month ago. Why can't I go to New Orleans yet? What the hell is wrong with you people?" After another couple of weeks of that, the volunteer coordinator pulled me aside and said, basically "Thank you so much for helping me out when I was so swamped. Are you still available for deployment?"
Less than 72 hours later I was sitting on couches and front porches in Mississippi, helping some very nice and very devastated people fill out paperwork, giving them useful phone numbers like state insurance regulatory agency's hotline (don't fucking get me started on the absolute scumbag insurance adjustors who had been spending weeks just absolutely ASSFUCKING some of these poor folks), providing them with additional relief fund debit cards, etc.
So the takeway from this should be, really, that the best way to help RIGHT NOW (if financial support isn't possible for whatever reason) is to go down to a local chapter of a relief agency who has people in the field right now and help them. Do whatever they need. They're stretched to the brink organizationally and administratively right now and they need all the help they can get. This also puts your friend in a position where she can gain some relevant experience and training, not to mention making herself known to the agency as someone who is willing to do the shitty unglamorous grunt work. This will be to her advantage in the future if she wants to do some of the less shitty and unglamorous grunt work. (Which, by the way, is much less glamorous than she is probably imagining right now.)
range:
My wife has done development work in Haiti for years, and we have friends there now who are capable, trained engineers doing field work. We're lobbying like mad to get them to come home and fight their extremely noble impulse to stay and help. Unless you have specific training in disaster relief work, you're going to be a danger to yourself -- this is especially true in Port au Prince, where we're already getting reports of increased violent crime (increased above the "normal," very high level). When you get hurt, you'll end up using resources that were supposed to go to Haitians. That's why you should send money, and not accidentally add yourself to the number of wounded.
Dee Xtrovert:
We had such people show up in Sarajevo, during the war. They were - to a person - a great drag on life there for those of us without the ability to leave. Imagine this - the war means all utilities are gone. No gas, water, electricity, phone service, etc. Constant shelling means that a great percentage of living quarters are no longer habitable. Lack of easy access to the city means basic food and medical supplies cannot easily (or at all) find their way into town. In short, Sarajevo's people are cold, dirty, miserably unhappy, starving, uncomfortable, sick, tired, homeless and psychologically drained.
But, above all else, most Sarajevans are hospitable and kind and have some class. So what happens when a good-hearted but idiotic "volunteer" shows up to "help?" My mahala (neighborhood) hosted some of these people, and I can tell you.
1) That person displaces someone else from a little corner of habitation and a humble little sleeping spot. In this way, they were a burden to us.
2) Those of us who'd been living through the war were accustomed to daily struggles. For instance, access to water necessitated a long nightmare of pushing a crude cart up and down steep cobble-stoned hills and across a river, in order to fill whatever one could with water. And then back again. Aside from being a torturous chore, this meant continual exposure to "open" areas where snipers would attempt to kill you. In my case, it meant revisiting the place where my parents were killed while waiting in line. This trip was also a tremendous expenditure of valuable calories.
We Sarajevans knew all this. Consequently, we went to the bathroom once daily (if that), because every time you had to flush the toilet, you were that much closer to having to make the water trek again. Our "heroic" visitors showed no such discretion. They often expected baths! (By way of comparison, I cleaned myself in the river.) Nor were the heroic visitors there to do something as "mundane" as spending half the day collecting water. So we made more frequent soul-crushing and scary trips. In this way, they were a burden to us.
3) Of course, they wanted to stay for months but brought food only for a couple of days. They didn't have rights to Sarajevo's meek rations (as they were not in the city by force), so we shared ours with them. They complained about the food - what we'd been eating for months or years with gratitude - and occasionally would spend some of their cash for black market goods, which they'd hoard for themselves. Then complain about the cost. They were an embarrassment to us. In this way, they were a burden to us.
4) Most of them did not know the history of our country or city or culture. They never knew the language. Frequently, we would scurry around the neighborhood to find someone who could translate Serbo-Croatian and English / French / German / whatever, just so heroic visitors could achieve some basic communication. I remember one fellow, who announced to the neighborhood a deal he'd "negotiated" with the Serbs (who were blockading the city) to feed us. Instinctively, we laughed, though some (irrationally) got their hopes up. The "plan" he worked out was that we would walk to Pale (a suburb held by the Serbs) where they would "give us everything we needed." A fair analogy here would be the Nazis telling the Jews that they'd get "everything they needed" in the ovens at Auschwitz. The stupidity of this heroic visitor only depressed us further, as did other schemes and ideas devised by heroic visitors with no experience, sense or knowledge. In this way, they were a burden to us.
The only things I (or anyone I ever knew) received from these sorts of people were the occasional article of clothing, or a weird treat like a chocolate bar. I was grateful for them, but a check to a helpful charitable agency would have been better.
Bear in mind, we adapted to the war over time. So we had an ability to "absorb" these unskilled morons with some amount of grace and humor. In the beginning, we all thought that - at the very least - these heroic visitors would go home and act as witnesses for what we were enduring. Later, we doubted this was so. I was once reunited with a self-described "freelance journalist" (no credentials, never sold a story) in America, who bragged to his friends about what he'd done for us (which was . . . nothing), and how much the trip had cost him, which was plenty. How I wish he'd spent his time and energy helping to raise funds for us, or simply educating others, or - most of all, just writing a check to the Red Crescent or a similar agency.
What just happened in Haiti was immediate. And they died so quickly - more than died in Sarajevo, and in a single day. These people cannot possibly have adapted to the "new" conditions there as we did in Sarajevo - they haven't had the time. Believe me, their problem isn't a lack of manpower (aside from those with very specific, high-level skills) - these disasters leave plenty of people with nothing else to do but try to help others. So, as much of a burden as unskilled helpers were in Sarajevo, they'd be a much, much greater burden right now in Haiti.
Everytime I see news of a large-scale disaster such as this, I have panic attacks. I know the desperation of the situation, how much help is needed right away. I speak French and even know a few Creole phrases. I have emergency medical treatment and gave aid to Bosnians injured and sick in wartime, under difficult conditions. I've got weeks of vacation time, money in the bank and a longing to help. My sympathy with these poor Haitians is boundless; I've experienced a lot of what they have, and will. So I imagine I'd be a fairly qualified volunteer, with a temperment founded in personal experience and a history of dealing with all the sights and smells of death and misery.
Will I go? Absolutely not. I'd like to; it was my first impulse. But I'd be a burden to someone there, somehow. And Haiti doesn't need even a tiny new burden. So . . . I wrote the biggest check I could afford. I'll save more lives with a shipment of shovels or some treatment for clean water or some powdered milk than I would spending twice as much going there. It's just simple mathematics.
Tell your friend to write a check. Please.
And forktine's right. Haiti's never really been in great shape. It's going to need you more in a year than it will now. So your friend can write a check today, then save up and go back in a year or two, when she will be a true hero. And that way, everyone wins.
dhartung:
The thing is, this recession is creating a lot of people like you -- smart, but idle. It would be great if all that ability could be harnessed the way the WPA and other programs did during the last job trough of this magnitude. But I don't think running down to Haiti mid-crisis is the way to do it. It's taken a while for NGOs to get people to start thinking in terms of giving money instead of, say, canned goods or blankets -- which are hideously expensive to ship to a disaster zone, and often replaceable at much lower cost in country. Giving the Red Cross a blanket and asking them to ship it to Bumfuqua is actually giving the Red Cross a burden and using money that could perhaps buy 2, 5, 10 or 20 blankets instead. Think of your desire to donate labor in these terms and you'll agree with Dee Xtrovert more easily.
* You're a body who needs to be flown to Haiti somehow. * You're taking up a seat on a plane that could be held by a person with expertise. * You're taking up weight that could haul food. * You're taking up money that could buy food. * You're taking up -- in aggregate -- landing slots that could be used by other planes, that themselves could be carrying supplies or water or food or experts. * You're burdening a broken air traffic system that needs to be jury-rigged using battlefield equipment. And that's even before you've deplaned. Once you're there, you're a body that needs to be fed and kept dry, in a country where there are perhaps millions with the precise same need. * If you replace a local worker, you will have greater needs than that local worker: cleaner water, better food. You can't live on what they routinely survive on, I guarantee it. * If you replace a local worker, you may be depriving that local worker of a wage that could support a family. In the end, you'll eventually become someone who needs to go home. Perhaps then you'll be taking up a seat that could be used by someone needing medical care in the states. And so on.
I really urge you to think long-term. Is this something you really want to do with the rest of your life? Then follow Nothing's advice. Is this just a way for you to fight feeling useless? There are a million ways you can fight that staying home. Volunteer at a homeless shelter. Help the humane society trap, neuter and release strays. And so on.
humannaire:
As you are presently unemployed and perhaps in search of direction, I recommend you seek out an agency you see giving help and work to help coordinate ground support from your present location and community. There is where your work will do the most good.
Where you live, you have infrastructure you can re-program and re-route to brilliantly switch on and consciously turn into an assistance network.
Align yourself with reputable peers, preferably people who are experienced and committed. There is no need to build something new yet. After you have some hard-earned credibility and time in, you may see something the rest of us are missing. Then perhaps we will follow you.
Helping others as a life-direction and also as a career is immensely satisfying and rewarding. This is an amazing opportunity to explore this direction. As the challenges such work brings inspire personal growth in ways that are literally indescribable, I wish you well.
As for insight, I have a program where I collect, repair, ship, and re-purpose discarded computers for Jamaica. I have been doing this successfully for two years. The program I created (and personally fund) has enjoyed success that I won't go into here.
But I would not have been able to pull it off without incredible friends who have life-long and generational roots in Jamaica. In fact, were it not for the facts that I was 1) invited, 2) escorted, and 3) bringing and giving without strings or expense, my presence would have been unwelcome. People have their own lives, their own dignity, and their own world. People appearing unannounced and empty-handed, no matter the intention or occasion, are not well-received anywhere. Well, maybe somewhere, but not somewhere I know of.
One other insight. Based on the success of the one program in Jamaica (I got lucky), I attracted the attention of others who invited me to do the same for a school in Haiti. Feeling confident based on the one success, I agreed. Somehow it turned out that I was to be taken to Gonaives. It is no place I would have been welcome or safe. It was only through the intervention of a number of friends of mine of Haitian descent, that I staved off this disaster. You see, the likelihood is high that unintentionally or intentionally I was being taken.
This is the danger of going off with good intent but without connection or means to some other place that is far removed from our experience and understanding.
I encourage you to help. I also encourage you to (presently) do so from where you are.
Moral of the story: think about how useful you would *really* be to the country - the country's not there to satisfy your need to feel useful.
This was originally posted at The Merch Girl, where I tend to post more often nowadays (Tumblr makes it easy to post snippets). I figure I'd post it here too - there's a few of you that read this site regularly, but don't know about The Merch Girl, so here's some goodies!
So Problogger recently had a list of 30 bloggers to watch in 2010, mostly in the personal development/lifestyle design/Law of Attraction area. (Man, I remember when productivity and GTD were the big blog trends.) After a couple of people made their own lists, Problogger asked their readers to make up their own lists and share.
I follow 900 (!!) feeds on Google Reader, and there's the posts I find through Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, or even just friends emailing me things. It's difficult to create a performance-art based list, let alone a burlesque or circus-based list of blogs, as there aren't that many blogs in those areas that update regularly or have content outside of self-promotion. There are some blogs I am especially keen on though, and I think they need more attention, so here's my list (in no particular order):
Jim Munroe has been pretty busy working within the DIY scenes in Portland - he's published books, comics, even his own movies. He also provides all sorts of resources for those wanting to publish the indie way, with guides on indie publishing and indie movie-making, as well as essays on zine culture and events, non-profit counterculture shops, and a ton of other issues. My favourite thing from him is Time Management for Anarchists, an awesome guide to getting your act together that doesn't sound like every other personal development blog's 10 Ten List.
Jim's deeply motivated by indie creativity and supporting communal culture, and he demonstrates that by providing consulting and webhosting services to alternative creative productions. He graciously gave me some feedback on my site and asked for my thoughts on his too! I was looking for someone who had good project management sense but wasn't a capitalist suit, and he was just the ticket.
I found Bridgett while looking for other Tumblrs tagged "dance" and we now have a creative friendship full of reblogging interesting shows and workshops to each other. I've learnt a lot about bellydance, performance work, and being a professional both literally and in character in the arts. She is so full of passion - she obviously loves what she does and loves sharing it with the world.
Her main Tumblr is a scrapbook of inspiration and observation; the other one's for her External Oblique show at the Adelaide Fringe Festival 2010. I'm so excited for her, I wish I could be there, and I greatly recommend you follow her to learn the process and heart of true performance artists.
Marie was another person whose Tumblr I found through random Directory-hopping. Her original username/title was "girls, books, food, art, love" which pretty closely describes her Tumblr's content.
What I love about her Tumblr is her recommendations of zines, books, and other media that inspire her, as well as her personal reflections on her influences. I'm not a big fan of picspam Tumblrs, but I get a strong sense of personality from hers, and I've even bought some zines on lucid dreaming thanks to her Tumblr posts! Her posts are always delightful and inspiring and I always look forward to see what she's found next.
Natalie will say what's on her mind, and sometimes I've been guilty of enabling her by sending her articles that will make most of us go "OMG WTF". I trust her opinion on most things and know that even if we don't agree, she's thought through her point strongly. At the same time, she isn't afraid to be vulnerable or personal, sharing her challenges and downtimes (with our hugs in return).
I was shocked to discover today that Autostraddle was less than a year old. What?! They are tons more professional and entertaining than many "pro" blogs that have been running for years - and the design's top notch too! It's a pop culture webzine geared towards lesbian, bisexual, and queer women, but there's something in it for everything - from insightful commentary on the hidden dangers of the lawlessness of gay marriages, to good-natured perving at Hollywood actresses that play gay characters (or should).
It is largely US-centric, due to the location of most of the staff, but there's a vibrant community of commentors, editors, and interns from all over the place that keep Autostraddle fun, fresh, and friendly. I think this will become one of the most influential media sources for current-day young queer women - a voice that's interesting, quirky, silly, and also smart & solid. So much fun!
The Bakery, run by Jaime of Design Milk and Erin of Design for Mankind, provides consulting to creative businesses - from getting a business plan up and going to promoting yourselves. It was from consulting with them that I got this blog set up and running while I developed my site.
They're currently busy running a 6-week course, Half-Dozen, which guides you through setting up a creative business from the ground up. Because of this, their blog's a little quiet at the moment, but I feel that 2010 will be full of more great posts on business for the creatively-inclined.
Danielle LaPorte writes some great inspirational posts on rocking your creative self, especially if you're entrepreneurially minded. I like that she can empathise with those of us who don't fit the norm, and - like The Bakery and Jim Munroe - can talk about creative businesses without being all "suit"-y about it!
I would love to have a Fire Starter session; it seems like I would get a lot out of it. But if only I had $300 spare!
kSea has pretty much single-handedly managed this magazine (from when it was known as Big Top) to share his passion for circus, steampunk, and carnival culture. I'm a new reader, but I can appreciate the effort and passion he goes into documenting his subculture. The CultureFlux rebranding is very recent and I'd love to see what he has up his sleeves for 2010.
Another person whom I can't believe has only been in business just under a year. James does some funky, creative tights and leggings (I'm personally more fond of the stuff he made at the beginning - too bad they're discontinued!) and it was a delightful surprise to find out that he's based in Brisbane. He writes about his creative process, the items that inspire him, and the occasional copyright battle. He has an eye for the unusual, which I appreciate. I'm waiting for his catsuits - I bet they'll be gorgeous!
The people behind Mission Paradox (I don't know their name/s offhand) share a lot of inspirational resources for arts management and arts marketers. They're big on innovation, on moving away from stodgy old responses and rethinking the value of arts in the world. A lot of their content is more conceptual and visionary, rather than "here's how you make a budget" practicalities, but I really like their direction and I always gain a lot from their posts. While they're geared towards arts institutions - galleries, theatres, and so on - anyone who works in the arts will find inspiration from them.
Chris Guillebeau travels the world while living off the knowledge he shares with his readers - creating a sustainable online business, using frequent flyer miles effectively, dealing with money as an artist. What I love more about his work is his open, welcoming eyes to international cultures, and his pragmatic wisdom. He is very intelligent, friendly, and has given opportunities for other people to live their dreams and express themselves. Out of all the "location independence"/"lifestyle design" blogs proliferating the Internet, I think his is most earnest and sincere, and is definitely my favourite.
As you can tell, I enjoy blogs about business and project management that don't sound like typical blogs about business or project management. KPIs, asset management, quality processing...not my bag. Tara Joyce's blog deals with entrepreneurship from within - creating a business that you are personally passionate about and running it by your own principles. She's also lovely and friendly, and will give a listening ear to anyone in need of some encouragement.
I first met Rachel Hills when she interviewed me for her post-grad thesis on young people and sexuality. However, it wasn't till later that I found out that she was a pretty accomplished writer on her own right. Her Tumblr shows why - it's full of clever insights on pop culture, gender, culture and society, creativity, personal life, and anything that intersects through them.
There's so much stuff in her blog to share that it'd make this already-long post even longer - so I'd suggest looking at her personal favourites. And join in the discussion.
OK, I'm biased - Mithi's my older sister. She's finishing up her BA in Illustration, and over the past few years she's built up an eclectic portfolio of all sorts of art. It's interesting seeing her evolve; she didn't use to be confident with drawing people, and now she draws these really cute illustrations of kids and animals and people playing music & dancing.
She's also started to go pro and be internet famous (the lucky woman). I'm looking forward to seeing what she does after uni (probably go back for the seven-hundredth time). Also: SKUNK.
If you're into fashion or food blogging, and you haven't heard of Luxirare, where have you been?!? She may have way too much time on her hands, but man she makes the best of it.
I personally quite like what she does with food - everything from the ingredients to the packaging is original and inventive. Crayon granola bars (that you can actually colour with), mojito tablets, blue pyramid cake...what else will she come up with? If she ever comes up with a shop she'll make an instant million.
The Lady of the Manners's really entertaining. Her credo is that being Goth doesn't have to mean being surly and rude, and her blog is full of in-depth advice about fashion, dealing with people, and even random questions like "Is Lady Gaga Goth?" (Answer: no.) She's even got a book out - a great present for the baby bats in your life.
Megan M. is something of a multitasking powerhorse. She sings, she manages projects, she writes - and, with Ideaschema (and That Idea Blueprint Girl before that), she comes up with stacks of ideas for whatever project or dilemma you have. Right now she's selling her Idea Catalyst kit - tons of pages and audio of practical ways to come up with and implement her ideas. She's even got free ideas for random things on her blog too, if you'd like a preview.
Amelia Arsenic has a wild, crazy sense of style - macabre punk goth glam futuristic rock & roll. She's committed to her style and provides lots of tips and guides on how she achieves it - from fashion stylings to mood boards to makeup tutorials. She was on hiatus for much of 2009, but she's back and I'm greatly looking forward to seeing what other creativity she has up her sleeve.
OH MY GOODNESS! This list took a while to make. My computer's groaning from the work, otherwise I would keep going. Check out these blogs, and if you have any other favourites, tell me about them!
Always use the word ‘Africa’ or ‘Darkness’ or ‘Safari’ in your title. Subtitles may include the words ‘Zanzibar’, ‘Masai’, ‘Zulu’, ‘Zambezi’, ‘Congo’, ‘Nile’, ‘Big’, ‘Sky’, ‘Shadow’, ‘Drum’, ‘Sun’ or ‘Bygone’. Also useful are words such as ‘Guerrillas’, ‘Timeless’, ‘Primordial’ and ‘Tribal’. Note that ‘People’ means Africans who are not black, while ‘The People’ means black Africans.
Never have a picture of a well-adjusted African on the cover of your book, or in it, unless that African has won the Nobel Prize. An AK-47, prominent ribs, naked breasts: use these. If you must include an African, make sure you get one in Masai or Zulu or Dogon dress.
In your text, treat Africa as if it were one country. It is hot and dusty with rolling grasslands and huge herds of animals and tall, thin people who are starving. Or it is hot and steamy with very short people who eat primates. Don’t get bogged down with precise descriptions. Africa is big: fifty-four countries, 900 million people who are too busy starving and dying and warring and emigrating to read your book. The continent is full of deserts, jungles, highlands, savannahs and many other things, but your reader doesn’t care about all that, so keep your descriptions romantic and evocative and unparticular.
Make sure you show how Africans have music and rhythm deep in their souls, and eat things no other humans eat. Do not mention rice and beef and wheat; monkey-brain is an African’s cuisine of choice, along with goat, snake, worms and grubs and all manner of game meat. Make sure you show that you are able to eat such food without flinching, and describe how you learn to enjoy it—because you care.
Taboo subjects: ordinary domestic scenes, love between Africans (unless a death is involved), references to African writers or intellectuals, mention of school-going children who are not suffering from yaws or Ebola fever or female genital mutilation.
Throughout the book, adopt a sotto voice, in conspiracy with the reader, and a sad I-expected-so-much tone. Establish early on that your liberalism is impeccable, and mention near the beginning how much you love Africa, how you fell in love with the place and can’t live without her. Africa is the only continent you can love—take advantage of this. If you are a man, thrust yourself into her warm virgin forests. If you are a woman, treat Africa as a man who wears a bush jacket and disappears off into the sunset. Africa is to be pitied, worshipped or dominated. Whichever angle you take, be sure to leave the strong impression that without your intervention and your important book, Africa is doomed.
Your African characters may include naked warriors, loyal servants, diviners and seers, ancient wise men living in hermitic splendour. Or corrupt politicians, inept polygamous travel-guides, and prostitutes you have slept with. The Loyal Servant always behaves like a seven-year-old and needs a firm hand; he is scared of snakes, good with children, and always involving you in his complex domestic dramas. The Ancient Wise Man always comes from a noble tribe (not the money-grubbing tribes like the Gikuyu, the Igbo or the Shona). He has rheumy eyes and is close to the Earth. The Modern African is a fat man who steals and works in the visa office, refusing to give work permits to qualified Westerners who really care about Africa. He is an enemy of development, always using his government job to make it difficult for pragmatic and good-hearted expats to set up NGOs or Legal Conservation Areas. Or he is an Oxford-educated intellectual turned serial-killing politician in a Savile Row suit. He is a cannibal who likes Cristal champagne, and his mother is a rich witch-doctor who really runs the country.
Among your characters you must always include The Starving African, who wanders the refugee camp nearly naked, and waits for the benevolence of the West. Her children have flies on their eyelids and pot bellies, and her breasts are flat and empty. She must look utterly helpless. She can have no past, no history; such diversions ruin the dramatic moment. Moans are good. She must never say anything about herself in the dialogue except to speak of her (unspeakable) suffering. Also be sure to include a warm and motherly woman who has a rolling laugh and who is concerned for your well-being. Just call her Mama. Her children are all delinquent. These characters should buzz around your main hero, making him look good. Your hero can teach them, bathe them, feed them; he carries lots of babies and has seen Death. Your hero is you (if reportage), or a beautiful, tragic international celebrity/aristocrat who now cares for animals (if fiction).
Bad Western characters may include children of Tory cabinet ministers, Afrikaners, employees of the World Bank. When talking about exploitation by foreigners mention the Chinese and Indian traders. Blame the West for Africa’s situation. But do not be too specific.
Broad brushstrokes throughout are good. Avoid having the African characters laugh, or struggle to educate their kids, or just make do in mundane circumstances. Have them illuminate something about Europe or America in Africa. African characters should be colourful, exotic, larger than life—but empty inside, with no dialogue, no conflicts or resolutions in their stories, no depth or quirks to confuse the cause.
Describe, in detail, naked breasts (young, old, conservative, recently raped, big, small) or mutilated genitals, or enhanced genitals. Or any kind of genitals. And dead bodies. Or, better, naked dead bodies. And especially rotting naked dead bodies. Remember, any work you submit in which people look filthy and miserable will be referred to as the ‘real Africa’, and you want that on your dust jacket. Do not feel queasy about this: you are trying to help them to get aid from the West. The biggest taboo in writing about Africa is to describe or show dead or suffering white people.
Animals, on the other hand, must be treated as well rounded, complex characters. They speak (or grunt while tossing their manes proudly) and have names, ambitions and desires. They also have family values: see how lions teach their children? Elephants are caring, and are good feminists or dignified patriarchs. So are gorillas. Never, ever say anything negative about an elephant or a gorilla. Elephants may attack people’s property, destroy their crops, and even kill them. Always take the side of the elephant. Big cats have public-school accents. Hyenas are fair game and have vaguely Middle Eastern accents. Any short Africans who live in the jungle or desert may be portrayed with good humour (unless they are in conflict with an elephant or chimpanzee or gorilla, in which case they are pure evil).
After celebrity activists and aid workers, conservationists are Africa’s most important people. Do not offend them. You need them to invite you to their 30,000-acre game ranch or ‘conservation area’, and this is the only way you will get to interview the celebrity activist. Often a book cover with a heroic-looking conservationist on it works magic for sales. Anybody white, tanned and wearing khaki who once had a pet antelope or a farm is a conservationist, one who is preserving Africa’s rich heritage. When interviewing him or her, do not ask how much funding they have; do not ask how much money they make off their game. Never ask how much they pay their employees.
Readers will be put off if you don’t mention the light in Africa. And sunsets, the African sunset is a must. It is always big and red. There is always a big sky. Wide empty spaces and game are critical—Africa is the Land of Wide Empty Spaces. When writing about the plight of flora and fauna, make sure you mention that Africa is overpopulated. When your main character is in a desert or jungle living with indigenous peoples (anybody short) it is okay to mention that Africa has been severely depopulated by Aids and War (use caps).
You’ll also need a nightclub called Tropicana, where mercenaries, evil nouveau riche Africans and prostitutes and guerrillas and expats hang out.
Always end your book with Nelson Mandela saying something about rainbows or renaissances. Because you care.
A week or so ago I was ranting to Mark and his family about my inability to get very far in jobhunting despite trying for over a year. Most of the time I’d get rave reviews about my resume (“we love the stuff that you do! you seem outstanding!”) only to be denied job offers or interviews because
“You don’t have enough experience”
“You don’t have enough specific experience”
“You didn’t tick all the right boxes”
A few times the job I’ve wanted has gone to a friend of mine. Knowing their CV and experiences, it’s baffling how they could get the job and I couldn’t even score an interview – the same excuses lobbed at me could very well be used on them. I was denied a job interview as the website & social networking person for a council youth agency – something I already did on my own for free; also, I was friends with the original job holder (who had no say in HR). I was told that I didn’t have enough social work or youth work background, despite my many years of working with youth communities worldwide. The person who got the job, a friend of mine, doesn’t have “enough” social work background either – she’s a journalist by trade! She absolutely deserves the job, but it’s odd that she got considered when the council won’t even give me a chance to sell myself.
Yet when I ask how I can improve my chances, or what they mean by “enough”, I get vague answers. Often I get no reply. Sometimes I get people rejecting me because I didn’t include something in my resume that was clearly there. (Do they even read these things?) My university HR tried to give me the runaround about not hiring people with Bridging Visas – but at least one of the actual departments gave me an interview.
Today I found some blog chatter about Men with Pen’s James Chartrand revealing that she’s a woman writing under a masculine name . She says she did it because she was not getting anywhere as a freelancer under her female name, but things magically got a lot easier with a male name. Same skills, same resume, different name. The name made all the difference. (Figleaf and the Washington City Paper call possible shenanigans, and I’m starting to wonder if this is a publicity stunt, but that’s a digression from my main point.) It echoed cases of people like the Bronte sisters or J.K. Rowling who only got success and recognition under an ambiguously male name.
This reminded me of my rant with Mark’s family. One thing we thought may have been a big factor is my name. There’s been research (in Australia, even) that shows that people with ethnic names have a far harder time getting jobs than similarly-qualified people with Anglo names . A friend told me about a Middle Eastern colleague of hers that got nowhere with Salleh [Lastname], but when he sent out resumes as Sam Milton people jumped at the chance to hire him. Same resume, drastic difference.
“Tiara Shafiq”. It’s part of my real name (I have another first name that I hardly use which is even more ethnic sounding). It’s the name I’ve done a lot of work by – writing, community work, education. It’s the name on the resume, on the email address, on this website. There are some national and international guides & websites with that name associated with me. Googling that name gets a whole page of sites by or about me.
“Tiara” is unusual, but an English word. It doesn’t twig people’s Foreign-Meter. People tend to think it’s Kiara or Chiara or Kara – it takes a while for me to correct them. “Shafiq”, however, is highly Foreign – not just that, it’s Arabic, which means OMGTerrorist. I don’t think I’ve ever heard the name pronounced right. It takes a while to spell. People are surprised to learn that I am a near-native speaker of English (the only reason I’m not ‘native’ is because I’m from Malaysia); foreign students are surprised to learn I’ve only been in Australia 3 years and I haven’t been raised in an English-majority country.
Should I change my name? Is my name really the deciding factor in whether or not I get jobs, the thing that doesn’t tick people’s boxes (despite my “great experience”), the thing that’s “not enough”? Do people not trust my experience and skills and assume I’m some dodgy foreigner who has no idea what’s going on?
I’ve been thinking of getting an Anglicised name for months, mainly out of frustration at still not getting a regular job. I’ve been pondering on “Tiara Gill” – Gill is the last name of my Eurasian best friend, it’s ambiguous, but it’s also the name of a character in an action fiction story so anyone Googling me will get confused. I’d lose out on all the work I’ve gained through being “Tiara Shafiq”. My references wouldn’t have a clue who “Tiara Gill” is if asked – but do they even know my last name? It could be “Tiara Stephanopolizkytek Chin” for all they care.
Take this website. TiaraShafiq.com. Would I lose out on all the hard work if I start sending out resumes as Tiara Gill? Or something as banal as Tina Smith?
Then again, given that even my best appearances on the web and my wide body of work apparently isn’t enough to even convince people like the Brisbane City Council or QUT (who have people who are very familiar with me) to even give me an interview, does it matter? Are people even reading the resumes and selection criteria, or are they just scanning?
Mark was wondering if it could be considered as fraud since they’d be having preconceived notions based on the name. But isn’t the whole point that they’re building preconceived (yet inaccurate) notions based on my name anyway? How would I deal with paperwork and official material once they work out I’m not Tina Smith or Ms Gill?
Would I be buying into a system that demonizes people for being “ethnic”? That was a major criticism with Chartrands – that not only was she posing as male, she built a hypermasculine online identity that sometimes degraded women. I’ve written plenty about cultural issues and racism both on here and The Merch Girl , but if you read my more neutral posts would you have worked out that I am South Asian born & bred in Malaysia? Would that knowledge affect how seriously you take me, how capable you think I will be? Some people think I’m being too Westernised anyway, what with my taste in performance and my tendency to be more of a loudmouth individualist. Am I already playing within the system that oppresses me over something relatively insignificant?
A lot of young people (from teens to mid 30s) worldwide are regular globetrotters, travelling internationally for purposes as diverse as self-enrichment holidays, study abroad, worldchanging conferences, and the pursuit of performance art. With greater and cheaper options for international travel (budget airlines, youth hostels, couchsurfing, etc), young people from most countries are able to explore the world without needing a huge investment.
However, for young people in developing regions – such as Asia, Africa, or Eastern Europe – their travel pursuits are often blocked by stringent and overly-strict visa regulations. Countries and regions such as the US, Australia, or the European Union require high levels of income, concrete plans for travel and return, and plenty of paperwork to prove legitimacy – more than many young people could reasonably prove or afford. Even countries such as Singapore are making it difficult for people from ‘high-risk’ areas to legitimately arrive in the country for relatively casual purposes.
These young people bring with them foreign income, new cultures and experiences, and plenty of shared resources. Their travel creates bridges of understanding and respect between countries and cultures, replacing the idea of The Other with the idea of a World Neighbour. Youth travel is a growing, strong means of developing international economy, culture, and diplomacy. Yet unfair and difficult visa regulations treat these young people as ‘illegal immigrants’, ‘aliens’, and basically unwanted gatecrashers. The truly desperate use dangerous and illegal means to go international; the rest get stuck where they are, limited by their lack of privilege and by societal assumptions.
There are groups of young people actively protesting visa regulations and proposing special visa considerations for young people (especially those travelling for conferences or youth events). One such initiative is GETVISAble , aimed at Eastern European youth frustrated by their inability to access most youth projects in Western Europe due to visa issues. But more needs to be done.
As a young person and traveller myself, holding a Bangladeshi passport and requiring a visa to just about anywhere, I would like to see the following happen for young travellers:
Visa-free travel for young people, especially to popular regions like North American and Europe
Acceptance of alternative, unconventional, and non-accredited educational/employment opportunities for visa purposes (such as the Scandinavian social enterprise school KaosPilots, which is held in high regard by the design & entrepreneurship world but can be a pain for visas because they’re not formally part of the Danish education system)
Short-term residency permits (about 3-5 years) with the same privileges as permanent residents – access to public welfare and health, scholarships & grants, representation in politics
Grants and funding to support young people travelling for various purposes
A shift in tourism and immigration/migration from requiring absolutely stable and conventional lifestyles before migrating to encouraging young people to experiment and invest their time & energy in other countries
Visas to be obsolete!
Instead of treating young people as potential terrorists and criminals – which is what the current visa system does through its mounds of bureaucracy – treat them as esteemed guests: the New Diplomats, agents of change and development.
when white folks are getting mad props, respect, accolades, book deals, professorships, awards, etc. when white folks use the fact that they identify as white to gain a leg up on people of color in the anti racism industry/profession. then it is racism pure and simple.
a poc says something during a discussion of anti racism. the white folks ignore it. or guffaw. a white person says the exact same thing. whitie is the new messiah of anti racism. happens. like all the fucking time.
[Tim Wise] explains that he ‘opens the door’ for other poc to be considered leaders and experts in anti racism. why the fuck in the anti racism movement to we still need white gatekeepers? this is what gets me. it’s the anti racism movement! we dont have a bunch of men leading and speaking as the voice of feminism. we dont have a bunch of skinny chicas being the (body) of fat acceptance. we dont have a bunch of straight folks being the voice of lbgtqia ness. but in the anti racism movement. it is white folks who speak. so that white audiences with money are not required to listen and take seriously the voice of color. dear fucking god.
here’s the problem. if the anti racism movement. even the anti racism movement. perpetuates the same structures of inequality and white privilege as other movements do (feminism. anti war. queer). in that the leaders are white. mostly white. almost all white. then the anti racism movement. is racist. and if the anti racism movement is racist…then what the fuck is the anti racism movement about?
In the comments someone talks about how people who would only listen to anti-racist remarks from a certain race wouldn’t necessarily be in the position to confront their racism anyway. Interesting how even in issues of diversity, you won’t be taken seriously unless you’re in the “dominant” paradigm!
I was on SBS Insight recently to be on a forum about intelligence. I had responded to a call for comments and they thought it was interesting that I qualified for Mensa but didn’t find any use in it.
I had just returned from Island Vibe at Stradbroke Island so I had circus on the brain. Myself and my friend Joel (who’s a physicist and a performer) were mainly asked about what we think intelligence is, if we faced any challenges – simple stuff. They had 6-year-old Albie who’s really bright but also really restless, and I ADORED her – she was so much like me as a kid and I just wanted to smuggle her squeeeee.
I was also on the webchat with a few of the other guests – psychologists, researchers, a Rhodes Scholar-cum-Olympian. I felt distinctly underqualified! There was a lot of discussion about school and learning so my alternative education background came in handy!
The entire show will be online on the SBS website so feel free to check me out some time. Some things that got cut out from the airing or that I didn’t get to say:
A lot of IQ tests – and a lot of the definitions of success and intelligence – are constricted by privilege and culture. Another guest talked about opportunity – maybe high IQ people tend to live longer and be richer because they come from backgrounds that allowed them better healthcare and education to begin with! Tests don’t often control for that, and yet we tend to judge people on a factor that has too many variables for it to be useful.
I qualified for Mensa in 2007 after taking the test on a lark (one of those Things I Must Do In My Lifetime things). I joined for a year but didn’t get much value out of the organisation – the meetings didn’t interest me (mostly puzzles) and the magazine was too full of “We’re so smart! Let’s talk about how smart we are and how people don’t appreciate us!”. I was hoping for more efforts to do something productive, like volunteer work or creative work…but nothing. Towards the end of my membership year there were some efforts to have a Young Mensans meetup in Brisbane, which would have been cool, but not enough to entice me to keep joining.
I actually made a plug for my circus group Vulcana Women’s Circus but that got edited out :P It was in response to intelligence and communicating – I talked about how my ideas for performance work were more intellectual and that I found it very challenging to step out of my brain and express myself physically. It takes a different sort of intelligence to be able to convey abstract concepts into visuals, actions, music, costume, moves.
They showed Morris dancing in the show and I smiled when they said that dancing was scientifically one of the best ways for older people to retain brain cognition. I was a little annoyed at someone who said that there was no hope for people to improve their skills beyond a certain age, that intelligence is stable – my circus director started at 40 and she rocks! If you put the effort in it and you’re open to learning then most things can happen for you. There are opportunities out there. And man, performance totally does magic for your intelligence – it challenges you in a big way.
Some people in the forum were talking about taking supplements for intelligence so that they can get better jobs and pass university and such. I’m supposedly high-IQ (According to Mensa) and I’m finding it hard to find a job. The creative industries is a hard place to break into sustainably, but also there are more factors to job success than just your intelligence – heck I’d wager to say it’s one of the least considered factors. It’s not like I advertise my Mensa membership on my resume. That said: hey people coming here from SBS Insight – want to sponsor or hire me ? :D
Feel free to continue the chat here if you’d like!
There is a substantial group of people whose contributions are being overlooked by many people – most notably The Powers That Be – in the Australian arts and creative industries. These people bring with them tons of experience, perspective, creativity, skill, and often money – but are often blocked from participating fully in local arts and culture by factors beyond their control.
This group? Recent migrants and international students.
I was one of many people who came to Australia from overseas because I felt that I would have better opportunities here. My hometown was in the middle of nowhere, where public transport was almost non-existent and the only social activity possible was shopping. Youth were often vilified by Government reps and the State-owned media for having any sense of culture, and so many people were either too afraid of creating challenging honest work in case of jail, or too apathetic to care. The arts are not valued in Malaysia; the only creative school subjects offered in the National curriculum are Literature, Music, and Art, taught very basically in most schools and left to “underachievers”; when I opted for Malay Literature instead of Science I was told many times that I was “wasting my grades” and I was making a big mistake.
In many ways it has been a lot easier for me to express my creativity in Australia. I’m not under threat of deportation or arrest, even if I wanted to mock any politician. I spoke up at a No Internet Filter rally and didn’t face any political trouble! Even more risque work like burlesque has an air of respectability to it – there are passionate people spearheading the subculture, working hard to provide opportunities to all that are interested. There’s not as much stigma in the arts, andt here are a lot more obvious opportunities.
That said, the local arts scene is quite an echo chamber – the same bunch of people over and over again. And it’s very Western/Euro-centric. It’s surprising how often I stick out like a sore thumb amongst my peers just because I’m brown and Asian, especially since Brisbane is very multicultural and where I live I’m often in a bus with 80% foreigners or migrants. After a few years of being in Brisbane and interacting with both the arts scene and with other international students, I have found a few factors in play for the arts’ relative lack of diversity:
Education
It’s hard enough being able to pursue a Creative Arts (or, Heaven forbid, Fine Arts) degree overseas – the stigma is still there and there are often expectations of “will this get you a job?”. Also, outside of the UK and Australia, “creative industries” isn’t a known term – often leading to confused questions about doing multimedia, graphic design, or mass communications.
QUT, the university I was in, brands itself as a “university for the real world” – however, I found most of the content in the Creative Industries degree heavily Australia-centric. Many subjects sprung off assumptions about art and society that were not shared by many of the students, which led to gaps in understanding and appreciation.
One of our required subjects was Staging Australia, or Australian Theatre History – a lecture-only class with a room filled with 3rd-year Drama students and a bunch of confused first-year CI Management students, including at least 3 foreigners. None of us three had come from a drama background, or ever had the opportunity to learn the basics of drama theory – no such thing existed where we came from. The lectures were very dense and it was hard for us to catch up with both theatre theory and Australian history in very little time. Another subject, CI Events and Festivals, ran from the assumption that festivals were mainly a way for the community to assert themselves and to rebel against the higher-ups of society. My experience of festivals were that they were big marketing and commercial exercises for corporates, since that made up the bulk of festivals in Malaysia (anything rebellious got you in trouble), so it took me a long time before I could understand and appreciate her point of view.
Most egregious were the treatment of Asian art in the curriculum – the only countries worthy of highlight were Japan, China, and India, and every lecture on Asian art centered around the Japanese concept of “ma”. My Taiwanese friend took Asian Art and Architecture as a subject; her group was the only country that selected something other than Japan for their group assignment. I sometimes feel that I got an unfairly bum grade for my report on youth culture in Malaysia because I didn’t mention “emos”. The subject that stood out for me in this regard was Performance Innovation: from day 1 “innovation in performance” was basically defined as “White director steals Asian culture, jumbles it up, gets all the glory; Asian cultural performers still can’t get respect”. How could I take the subject seriously when everything being cried out as “innovative” were things people around me grew up with for centuries – my tutor/lecturer couldn’t even get the meanings of colours in Indian dance right!
Many of us who are international students are often made the unofficial “ambassador” of all things foreign. “So, as an international student, what do you think?”. My opinion doesn’t always rely on me being foreign; I’m not even representative of my own culture! Pretty often if there’s a group project we’re all expected to do something related to multiculturalism. Hardly ever would our ideas and perspectives be appreciated who we are, not how foreign we are. The paradox though is that if you do decide to tackle issues of race or culture, you’re branding as being “too involved with race” (as I was a few days ago) and often being oto politically-correct and self-stifling!
I watched the new version of Fame last night and loved it; I spent most of my life trying to make up for the fact that no such performing arts school existed in Malaysia. It was, and still is to some extent, one of my biggest dreams – to be in such an immerse environment that was both educational and creative. It reminded me of schools like NICA and NIDA, as well as Fine Arts degrees, where you spend years honing your craft. I would love to audition for such schools, and indeed many years ago my dad found brochures from NIDA-like places in an attempt to get me to do a degree. I would have loved to do it, but realistically I knew there was no chance in hell I’d ever get a looksee by any of those institutes. I never had the chance to do drama in my childhood and school years, so I don’t have any training or experience; I would be up against people who have been living and breathing this their whole life. I wouldn’t even know how to audition! My clear inexperience will show, and I don’t know if I have the raw talent to make up for it (as well as my obvious ethnic-ness – a point for another day). There didn’t seem to be a middle ground or avenue for people like me who were dying to learn how to be on stage, how to act, how to perform – but never had the head start.
Some Solutions
Expand university curricula to include perspectives from other countries – not just what an Dead White Guy from Australia thinks about Asian art (for example) but what the people there feel about it, with some explanation of their cultural context.
Stop making assumptions about foreign students – we’re not here as spokespeople. Treat us like any other member of the class in terms of valuing our arguments, and understand that we are often coming from a different perspective.
Reconsider when and how your subjects are delivered – Staging Australia would have worked better as a non-required subject offered later in the year; by that point you would have picked up more on local culture and history and can give more educated responses. Also, it didn’t have a lot to do with CI Management. The actual CI Management subject itself (as taught by Zane Trow) made a good overview of the business of the arts, which was transferable anywhere around the world – currently though you can only take the subject after doing 96 hours of credit. If anything, that subject should be one of the prerequisite first-year subjects.
Accept that your perspective isn’t always representative – Not every youth culture hinges on emos, not every country uses festivals as a means of political expression. Sometimes it feels like if you’re not writing what the lecturer is used to hearing, you get shot down. Welcome perspectives from other backgrounds and make an effort to understand where they’re coming from.
Offer bridging programs for people who want to get into the arts but never had the opportunity to do so – pitting enthusiastic but under-resourced people against those with the privilege of attending drama school 5 days a week for 11 years in will eventually lead to this privilege being reinforced throughout all levels of the art world. There’s often an assumption that if you haven’t been training for ages you’re not really passionate about it; for many of us it’s not for lack of trying! Some, like myself, didn’t even consider the option a possibility until they left their original hometown (a degree for CIRCUSART? Blew my mind!). A bridging program gives such enthusiastic people the opportunity to step into their dream world without punishing them for where they were born.
Offer more scholarships and funding for international students – International students get hardly any grants or funding as it is. They’re not eligible for Centrelink, Government or Council grants, or HECS/HELP. Many of us come from places that don’t offer funding to students of the arts because of the stigma. Art school is expensive. By providing funding options, it’s easier for creative international students to explore their fascination further without worrying about being a burden.
There are more factors into migrants in the local arts scene; I’ll write more in this series soon. In the meantime, please feel free to share your thoughts and pass this on to others.
A few of my friends have filled out these surveys in honour of National Invisible Chronic Awareness Week for chronic and invisible illnesses. I remember being at school and having almost everyone claim that my anxiety was “all in my head” and that I was making it up for attention. Urgh. At least here in Australia there’s some level of respect, but I think some people still don’t quite get how challenging it can be to keep a normal face outside.
1. The illness(es) I live with are:
Panic/anxiety disorder and depression
2. I was diagnosed with it/them in the year:
2002
3. But I had symptoms since:
Possibly 1995, since that was the worst year of my life – extreme racist bullying, suicide attempts, my whole view of friends and school changed that year. I only started having panic attacks n 2002 which led to my diagnosis.
4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is:
Dealing with people who assume I’m making it up. Having anxiety about anxiety linger in my brain. And the meds are a pain in the arse. I’m generally not fond of medication, but if I miss one I get really bad brain zaps and migraines. And I think it’s outlived its effectiveness.
5. Most people assume:
a) I’m making it up
b) There’s nothing wrong with me, I’m fine
c) “You’re depressed? But there’s nothing to be depressed about!!”
6. The hardest part about mornings is:
For a long time every morning I would wake up depressed and moody and wanting to end it all (usually my relationship). It took a while before we worked out that I needed food, and after food & meds I was generally OK.
7. My favorite medical TV show is:
I don’t like medical TV shows, they creep me out. Eurgh needles!
8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is:
A computer of some sort.
9. The hardest part about nights is:
Not feeling so useless. Also the past few weeks I’ve been having nightmares, which SUCK.
10. Each day I take [?] pills & vitamins.
1 pill of Effexor-XR, 150mg. If I miss it I get terrible migraines. (Right now I’m also on a medical trial for cold meds and I’m taking 2 each morning but that’s unrelated) I would like to get off it, but it takes time and money.
11. Regarding alternative treatments, I:
am all for them. Anything that helps! My psychologist tried hypnotherapy, which was very relaxing. I’ve tried naturopathy and reiki, might try acupunture, am open to suggestion really.
12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness and a visible one, I would choose:
Oh I don’t know. I would rather have a curable illness – even if it was visible you could cure it and be fine. With this one you seem OK but you’re a wreck inside.
13. Regarding working and career:
Job hunting SUCKS and the rejections just drive my depression further. Performing helps me feel tons better, but it does take quite a bit of effort to actually get off my bed and go perform or rehearse or see a show. Also the lack of money in that pursuit depresses me more.
14. People would be surprised to know:
am often feeling ennui, a big “meh”. A lot of people describe me as enthusiastic, cheerful, chirpy – I can’t be depressed! I don’t know where they’re getting that perception from, but there you go.
15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality is:
How paralysing it can be at odd moments. Feeling like there’s no end to this, just cycles upon cycles. Oh and the price of it all!
16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness was:
Do scary stuff like flying foxes!
17. The commercials about my illness:
What commercials?
18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed:
Being more gungho about things.
19. It was really hard to give up:
the notion that I’ll ever be cured, the idea of having a true passion.
20. A new hobby I’ve taken up since my diagnosis is:
Burlesque – cheers me up like nothing else.
21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again, I would:
Celebrate with joy, because it’d probably be the first time in a while that i’ve felt that.
22. My illness has taught me:
It’s amazing who else comes out of the woodwork.
23. One thing people say (about my illness) that gets under my skin is:
That I’m making it up.
24. But I love it when people:
Support me anyway.
25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is:
You’ll wake up in the morning.
26. When someone is diagnosed I like to tell them:
I’d like to give them a hug.
27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is:
How utterly unsympathetic and useless the Malaysian education system is when dealing with people with this sort of illness.
28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was:
Chat with me.
29. I’m involved with Invisible Illness Week because:
I wanted to share.
30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel:
Hopeful, maybe.
It’s my birthday in September, and Oxfam’s doing Exchange for Change all month, where you host swaps to fundraise for Oxfam. I thought I’d join in the fun and host a book swap as my birthday party – I love books, would rather get them as presents than most other things, but also have tons of books and magazines to give away!
If you’re in the Brisbane area, free free to come by:
Exchange for Change – Birthday Book Bazaar Guyatt Park (likely the gazebo), cnr Laurence St & Macquarie St, St Lucia QLD 4067 Walking distance from Guyatt Park Citycat stop and St Lucia Ferry bus stop 26 September 2009, 10 am to 2 pm
I originally wrote this for Chris Guillebeau’s Art of Non-Conformity contest about a month ago. I didn’t win, but Chris liked it, and since it’s about burlesque I’ll post it here for you! It’s also on The Merch Girl.
“Burlesque” originally came from the Italian word burla, to “send up” or mock – in this case, making fun of the high-brow entertainment of the time. Nowadays it’s become code for vintage glamour, corsets and red feathers, and sparkly pasties. You don’t have to be a star tassel-twirler to incorporate burlesque into your unconventional life. Here’s a few ideas on sending up with sass and shimmy:
Embrace horrible prettiness – style yourself how you want to, not just how you’re expected to.
The term “horrible prettiness” was used by Robert Clyde Allen in 1991 to describe the paradox of a burlesque dancer: ladylike and feminine in dress, but loud and raunchy and bawdy in behaviour. Burlesque performers didn’t worry about gender norms; they wore what they liked and acted how they liked. Drop the fashion magazines and the etiquette guides, and let your imagination take the lead! Shave your head, wear a pink frilly dress, and run a marathon in the woods. Deck out in combat boots and a Navy uniform – then invite everyone over for a nice cup of tea and a sit-down. I don’t really have a set style to speak of – I tend to mix up ethnic Asian, Goth, corporate, and saloon girl. Even if you are hardened and gritty and rough around the edges, you can still indulge in a little boylesque:
Do things on a whim.
Does that hat look interesting but not typically “your style”? Curious about an adventure class but you’ve never hiked in your life? Doesn’t matter! No one is keeping a tally on how consistently you live life. If you are curious about something that seems out-of-character, follow that curiosity and sees where it leads you. There’s no harm in trying on a dress you’d otherwise never wear, or signing on for a class that seems out of your depth. You’ll never know until you try! It could very well change your life – or at the very least give you some conversation material. I started going to burlesque classes partly to prepare for my first stage role (in The Vagina Monologues – I played the dominatrix) and also because I had just finished university in a foreign country and wanted to do something I wouldn’t be able to do back home. Six months later, I’ve hung around, and I end up being interviewed on radio for my debut public routine:
Every performer will face some mishap on stage at some point – a missing pastie, a broken prop, the music file skipping. What do you do? Smile, laugh, do a little shimmy, and move on! Sometimes the show becomes a lot better for it – the incident amuses the audience, who are generally rooting for the performer anyway. Similarly, not all accidents or oops-moments are terrible. If something goes wrong, have a little chuckle (or stomp about dramatically if you need to) then pick yourself up and keep going. The people who care for you will want to see you succeed, and will support you no matter what. Indeed, like a star burlesque performer, you can turn that accident around – a “wardrobe malfunction” turned Rose Chan from just another dancer to Malaysia’s ultimate burlesque/striptease queen.
Look at things from a different angle.
A cigar isn’t just a cigar, and that hair clip doesn’t just have to sit on your head. Look at the way you work, the things you use, the beliefs you have – and examine them from another angle. What would happen if you read your book outside instead of the study? How would chicken seasoned with chocolate taste? What if you didn’t have to get a car and a spouse by 30? At least for a moment, subvert something! Think of your object or subject from the perspective of someone else – your neighbour, your best friend, your enemy, someone the total opposite of you. Be synesthetic – smell its colours, see its sounds. Everything has its own hidden glamour, a secret story. You may stumble onto hidden genius – like Nasty Canasta’s highly inspired choice of music for a usually-traditional fan dance:
Find the funny in everything.
So you spilled wine on the carpet, your boss yelled at you, and you’ve run out of hot water. Before you delve into despair, find something humorous about your situation – even if it’s something absurd and surreal, like “At least I’ll be prepared for showers in the Antarctic”. At least it’ll cheer you up; at best, it’ll help you find alternative solutions and reduce stress. At least on the inside, laugh it up – even if you have to bite your lip to stop yourself from giggling inappropriately. Sometimes I get stuck in my own drama and feel like the sky is about to fall; however, a joke from a friend or a wry comment sometimes help to diffuse the tension and get me smiling. Musician Dave Carroll turned his own terrible incident of his guitar being wrecked by United Airlines into a song that became a worldwide meme:
If you must despair, do it with flair.
A lot of burlesque is about overblowing the minor and understating the major. Drama in your life – whether as a crazy-making acquaintance or a series of annoying events – isn’t much fun. However, dealing with your woes in a dramatic way can help lighten the mood and release tension. Allow yourself to be ridiculously melodramatic and operatic about your stress. “Oh my! I am surrounded by escapees of the mental institution! My money all goes towards parking fees! WOEBETIDE ME!” Sometimes I mope around in my room and wail to my boyfriend about how LIFESUCKS I HATE IT ALL – he’s pretty used to it. Scream your anger out. Rest your hand on your forehead as though you’ve been hit by the vapours. List aloud every misery you’ve ever experienced and spend a few minutes hamming it up to friends or even just the bathroom mirror. The key here is to not take it too seriously – amp up the drama, but don’t stress yourself out over it. You’ll find that by the end of it you feel like laughing – you’ve worked through the ridiculousness, and can now see the situation in a whole new light.
Make up your own mind – and speak it.
You don’t have to like whatever’s in vogue, even if your immediate environment is charmed by it. While there’s a lot of contemporary burlesque that goes through the same tropes, there’s also a lot of innovative unusual work that ultimately stands out in people’s minds. Discover music, art, fashion, performances, politics, places, books of your own, and let your own heart and spirit decide how it feels about it. Have varied tastes in things, no matter how iconoclastic or unusual – like eating vanilla ice cream with salted peanuts or wearing capris in the cold. Then share them! Speak your truth about current affairs, art and beauty, or anything else that matters to you. You will likely encounter some strife, which does suck, but in the long run you’d be making space for people like you, who’d be grateful for your voice. After all, if it weren’t for pioneers like Lydia Thompson and Gypsy Rose Lee, who combined striptease with witty repartee, modern burlesque probably wouldn’t exist!
Dance, sing, make something, speak – give anything creative a go!
You don’t have to be any good at it. Just pick up that guitar or turn on that radio and do whatever moves you. “Dance like no one is watching”, as they say – once you get past the awkwardness of starting (something everyone goes through, pro or not), you’ll get into your own groove. Keri Smith released her book Wreck This Journal for this very purpose: to get you used to just starting something creative. If the end result isn’t to your liking, that’s OK – you’ve given it a go, which is more than important. In the past few years I’ve tried plate-spinning, juggling, trapeze, acrobatics, stilts, silks, singing, tapdance, and who knows what else, mostly for the heck of it. Some, like silks, were total disasters – but I also discovered a hidden aptitude for balancing and spinning plates on sticks! Here are some basic tricks to get you started, if you’re intrigued:
Choose something else to entertain you.
No need to chain yourself up to the TV and watch another episode of the Biggest Loser. Get yourself a copy of the local street press, or go online and look up the alternative listings. Facebook’s usually a good resource for ideas too. Go check out a burlesque show, a foreign film, a fetish party, a pub band in an obscure part of town, an experimental physical theatre piece – something that’s not usually your cup of tea. They’re usually cheap or free and are pretty welcoming to newcomers. Bring a friend if you’re a bit shy – you’ll likely make new friends there anyway. My friend and I checked out a fetish dance party for the first time a few months ago, and to my utter surprise I actually found it quite fun. I don’t normally go out at night, but we stayed there until 3 chatting with all sorts of people – some of whom I’ve met again at different places. Once you start, you end up finding out more about others – and your social life isn’t the same again. How about you? Will you choose a VooDoo Restaurant over McDonalds?
Whether you’d up for rockin’ your billies, or softly hip-swaying your way through life, there’s many ways to add a touch of burlesque to the daily (bump &) grind. It’s all about taking things lightly – so laugh loud, tickle your sensibilities, and make your friends gasp with surprise at your audacity to be unconventionally you.
If the art of burlesque itself interests you, check out the Ministry of Burlesque and Daily Burlesque for tons of resources, ideas, inspiration, and conversations with other enthusiasts and performers. It’s especially open to newcomers, so if you want to truly make burlesque part of your unconventional life, come on board!
In our family tribe, everyone believes that harmony is achieved by not rocking the boat. Family confrontations, even with the best intentions, mean dissent. It is better to suffer in silence than to speak one’s mind and challenge the existing familial condition. If you must speak, you should do so in symbols – and you must address the wind or a person unrelated to the topic at hand in the hope that the air may carry it away from our house and send it towards the appropriate addressee.
- Jennider Jornales Dugeña, “Our Family Tribe”, Imagining Ourselves
A snob is anybody who takes a small part of you and uses that to come to a complete vision of who you are.
I don’t think we are particularly materialistic. I think we live in a society which has simply pegged certain emotional rewards to the acquisition of material goods. It’s not the material goods we want. It’s the rewards we want.
I think it would be very unusual for anyone here, or anyone watching, to be envious of the Queen of England. Even though she is much richer than any of you are. And she’s got a very large house. The reason why we don’t envy her is because she’s too weird. She’s simply too strange. We can’t relate to her. She speaks in a funny way. She comes from an odd place. So we can’t relate to her. And when you can’t relate to somebody, you don’t envy them. The closer two people are, in age, in background, in the process of identification, the more there is a danger of envy.
It’s made to feel, by magazines and other media outlets, that if you’ve got energy, a few bright ideas about technology, a garage, you too could start a major thing.
A meritocratic society is one in which if you’ve got talent and energy and skill, you will get to the top. Nothing should hold you back. It’s a beautiful idea. The problem is if you really believe in a society where those who merit to get to the top, get to the top, you’ll also, by implication, and in a far more nasty way, believe in a society where those who deserve to get to the bottom also get to the bottom and stay there. In other words, your position in life comes to seem not accidental, but merited and deserved. And that makes failure seem much more crushing.
The idea that we will make a society where literally everybody is graded, the good at the top, and the bad at the bottom, and it’s exactly done as it should be, is impossible. There are simply too many random factors. Accidents, accidents of birth, accidents of things dropping on people’s heads, illnesses, etc. We will never get to grade them. Never get to grade people as they should.
In other words, hold your horses when you’re coming to judge people. You don’t necessarily know what someone’s true value is. That is an unknown part of them. And we shouldn’t behave as though it is known. There is another source of solace and comfort for all this. When we think about failing in life, when we think about failure, one of the reasons why we fear failing is not just a loss of income, a loss of status. What we fear is the judgement and ridicule of others. And it exists.
You know, the number one organ of ridicule nowadays, is the newspaper. And if you open the newspaper any day of the week, it’s full of people who’ve messed up their lives. They’ve slept with the wrong person. They’ve taken the wrong substance. They’ve passed the wrong legislation. Whatever it is. And then are fit for ridicule. In other words, they have failed. And they are described as “losers.” Now is there any alternative to this? I think the Western tradition shows us one glorious alternative. And that is tragedy.
And I suppose I’m arguing that we should learn a little bit about what’s happening in tragic art. It would be insane to call Hamlet a loser. He is not a loser, though he has lost. And I think that is the message of tragedy to us, and why it’s so very very important, I think.
I think it’s merely the randomness of the winning and losing process that I wanted to stress. Because the emphasis nowadays is so much on the justice of everything. And politicians always talk about justice. Now I am a firm believer in justice. I just think that it is impossible. So we should do everything we can, we should do everything we can to pursue it. But at the end of the day we should always remember that whoever is facing us, whatever has happened in their lives, there will be a strong element of the haphazard. And it’s that that that I’m trying to leave room for. Because otherwise it can get quite claustrophobic.
Sometimes I wonder why it’s such a big deal to be the “best”, to do the “best”, instead of just going as far aw you feel like it. I’ve definitely seen the envy part play out with blog wanks, often from people in the same demographic as the “Wanker”. I like what he said about Hamlet – he may have lost, but he’s not a loser. It is not all his fault.
How would the world be if we were a little gentler to each other and didn’t expect superhuman prowess or nothing? Where you don’t have to work overtime to show your “loyalty”, where it didn’t take extra tuition classes to make it in school? Where failure and success weren’t attached with value judgments, but are just passing moments in life – like a breeze through the sea or a splash of rain?
Like how, for many years in the 90s – and still now, every so often – Bangladeshis were always painted in the news as women-stealing dirty thieving criminals. No other race (aside from any other labourer race) was ever pointed out for their crimes; no other race had “XYZ, a Chinese/Malay/Indian criminal” attached to their heading. Even though they were often exploited and they made up a very small percentage of Malaysia’s official crime.
I had to deal with continuous questioning from my teachers and peers about my race. I was told multiple times to “go back to my country”. I was expected, at eleven years of age, to atone for the sins of my countrymen (however small they were) – and to be thick-skinned whenever I heard another slur, whenever I was blocked out of receiving what I deserved. I had politicians report year after year about how “those Banglas” were blue-eyed horny men out to get “our women”. I still hear those sentiments now.
Were there boycotts then? No. No one gave a damn. Instead, when I went to the BRATs workshop in 2003, I asked Tan Ju Eng of The Star about it, and she told me it was their responsibility as a public service. A “public service” that singled out an entire race and caused much personal strife and tension. No apologies.
And what about 2001, when there was plenty of demonization of young people and youth culture supposedly over Black Metal? Alleged groups of youth stomping holy books and sacrificing goats at rock concerts? Condemnation of anything remotely Pagan? And the hysteria about hip-hop and “sex parties” that soon followed? There were the odd articles supporting young people, and I remember one magazine taking Harian Metro to task for using photos of their gig and claiming it was a sex-fest. But were there boycotts against Harian Metro or any other press that sought to sensationalise youth? No.
Every so often in the Malaysian papers I will see anti-gay sentiments, anti-Semitic sentiments, anti-nonMalay-Muslim sentiments, all sorts of rubbish. And yet no one’s ever found it fit to call a boycott. Why? Because you won’t then have an opportunity to harp on Twitter (or wherever) about how you’re doing it right by publishing 4 pages?
If you’re going to proclaim big things like a boycott, be consistent. No need for hypocrisy.
And while we’re on that…
Dear Jacqueline Ann Surin,
If you’re going to fuss about Kosmo using personal details then may I ask why you saw it fit to eavesdrop on a private conversation between myself and Asha Gill in 2005, and then publish to the world in Off the Edge that Tiara Shafiq, university student and webmistress to Asha Gill, was holed up sick in her dormitory? You used it as an anecdote for Asha’s open heart, but neither Asha nor I had given you permission to publish that.
I had people in university asking me about it. Granted, it wasn’t the most humiliating thing ever, but it did make me sound like a young kid unable to take care of herself. The Malaysian reading public didn’t need to know that I was ill, that Asha was trying to coax me out of bed. I thought Asha had told you, and I let my annoyance known at her; she was very surprised and told me that she hadn’t told you directly, only that the phone conversation happened at the same time as the interview. The interview was with Asha not with me!
It’s funny that we were both at the 2006 AWAM Writers for Women’s Rights event; I think you might have worked out who I am. I understand you are well-respected within Malaysian journalists and creatives. I myself wouldn’t have kicked such a fuss – for what point really? – but your article about Kosmo being “sensationalistic” felt very ironic and somewhat hypocritical after that experience.
I’ve been reading up a lot about race relations, cultural representation, and appropriation – which would be evident if you’ve seen the past few entries on here and on The Merch Girl . (Speaking of which: I seemed to have gained the niche of Politically Noisy Burlesqer Harping On About Appropriation, Damn You Weirdo.)
I’ve read a lot (and am still reading – it’s still a drop in the ocean), and thought about it in relation to my experiences, and I’ve come to a realisation:
People tend to talk about the Other as though it was a Person or Thing, with its own characteristics and needs and foibles. Quite what those characteristics are, no one knows, except that it’s Different and Other and Difficult to Deal With.
But really, the Other isn’t a thing. It’s a space.
People get sent to the Other Space if they stand out enough from the status quo to make the rest uncomfortable. If there’s something that makes them stand out. Even in the freakiest, most uncomfortable groups, there is always a Space for the Other.
Think of it as a circle with an outer ring orbiting it, crossing over in parts but never really fully included. Like Saturn’s ring squished in in parts, merging with Saturn. The people in that ring are still considered part of the group to some degree, but they’re never really included. They’re not at the core.
There are some people that do tend to float on the other edges of the circle, closer to the ring than to the core. But they’re still more a part of that circle, of that planet, than the ring folk will ever be. They’re sympathetic to the Other, but they are not The Other.
Even within cores there are sections for the Other. Even within the Other rings there are cores and rings. It’s possibly infinite, and very fractal-like.
I’ve always been in the Other Ring for every group I’ve been a part of. Even when I was part of the “mainstream”, I was still the outlier. It didn’t matter if the group was made up of Malaysian students, or NaNoWriMo writers, or young pagan hipsters, or burlesquers, or internet freaks, or whatever. My identity as a person has always ended up as the Other – I’m not sure whether it is by coincidence or by design. It also explains why I’m so passionate about anti-discrimination, why I’m always trying to link rings and circles together, why I notice when people push others into the Other – because it’s the life I lived. It’s what I know.
So perhaps of looking at the Other in terms of personality, let’s look at the Other in terms of the space they occupy.
Where is the ring of the Other in relation to the core? How far away is the ring? Which parts are squeezed in and which are stretched out?
Is there easy access between the ring and the core? Are there people floating in between?
Do people transition between the ring, the core, and inbetween?
Who chooses who goes in the ring – the person itself, or the group? Are people given a choice in the matter? Is the choice conscious?
What structures are in place that reinforce the shape and location of the ring and the circle? Are those structures solid or malleable? Are there hidden passages?
How visible are the people in the ring to the people in the circle? Or vice versa? How visible are they to the people outside their planet?
Is it possible for someone to not be in any rings, circles, or planets whatsoever – to just float in space?
How do we push others into the ring and what do we do with them? How are we pushed into the ring? Do we push ourselves in?
Is it more desirable to be in the ring, in the core, somewhere in between?
I don’t have any sort of graphics software on this computer, but if someone can get what I’m trying to visualize, feel free to make some sort of picture or slideshow, and share it with us. And if anyone else has come up with similar theories about the Other being a space that people/things/etc get placed into (I don’t think it’s just limited to people; anything could conceivably be placed in the Other ring in relation to its group) do share.
Also, this is the tail end of the International Blog Against Racism Week – I didn’t set out to write something just for it, since I’ve said as much as I could say already on my two blogs, but after writing this I thought it could be a good meta-topic, in a way. Go check out their del.icio.us profile and read some :)
Racism is generalizing about the nature of a race of people. You know, “Black people act/think/feel/smell like this, white people act/think/feel/smell like that.” The interesting thing about this sort of generalization is that half the time, it’s straight-up false — confirmation bias, skewed sampling, whatever — and the other half, it’s a valid observation about culture being dishonestly packaged as one about genetics. Empirically speaking, if you look for cases where race itself — not culture or class or life history — determines a person’s behavior, thoughts, feelings and so on, you just won’t find any.
But then there’s this other kind of generalization, where you talk about the treatment of a race of people. You know, “Black people are hired/fired/trusted/paid/filmed/indicted at this rate, white people are hired/fired/trusted/paid/filmed/indicted at that rate.” Generalizations of this sort are often correct. If you look at the data, even adjusting for class and life history and so on, white people are more likely to get the job, make the grade, be waved through customs or what have you.
Talk about “white privilege” falls into the second kind of generalization. It doesn’t involve the claim that white people are assholes, or that they think bad thoughts, or that they smell funny, or whatever. It just involves the claim that white people are, as a group, treated differently. And that’s just demonstrably true.
I got linked to this list by a Facebook friend (on Racialicious of all things) and apparently it’s become something of a meme. Since I’ve recently been writing about privilege, I may as well give this a go – the idea is that you bold anything that applies to you. (It’s American-centric)
When you were in college:
If your father went to college, take a step forward.
If your father finished college
If your mother went to college
If your mother finished college
If you have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor.
If you were the same or higher class than your high school teachers
If you had a computer at home
If you had your own computer at home
If you had more than 50 books at home
If you had more than 500 books at home
If were read children’s books by a parent
If you ever had lessons of any kind
If you had more than two kinds of lessons
If the people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively
If you had a credit card with your name on it
If you have less than $5000 in student loans
If you have no student loans
If you went to a private high school
If you went to summer camp
If you had a private tutor
If you have been to Europe
If your family vacations involved staying at hotels
If all of your clothing has been new and bought at the mall
If your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them
If there was original art in your house
If you had a phone in your room
If you lived in a single family house
If your parent own their own house or apartment
If you had your own room
If you participated in an SAT/ACT prep course
If you had your own cell phone in High School
If you had your own TV in your room in High School
If you opened a mutual fund or IRA in High School or College
If you have ever flown anywhere on a commercial airline
If you ever went on a cruise with your family
If your parents took you to museums and art galleries
If you were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family.
As a Permanent Resident I had to go to public (government) school, or else I would likely have gone to international school. Our version of prep courses tended to be compulsory when arranged by the school; I boycotted private tuition centres. I don’t have a car and my parents were antsy about letting me out of the house!! (I did go to short weekend camps.) The private tutor was a family friend. And Bangladeshis were definitely not represented well in the media.
See, when I launch into a tirade against inequality in the criminal justice system or discriminatory land-use policies, my audience doesn’t really feel uncomfortable or scared. I can be loud without being threatening. When I get into my rants, my audience probably just thinks I’m passionate. As long as I’m not yelling, and my message is clear, people will listen. No one will write me off, make any negative assumptions about my background, or fear physical harm just because my tone was forceful or condemnatory.
Yet a person of color is not afforded the same privilege. Indeed, a black man with similar credentials and intellect would undoubtedly be viewed differently if he spoke in a domineering tone. Even if they are among friends, there is a fear—a fear I do not share—of being labeled “angry” and fulfilling centuries-old stereotypes of black masculinity. I will never suspect that people are afraid of me as a person; the thought won’t even cross my mind. As whites, we’re far less likely to be labeled “erratic,” “crazy,” or “out of control” than folks of color who relay the very same messages in the very same powerful tone. I never worry about fulfilling stereotypes of being loud, angry, or “ghetto”—stereotypes that might cause my audience to misinterpret or ignore my message. And that’s white privilege.
I’ve recently had some encounters with the concept of privilege, both deliberately – as part of writing my burlesque essay for Racialicious – and accidentally, when I’ve recently confronted some people on some questionable clothing choices only to have it yelled back at me.
a right reserved exclusively by a particular person or group (especially a hereditary or official right); a special advantage or immunity or benefit not enjoyed by all
It’s a term that gets used a lot amongst any sort of activist-y discussion – feminism, race rights, gay rights, and so on. Yet it seems to be one of those terms that people recognise when they see it yet can’t really define tidily.
For me, I define privilege as being related to the extent that a certain trait or characteristic is considered the ‘default’. Many people consider straight white educated men to be the ultimate in privilege: society is built around them, and everyone else does not get the same sort of rights or benefits. This is adjusted somewhat elsewhere – in Malaysia, for instance, the ‘default’ is straight Malay Muslim male; you don’t get as much advantages being White.
I made a privilege chart as part of a university project some years ago, to explore privilege with regards to the arts. I have a rather complicated relationship to privilege, and I’m not sure the chart necessarily makes it clearer:
Attribute
Privilege Level
Comments
Race
Low
I am not even officially considered as a racial/cultural category in Malaysia; I’m brushed in as “Other”. My specific minority is the center of scorn, racism, and prejudice amongst many other Malaysians, especially those in power. I am ineligible for many benefits due to my race. In Australia my race isn’t such a big deal, though I do encounter a lot of “are you from Fiji” silliness.
Nationality
Low
Bangladeshi passports SUCK! Also, I’m again not eligible for many things like grants or Gov support because I’m not of the right nationality.
Wealth
High
My dad has a pretty good job with a high ranking and he’s in high regard within his industry. It’s nowhere near Bill Gates status (hell compared to other CEOs worldwide he’s a minnow) but to the rest of the local community it’s pretty significant. We get perks like chauffeurs and VIP seating and such. This clashes with my race/nationality a LOT – people can’t seem to fathom the idea of a “Bangla” being higher-classed than they are. And then you get the local Aussie students who assume that we’re all rich brats because we pay full-fee, even though when you convert the money they’re likely earning more than our family ever would. Once I become financially independent (if that day ever comes) this would probably drop to Low, but in Malaysia the family association never really goes away.
Education
Medium-High
I have a university degree and am multi-lingual, which puts me at a distinct advantage. However, my degree is in the creative arts, which isn’t really regarded as highly as most other subjects. Also the languages I know aren’t really languages in demand – the UN doesn’t want them (except English) and there aren’t a lot of jobs overseas looking for Malay speakers.
Looks
Medium-Low
I’m dark-skinned and an inbetween size (12-14), which puts me in an immediate disadvantage. I don’t think I’m spectacularly ugly, but I’m not particularly attractive either – I’m not going to be first in line for any sort of modelling gig. My body is far from ideal (unless you’re my boyfriend) and I don’t tend to subscribe to any sort of fashion or style notion.
Access to Technology
Medium-High
I have been using computers since I was about 2, and I do live in areas with decent Internet access. Lines tend to be slow though, so I’m not as easily able to access things like BitTorrent or huge media files without limitations. Also I tend to be many years back on devices – I only just got an iPod for the first time ever and that was because I won one from MySpace.
Sexuality
Medium
I’m pansexual-queer (like bisexual except I acknowledge that there’s more than one gender). I am currently in a heterosexual relationship, so I’m able to pass as “straight” and not get into too much trouble. It’s not as big an issue to be queer in Australia as it is in Malaysia, where just holding hands could get you in legal trouble. That said, while I do what I can to support gay rights, I do feel a bit odd in queer culture events because I sometimes feel like I’m not “queer” enough to count.
Gender
Medium-High
I’m female, nothing really special about my femaleness. In Australia things are pretty fair for women; in Malaysia it’s rather less so, since there’s a lot more lechery and politicians tend to be quite stupid about women’s rights. I haven’t had to face major discrimination for my gender, though I do cross with misogynistic people from time to time.
Health
Medium
I have depression and anxiety, and had a hard time dealing with it at school because the teachers thought I was making it all up (the school was a hothouse for mental disorders, you’d think they’d work it out eventually). In Australia there’s a LOT more support and understanding. I don’t look disabled and often pass for “normal”; I don’t often have public freakouts or incidents. It can he hard to hold it all in though.
There’s probably quite a bit about my privilege that I haven’t covered in that chart, and it’s likely just as complex as the above.
I’ve noticed that quite a few people – especially people with really high privileges in many areas – tend to react badly to the idea that they’re privileged. “I earn minimum wage! I’m not rich! I’m not high-class! What do you mean I’m privileged?!” Thing is, most people have privilege. If you’re reading this, you’re privileged – you’re literate and you have access to the Internet, which puts you in the top half of the privilege continuum. A lot of privilege is stuff you are both into and can’t affect; you can’t really help your skin colour or your sexuality.
The idea isn’t to freak out about whether you have privilege or not; it’s to recognize the privilege that you have, and how that intersects with other people’s privilege. So many of my White Australian friends don’t realise the immense privilege they have to be able to wear whatever and not be seen as a “fresh off the boat” or “country hick” – if they wear traditional ethnic clothing, they’re stylish, but when the original ethnic person wears it they’re seen as a country bumpkin. Privilege affects how people see you – the prejudices, favours, concessions. We are all interlinked, and our lives are often affected by subtle hidden machinations and politics that we’re often not aware of.
You have privilege? Great! Recognise it. Consider it. And consider the privilege of others, who would probably get into a lot more grief for not being “normal”.
That poem by Suheir Hammad rings so true to me. I’m tired of being the “exotic one”, even if I do end up using it a bit to get me over the edge. It’s sad though that I have to use the “exotic” angle to even get a looksee. Treat me as me first and foremost; don’t let my skin colour cloud your eyes.
My friend (and the designer of this website) Natalie Perkins is very vocal about body acceptance and positive self-image and Health At Every Size. She wrote a post about loving yourself through 8+1 really hard steps and it’s REQUIREDREADING. Because I say so.
She’s also just done a vlog about it, which is equal parts entertaining and informative:
When I was at school there were quite a few sports teams, as well as the once-famous Marching Band and Choir and a few different things. My school – a ‘premier’ school, which translates to ‘grade-crazy cattle station’ – was very competitive, and that attitude trickled down to the clubs & societies.
You see, you couldn’t really join the clubs unless you were good at that activity. Well, you could, but you’d be relegated to something like Secretary/Minute-Taker and not be able to join in much of the activities – which is usually training for a big game. The major ones like Marching Band spent the first few weeks of the term hazing all the newbies – making them do all their chores and serve their seniors’ whim. Only when they ‘proved their mettle’ were they allowed to have fun.
This attitude lingers on after school. Past-times and hobbies were no longer encouraged. Anything you did had to fit one of the following categories:
You were making lots of money from it – or at least enough to support yourself and your extended family and anyone else that might need your money
You were extremely talented; indeed you were the Best in the World, winning prestigious awards
It got you into a Prestigious High-Class University like Harvard/Oxford/Cambridge or got you employed in a Prestigious High-Class Company
You gave all your energy to Save The World and your efforts were totally altruistic; children can now eat 5 meals a day thanks to you
otherwise? Pointless! go do something useful.
Even in places where the above elements aren’t emphasized so much, there’s still that expectation of Doing Your One True Passion. That one thing that will Change Your Life and Make You Happy and so on. Find out what that One Thing is, and you will live happily ever after!
What happened to doing things just for fun? To doing things just for the heck of it?
Why do people need to have just one main interest? Why do their interests need to be moneymakers or fame-givers to be valid? Why is it only worth doing something well?
People are so scared of failing, or of succeeding and getting grief from jealous people, or of wasting their effort and time. Well no wonder! Nobody ever teaches us about intrinsic value. About doing things just for its own sake. Instead, everything gets assigned some sort of extrinsic value – money, meaning, love, whatever.
You can’t just make art because it’s fun. No, you have to create longwinded artistic statements and prove your mettle as a serious artist looking to make this your sole career.
You can’t just play sports because it’s fun. No, you have to train up to pro level, show up at the pool or court every day 5 hours a day at least, get the best equipment and the best gear and join all the competitions.
You can’t just volunteer with a charity because it’s fun. No, you have to be totally selfless and suffer as much as you can so that the people you’re saving will not have to suffer ever again.
Bugger that!
Quite a few world-changing major-impact things came about because the creator thought it was fun. The founder of Doctors without Borders (MSF – Medecines Sans Frontieres?) started MSF because he was bored of plastic surgery and wanted a challenge. Not necessarily because he had grand aims of Changing the World. But that happened anyway.
Did Leonardo da Vinci make his art and write his scientific journals because he wanted to Make an Impact that will Stand The Test of Time? Probably not. Probably he did what he did because he enjoyed it. (The paintings may be commissioned, I’m not sure.)
I used to be absolutely passionate about writing. Like crazy prolific. Mainly fanfiction and short fiction, and the fanfiction wasn’t all that great, but it was still writing and it was fun. I did have big dreams of being a famous writer and published author and all that – because I loved it so much that I couldn’t imagine anything else.
Then I took creative writing as a submajor in university. And my passion was murdered.
Murdered by the expectation to make my work sale-able. The 4s (like a D) because my highly personal characters were “unrealistic”. The swing of grades depending on who marked my paper. My heart and soul poured into words hacked into pieces by people who thought my internal struggles didn’t make sense for the buying public.
I didn’t care whether my writing was sale-able or not! I wrote as therapy, to indulge and comfort myself, to express things I wasn’t able to say straight out. Screw grades! I just wanted to share myself.
I’ve had an interest in performing on and off my whole life, though strongly on now. It was hard for me to get more involved in the past since I was always blocked by people who would rather have their friends on stage and relegate me to “Scriptwriter” because I was the only person that could actually write a script. (That’s when we were even allowed to be on stage in the first place.) I remember my dad trying to placate me to go to uni by sending me brochures of major acting schools in Australia like NIDA (we have family friends in the country)…I almost laughed at him; they won’t accept me, I’ve never had an acting lesson in my life! How the heck was I supposed to audition! They weren’t going to take people doing this for fun, Dad.
And it seems the avenues for doing it for fun keep getting smaller and smaller.
As a teen I believed that the only way you were able to sing was to be signed on a major label and be famous. Now I see so many garage bands starting up. My current foray into stage performance has shown me quite a few amateur avenues – but I’m also brushing up against people who’re in it to get ahead or push their own way or something and make life difficult for those who just want to have fun. If you’re not continually working on it, you’re Not Serious Enough, and we Just Can’t Have That.
I just launched the website for The Merch Girl. It’s a commercial venture, but realistically I’d be surprised if I made more than $100 a year since I’m targeting my services at indie/emerging projects that don’t have a lot of cash. Yet it’s so hard to get support because they all want business plans that account for large cashflow and high profitability, or they want proof that you are a Dedicated Career Artist – I’ve hardly created enough to be a “Real Artist”! (Also, my interests tend to shift every 4 years or so anyway) But I don’t want to stress out over making The Merch Girl financially sustainable either. I don’t want to lose my interest in creative production work – something I find fun – because I can’t make ends meet.
Let’s lose the expectations. Let’s lose the need to prove ourselves. Let’s just do things for the heck of it.
Gala Darling just released the second episode of her podcast, Love and Sequins – I was pretty intrigued in this one as she talks about running a creative business, and I had often wondered how people like her got to the point of being invited to speak at events and getting free stuff.
The conversation between her and Molly Crabapple, as well as her general guidelines, were interesting (disclaimer: I read the transcript but haven’t actually listened to the podcast yet). A lot of it are things one can pick up from other small business guides – figure out what you like to do, think of various ways to build that into a business, network, diversify, and so on. She does have some interesting advice, like “don’t take your passions so literally” – for instance, there are still ways to build a career out of writing Harry Potter fanfic without needing to literally write and sell Harry Potter fanfic.
However, the one part I was most interested in was left unanswered: What did she do, or what happened to her, that led to her current status and commanding power?
visually it’d look like this:
There are many other bloggers with equally effervescent personalities and not-so-dissimilar content that have come before Gala. Some of them do have their own small followings. But, unlike Gala, they haven’t been able to command product placements or speaking gigs or afford international flights. What was different?
Let’s take this similar issue in the point of view of performing, since that’s what I do at the moment:
There is a little while to go before you’re considered professional enough to be drafted for commercial shows, before you become a recognisable and credible brand name. But when does this happen? How many shows and how many years do you need before you reach that point? If you’ve worked in one area (say, improv) for a while, then moved on to something else in the same field (say, contemporary theatre) does anything from your previous work count within the timeline? Who proclaims you as ‘professional’ anyway?
How do you go from Work Experience boy to Artistic Director at #circusoz?? Read Mike Finch’s interview to find out: http://TwitPWR.com/gG5/
The interview does go into quite a bit about the background of the show and of his work as AD, but it doesn’t actually answer @circusoz’s question: How do you go from Work Experience boy to Artistic Director at Circus Oz? Who discovered him? Did he have to make an application? Did he have to leave Circus Oz for a while?
This in-between state is something I’ve been interested in for quite a long time. However, it’s not one that’s often talked about. The only other person I found who actually looks into these things is Malcolm Gladwell, whose books The Tipping Point and Outliers talk about pivotal points that affect people’s success. There are certain factors that make the difference between success and failure: whether it’s the number of hours, someone believing in you, being born in the right place at the right time.
What sets them apart from others? What point, what event, made a difference?
I asked this about Internet-famous people on Ask Metafilter but didn’t really get the response I was expecting. However, I was directed to Wired’s article on ‘fameball’ Julia Allison, which is an example of what I really want to know. The article describes her thinly-disguised press releases (“Oh my, I’m going to do something really stupid! Please don’t publish this even tho you are media!”) and how Gawker lapped it up despite protesting about how useless she is.
Is that what it takes? Shameless self-promotion? On the one hand society tells people that they’re not worth anything if they’re not famous or well-known. Yet we also scorn people who actively seek out fame. Why? Is it a bad thing? Is it because they’re not passively waiting? Will just having talent make people come to you, or do you need to do more to get someone’s attention?
Handling rejection and disappointment is something I’ve had to deal with all my life, but never really managed to do at all well. Mainly because I’m never quite sure how one gets to that ideal state – of being able to brush it off, move on, not care about it so much.
Even if it’s something I didn’t really care for in the first place, even if it’s a total longshot so I was more likely to get rejected anyway, even if I wasn’t really seriously counting on getting in…just hearing “No” is enough to trigger pain and hurt within my heart and gut. (Now imagine how I’d feel if it was something I was deeply hoping for.)
I’m not sure where this came from. Being practically spoiled my whole life? Being frustrated at being left out of things due to irrelevant factors like race? Rejection upon rejection piling onto each other? A deep need to compete and prove myself? You’d think I’d get over it, since I’ve tried out for a zillion things my entire life and 90% of the time it’s a No. But I still have that deep pit of pain. It’s like a stomachache only deeper and lower.
I don’t know if my issue is that I don’t deal well with rejection, or that I think feeling hurt is a bad way of feeling when rejected. I’ve had people in my family, within my friends, and so on practically scoff at me for reacting emotionally to a rejection. “Why bother feeling so bad? Just move on.” If it was that easy I’d be right on the case. There’s also been people who were understanding of my need to feel sad, which is helpful but also doesn’t really ease the embarrassment that I sometimes feel for breaking down in public.
Is it ok to feel bad?
Is it ok to need time to recover and move on?
Is it ok to ever be disappointed?
ABC TV Show The Gruen Transfer, which comments on media advertising, recently did a feature on size discrimination. They asked a couple of agencies to come up with and The Foundry’s contribution was deemed too shocking for television.
The ad basically told 3 racist/homophobic jokes, then a fat joke, closing with “Discrimination is ugly and wrong”. ABC did not let The Gruen Transfer air the ad, but they have made up a special website to air the ad and the related discussion. Disclaimer: Content is rather offensive.
The idea behind the ad – and the related epiphany from the ad director that inspired the ad – was that if we consider racist, sexist, homophobic jokes bad and ugly and unfunny, why do we laugh at fat jokes? Why are they suddenly OK? It’s putting shape discrimination on the same level as the other forms of discrimination; it’s still regarding someone as lower than you because they’re different.
Sad to say, I still hear those kind of jokes from time to time in different situations. Even from people who I figured would know better. Even sadder to say, I sometimes find them funny. I see what they are poking at, I understand the reference, and sometimes I feel a laugh come from my belly. Then, like the aforementioned ad director, I choke and go “wait, this isn’t right.”. I hated it when people made jokes at the expense of Bengalis, or on whatever alternative group I happened to identify with or be close to; why do I find random jokes along similar lines funny? Why am I laughing? Because they poke at stereotypes? Because in some way I might agree with it? Because it’s just so bad that the only way to diffuse the awkwardness is to laugh? Because if you don’t react you explode?
In the related discussion one of the panellists comments that the people referred to in the earlier jokes – black women, gay men, Jewish people – may be too shocked by those jokes being aired to be able to process the rest of it. Given that they did not publicly identify themselves on that show as black, gay, or Jewish, I don’t think they’re quite the right people to comment about whether they’d be shocked or not. (“WHATTHEYLETTHAT ON AIR?!”) I have heard the sentiment that it’s ok for stereotype jokes to be made only when it’s the group being stereotyped that makes the joke; they’d be able to provide the cultural context. (Which also explains why I was rather uneasy after hearing my burlesque teacher’s idea of a Buddhist strip show – as far as I know, having a Comparative Religions class in university does not make you able to relate to Buddhism.
But it also doesn’t exclude the idea that people who face discrimination aren’t also discriminatory. We all have our ugly prejudices; often they’re ingrained and we don’t notice them until we have to confront them. I was homophobic as a young teen because it wasn’t explained to me what being homosexual meant, aside from “bad and icky” – and who wants to be near someone “bad and icky”? I used to think models were all airheads. I sometimes reflexively have issues with Malay people (growing up, most of the discrimination I faced came from Malay people, mainly due to percentage of population) and have to catch myself and say “no, this is a person, not a representative of their race. Respect them as a person, as you would wish them to do to you.”.
My dad asked me the other day to stop my gay rights activism because it was freaking Mum out. Because she doesn’t understand. I don’t know what idea my parents have of gay people (“bad and ugly”?) but I would like them to know that I support gay rights because I know how much it sucks to be denied of your humanity and dignity because of who you are. Being gay doesn’t make you bad; it doesn’t make you good too. Bad people and good people come in all sorts of shapes and forms. How they express their sexuality doesn’t have a bearing on their morality.
If it’s bad to be discriminated against for your race, why is it OK to discriminate others against their sexual identity? If you frown at religious jokes, why laugh at shape jokes? And what do you do when you recognise the (often black and crude) humour and instinctively laugh, but really disagree with the underlying sentiment?
Wow. I’m blown away, surprised, and heartened. My last post, The Definition of Ugly, received so much feedback and love and support from friends, acquaintances, and even readers that had not heard of me before. It got reposted on Lip Mag’s website,retweeted here and there, and reposted on Facebook by people I don’t know.
I didn’t write it for popularity, but I did hope for a little bit of validation. I had thought about it while waiting for a bus outside Mystique in the Valley, which is holding their Are You It? campaign to find the face of their club. I saw the people hanging around Mystique and realised that even if I showed up at their club religiously every night, I’ll never win their competition. I’ve participated in enough auditions to know that my look is not desired, my style is not desired, “I” as a physical concept am not what most people want representing a product or service or lifestyle.
I don’t tend to put much effort into my appearance out of laziness. My parents are often on my case for not caring – my dad (who has more skin products than I do) used to keep buying me acne cream, and my mum often comments on how I should exercise to get rid of my belly and how “you know, if you only took care of yourself you would look so pretty!!”. It also doesn’t help that I’ve seen audition forms where I’ve been classified as having “bad” skin, or that when I was at LUCT I was asked if I’d like someone else to front the Newage booth (a newspaper I founded) to give it “image”.
I don’t usually pay attention, but it gets rather annoying after a while. I was fed up of not being able to see people like me represented or heralded as “beautiful” anywhere. I wanted society to change, to see people like me as beautiful, to appreciate my features and colours. But as they say, if you keep having problems and the only common factor is you, it means it’s a problem with you.
Or maybe not.
So many people reached out to me and said I was beautiful. That I was alive, vivacious, positive, confident, had great teeth, great smiles, great attitude. One friend compared me to a mountain, strong and confident with a cloudy mysterious aura.
They related their body and image issues, their confessions of crotch foundation and being a minority in a minority and still dealing with issues even after giving up beauty magazines. I was told that there is a subsection of SuicideGirls dedicated to fanciers of the hirsute (yay hairy people!).
Evelyn Hartogh shared her script for The Tampon Lady.Miss Bertie Page thought my proposed act sounded like a modern art installation piece (which then got quite a few people asking for tickets!). I got amazing quotes and wisdom from everywhere:
If it helps in any way I have friends who are conventionaly, classically gorgeous and they still don’t feel like they are ‘beautiful’ – who does? But there is much to be said for suceeding ‘in spite’ of what we look like as opposed to ‘because’ of what we look like and besides I think you are beautiful so there!
My dear drag queen boylesque friend Adam who quotes Tim Burton:
“You are taught from a very early age to conform to certain things.” He also said how the freaks and outcasts from high school turned out to be the most normal, well adjusted and beautiful people, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. And the people that society deems to be beautiful, normal and well adjusted, are the ones who fade away.
Just remember that those who do not have a path carved out for them, usually carve out their own, and are stronger people for it. While you may have to carve out your own path in life, you will be a more beautiful person for it.
My improv director Louise Callinan shares the words of Dawn French’s father:
“Never forget what a treasure you are, and if your faith in that ever wobbles, have a look in the mirror and have confidence in what you see. You are a rare thing, an uncommon beauty, a dazzling, exquisite, splendid young woman.” and he goes on further but later Dawn states that from then on that her fathers confidence in her gave her an inner strength and belief in herself that stayed in tact even through some significant attacks throughout her life.
and also recommends Ani DeFranco’s Not a Pretty Girl and Darren Hanlon’s I Wish I Was Beautiful For You (the video for this is a cover):
Another burlesque friend and co-organiser of the Decadence parties, Kat, shares a story that surprised me:
Tiara, at our first Fringe Bar rehearsal, the first time the MAD Dance group met the Scoundrells group, YOU stood out. Meeting YOU led me to the conclusion that Scoundrells would be more fun to train with than MAD (assuming I would meet more people like you at Scoundrells). I loved that you weren’t one of those Barbie types, with simple minds, simple interests and the need to conform. I love that you are who you are. You’re a bright shining star! (Not to mention that you have THEULTIMATE name!!) ;)
(I would have thought Adam was the stand-out star personally ;D)
Miss Bertie knocks some sense into me:
Take a look around at Brisbane’s top burlesque performers, does Lena look like Dita Von teese? How about Red or triple treat? They’re successful because they’ve done it their own way. Work hard and cast fear aside,maybe the burlesque you’ve seen isn’t your style , find the way to make it work for you. Your proposed act sounds like a modern art installation.
and then suggests I look up Doris La Trine (warning: may make you want to pee:)
My goodness. so much beauty everywhere, it overflows and runs like a waterfall. Thank you. Thank you so much.
I was asked to write a followup note, but this time instead of listing out my flaws I list out the things that make me beautiful. Well all right then:
I have awesome eyes. Yes. There, I’ve claimed it. Tons of people point it out to me and it’s about time I relish them (instead of trying to cut away my eyelashes like I did once as a fed-up teen). Also, I like all the different streaks and colours my hair goes through from time to time.
I have a BELLY! Which is great for BELLYDANCE! and all related activities. I am snuggable and my bosom makes for great Cornershop-style pillows.
My legs are actually pretty long. And pretty hot. So are my arms, especially when unsleeved. The fuzz on them keeps me warm and, well, fuzzy. I can tumble backwards, stand on my shoulders, and lift myself up using my hands.
I have a face that is expressive and chameleonic. It is its own character. I have smiles and grins that shine happiness from far away. My teeth are in good health and I’ve never needed a cavity or filling.
I am not shy about my body. I have just rediscovered its potential and look forward to stretching it out in circus or burlesque. I have a sharp keen mind that loves learning and is especially awesome at creating new connections out of unrelated things. My spirit is seeking, open, welcoming, contemplative of others’ experiences.
I’m always eager to help out whenever I can. I love deeply and warmly. I am always available for hugs and kisses. I am loyal and show my admiration and appreciation for people. I create new things out of all sorts of stimuli. I have enough energy to sustain a room. I work for the greater good. I am silly and random and crazy and nutty. I don’t hold back my laughs. I’m willing to shave my head or wear a crazy costume.
I have the most beautiful friends and family in the world. And we all make each other beautiful.
None of us are perfect, but most of us are perfectly fine how we are.
I recently observed a very interesting discussion on the economics of theatre, using the thesis that the theatre world needs to be less self-centred when it comes to funding as the Average Joe may not relate to the “WE MUSTSUPPORTTHEARTS” point of view, especially when they’re struggling to make ends meet.
While the discussion was primarily America-centric, I see similar debates happening around the world. This was actually the topic of my first assignment at university – about how Australian theatre is struggling to survive and how it needs to adopt models from outside the art world to sustain itself. There are already a lot of organisations that are shutting down or have shut down because they lost Government funding. This startles me – the idea that the loss of one funder can make the difference in your survival.
Go find a nurse and ask her about her day. Or go read “Mountains Beyond Mountains“. Or go have a chat with a social worker advising single mothers, or a middle school teacher trying to teach students who can’t read. Then come tell me our new president should spend a million dollars on dance tours instead of any of those other things.
Indeed, according to Chicago-based theater artist Jay Rasolnikov, no one really cares:
No one really cares about why an artist deserves money except for those in the arts. Really no one does. A factory worker who’s out of a job and about to lose his or her home couldn’t care less about artists getting handouts. Someone trying to get buy on minimum wage working a series of shit jobs probably has very little sympathy for artists also scraping by.
As Theatre Idea‘s Scott Walters points out (using Johnny Bunko), it’s not about you – and indeed, there’s a value to art that artists themselves may not realise:
For much of art history, artists considered themselves to be craftsmen doing a job; many didn’t sign their work. They knew it wasn’t about them. Artistically, as Pink writes, they “give their client something it didn’t know it was missing.” They give a gift. Which brings us back to Lewis Hyde again, and the difference between a gift economy and a transaction economy. One of the many subtitles Hyde seems to have used for different editions of this book is “How the Creative Spirit Transforms the World.” The artist is the conduit, the vessel for the creative spirit. The artist is a midwife that brings into existence a new life.
This is something I struggle with currently as a performance trainee (and in the recent past while applying for the KaosPilots). My work isn’t directly applied or educational or world-changing. I do it because it gives me happiness. It’s an outlet for my silly creativity. It gives me access to a whole bunch of smart, friendly, open, loving people who have welcomed me wholeheartedly into their world. (<3 Scoundrelles and Vulcana!). It lets me fulfill some long-held wishes (I just managed a few handstands on Monday!).
But it’s not solving world poverty or global warming. It’s not going to make a difference in a life-or-death situation. Circus may be gaining respectability (even if too many people assume I’m working as a clown or with animals, neither of which are true) but burlesque is still fraught in many places with controversy over its sex world connections and its respectability. Why should people care that I’m training in circus and burlesque? What’s in it for them – bendy bodies?
Yet without some sort of funding – financially, in-kind, free lessons, room & board, whatever – I won’t be able to sustain myself enough to keep on performing. Life doesn’t come cheap. I feel like I’m caught in a Catch-22 described by Nick in another Chris Ashworth post:
Xan’s argument is that the public expects the arts to do something before it’s willing to fund it, but the arts can’t actually do anything without the money first because of the overhead of putting something together. … People don’t want to pay for a product they haven’t seen, but the product can’t be created with the capital first.
It’s the WIIFM conundrum – What’s In It For Me? . As it is, I grew up in a culture where the only good “self” to be is selfless. Any form of self-enrichment or self-improvement, especially in contemporary arts, is seen as selfish, self-centered, self-indulgent. You live for your community; you do what other people need you to do. There’s no way I’ll get any sort of capital support in Malaysia unless I severely compromise on what I do.
I’ve been looking at grants to support myself (after sifting through tons of “Citizen/PR only” and “No individuals accepted” opportunities, which make me lose out on majorly awesome opportunities like this Australia Council production mentorship – waah!) and almost all of them require some sort of statement on why you should get the grant. What’s so good about you that they should support you. What sort of benefit you bring.
Uh, I’m the only South Asian in Brisbane doing burlesque, so I can inspire other South Asians? What I’m doing isn’t necessarily accepted within similar cultures to mine, and I don’t want to be known as the token Asian or the token “coloured” person.
I am a totally unsporty person jumping into acrobatics? Would it be cheating if I showed my other previous classes, which took some measure of fitness?
I am linking cultures by being a foreigner? It’d help if I actually planned to relocate to Malaysia anything soon without them banning me from the stage for life. And again, tokenism.
I don’t want to turn my work into some overthought plate-of-academic-wanker-beans, but how else do I justify my existence?
So what are the solutions? Does it involve rethinking theatre as a form? Providing funding for universal healthcare and/or education and welfare, so that people don’t have to worry about paying for their living costs and fulfilling the base rung of Maslow’s Hierarchy? What is it?
Does it involve changing public assumptions that artists must work for the love of it and any acceptance of money is “selling out”? That you need to “pay your dues” before getting any back? That we do provide a service – of creativity and passion?
I actually have a few ideas related to making visas less sucky, but let’s deal with them one at a time.
So I’m a young person, and I wish to go overseas for a while. Let’s say I want to go to San Francisco to check out life there. I’ve heard quite a few good things about it, it seems like my kind of place, and I’ve only been in the airport so it’ll be a new experience. (This is true, BTW; I’d like to hang out in San Francisco one day if given the chance. I nearly got to, for university exchange, but that fell apart on me unexpectedly.) I don’t have any set plans; I’d like to make them us as I go.
As I am a young person from a developing country, I don’t exactly have gobs of money. I am supported mainly by my parents, am currently seeking jobs/business ideas, and am mainly in transition. I do have a degree, which is broad and interdisciplinary by nature; I also have lots of experience in diverse but related areas. Oh, and I hold a passport from an area known for illegal immigration.
Traditionally all those factors would count against me. No money, no strict itinerary, nothing tying me down to where I am at the moment. I can’t even get a letter saying I’m from XYZ University and I’ll still be a student there when I return, because I’ve already graduated. I don’t fit a specific skill. And my passport country’s reputation precedes me.
Let’s reframe my experience with the US Embassy here:
I go to the US Embassy and I’m greeted cordially by the staff, made up of a mix of people from around the world, locally and otherwise, with experience of American culture. I head towards the Youth area, where there are the latest youth media (mainstream and indie), computers with free Web access, lounges and sofas, water coolers, American candies and fruit. (mmm candy corn) There are posters around the place with descriptions of cool things young people can do in the US, as well as stacks of flyers and brochures for festivals, classes, schools, whatever. On one side is a noticeboard with clippings from Americans and locals (Apartment for Rent! Petsitter Needed! Be my travel buddy!).
A peer consulate person, roughly around my age, dressed smart casual comes up to me and introduces herself. Her name is Annie, she’s American, has travelled the world as a backpacker, and uses her consul job to meet even more people overseas. She chats to me about what I like, who I am, what I’d like to do in the US.
Annie writes down all her details, and brings me to the flyer section, pulling out a few things about San Francisco. She tells me about an alternative media symposium happening in the next few months, about the organisation that runs the yearly Gay Parade and how they need volunteers. A social change startup has set up base in San Francisco and needs employees – Annie could arrange an interview. We build a file of possible leads, and leave with more information and follow-up tasks.
The interview with the startup goes well; the Gay Parade organisers sends me an email after an introduction from Annie. Annie emails me some information on places for rent – would I like to live in a university dorm and take classes? We keep in touch, discussing options for raising money and building my life in San Francisco.
I get the job at the startup – a role I get to define myself. The US Government supports the costs of them sponsoring my entry. I receive a US$2000 start-up grant, given by all Youth Support Visa grantees. to establish myself in San Francisco. Partners such as Virgin America and T-Mobile provide me with discounts and special offers for my arrival.
I am given a quick Youth Support Visa. It states that I am there to support and experience American culture. I may not have a lot to offer financially, but I have spirit and energy and I am willing to build bridges between cultures. My Bangladesh passport is not a barrier. The process is collaborative, easy, and engaging. I feel welcome before I even arrive at San Francisco.
After a long airline ride (predated by more communication with Annie and contact with offices in San Francisco) I go through the special Youth Support Visa line and receive a warm welcome from immigration. No glares, no sneers; all smiles. I am welcomed by a young man, Ricky, with flaming red hair and enthusiasm to match. He brings me in his van to my room – in a simple apartment just off the city centre – and explains the facilities his office provides. There are support networks, advice, job listings, social activities, legal assistance, permanent migration assistance…all sorts of things. If I’m in trouble, if I’m homesick, if I want to chat, Ricky and his team (including Annie from home) are available.
I hang out with local San Fran residents and with other Youth Support Visas. One’s here on a research jaunt into pollution in different American states; one’s here on holiday after high school; a couple are here to stake out the place for possible permanent migration. We get involved in the local community and get to chat with the Mayor. We keep in touch with our home countries, and help build a link between the two.
None of us are particularly exceptional; we all have different interests and reasons for being in the US. But we are considered valuable, an asset into building global connections through travel and community participation. We don’t have to worry about being deported or detained. Our presence is welcomed, no matter who we are or where we come from.
A few years later I receive an opportunity to live with a family that owns a Buddhist temple in Murou. The Japan consulate in San Francisco greets me with open arms, and a young man named Hiro helps me sort out my jaunt in Murou, organising language lessons and guiding me through Japanese culture. I get another Youth Support Visa, another grant (Y150000), another great journey.
There are non-governmental organisations that do similar things – British Council deals with all things UK (especially for young people) and IDP Education works with higher education in Australia. However, none of them directly work with Government and their Migration/Immigration visas. None of them have a direct effect on visa approval (not that I know of anyway). They don’t actually issue visas.
Supporting young people (who are often keen travellers and explorers) will go a long way into encouraging integration, diversity, and smooth international relations. Welcoming them as part of the community would integrate people more than isolating them and decrying them from not joining in. We give what we can, and they help us use our skills and gifts for everyone’s benefit.
The massive sticker you get in your passport that allow you to visit countries and (hopefully) not get deported.
I hate them.
Being a holder of a Bangladesh passport means that I need visas for almost every country in the planet. Usually I’m placed in a “high-risk” category, which means I have to surrender my financial documents (and that of my parents, since at the moment they’re my main source of money), my education and work history, letters from who knows what about who knows where, my last few addresses in the past 5 years…everything. And I have to wait a lot longer.
Being a Malaysian resident means that I’m usually dealing with visa offices in KL that aren’t used to dealing with SO MUCH paperwork from one person. (Well, except for the US office, who seem to collect paperwork like it’s going extinct.) Many questions about when I migrated to Malaysia (never; I was born in Malaysia), about why I don’t have a Malaysian passport (because permanent residents don’t get passports), about why I’m not a Malaysian citizen (because your lack of a jus soli policy and convoluted citizenship process means that I have to wait forever to even apply for citizenship. And we’re still waiting.).
My family tries to get long-term multiple-entry visas whenever possible. 5 years for the US. A year or so for the UK. 5 years for Australia. That way we won’t have to deal with the paperwork hassles more than once. We’re all keen travellers – I first flew when I was 40 days old and have been overseas an average of 1.5 times a year since – though we would be keener travellers if it wasn’t such a pain in the arse!
In late 2007 I was accepted to the admissions workshop for KaosPilots Stockholm . I had one week to get there. I knew if I asked my parents for permission it’d be too late. The morning I heard the news, I raced to the Swedish visa office for help.
She looked at me sceptically. Young student, third-world passport unrelated to Australia, last minute? I begged and told her my circumstances. I brought as much paperwork as I had on me. She said that even Australians need at least two weeks for a tourist visa, but she’ll call the Sydney office and check.
To the surprise of both of us, the Sydney office said yes. On one condition: I had to get a plane ticket, bank statements, and university letter sorted by 2pm that afternoon.
I had about $4000 in my account. I had 4 hours. No time to hesitate.
In a big flurry of activity (and quite a bit of time sitting in front of a Flight Centre lady working out the cheapest routes that won’t require me getting another visa) I dropped over $2000 on a ticket to Stockholm, got my bank accounts sorted, and got a letter from the university saying that I was a full-time student. I rushed them over to the Sweden office with the rest of my paperwork and my passport. In the hours after, I contacted KaosPilots with plenty of requests for faxes and official letters.
And I waited. And waited.
Two or three days before I was scheduled to leave, I got a phonecall from the office saying that my visa has been approved and that my passport was ready for collection. Record timing.
Oh god.
I called my parents. They didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “What? You got a VISA? You’re going WHERE? You spent HOWMUCH? That money was for YOUREDUCATION!!!” Too late to object; I was off.
I spent a crazy winter week in Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Aarhus (hey, while you’re in the other side of the world, might as well check the rest of the place out). I rode a ferry and an interstate train. I lived in a hostel boat and with someone from Couchsurfing. I lived on crispbread and salmon on tubes for breakfast.
On the flight(s) back I had two 10+-hour layovers – Tokyo and Sydney. In Tokyo I heard that I was rejected from the KaosPilots. In Sydney my flight was cancelled and I had to fight to get a flight home.
It was crazy, it was stressful, and at the end it was heartbreaking, but I’m so glad I did it. Mainly because it showed that I could get a visa on my own legitimately.
All those examples involve US immigration, which have some of the most fucked-up immigration policies in the world. However, this doesn’t mean I’m immune everywhere else. No matter where I go, I’ll always face visa issues. I can’t even get a visa to Singapore most times because “just visiting” isn’t a “legit” option – and I live right next door! Whenever I fly back to Malaysia I’m quizzed about my lack of visa and my PR card flummoxes them. Sometimes I get asked a lot of questions. However, I get it easy. If I were male, I would be detained as soon as I arrived.
I’m interested in conferences and alternative education programs, but there’s no easy way to get visas for them mainly because you’re not really a student (in the conventional sense) or an employee or a trainee. Most places can’t really be bothered to help beyond an “official invite letter”.
There was a campaign by young European activists about having visa-free options for young Europeans, or at least “youth visas” that are easy to apply for – I support that idea. A lot of young people travel but visas hamper their journeys so much. How can a young person necessarily hold at least $50,000 cash? Why limit world travel to just the privileged few, when opening up borders will result in better integration and understanding of multiple cultures? There are the working holiday visas, which are a great idea – except that they’re limited to certain countries. I can’t even get a special visa to work as a camp counsellor in the US because they’re not offered to Bangladeshis. Whoopdedoo.
I am considering being an Australian permanent resident, working my way up to an Australian passport. I like Australia and it’d be nice to have my base here. However, Australian immigration doesn’t make it easy for me to even get a general migrant visa. You need to nominate a “Skilled Occupation”, and that depends solely on your degree – nothing else. All those volunteer and work experiences? Count for nothing. My degree is Creative Industries (Interdisciplinary). That doesn’t really fit most, if any, of the Skilled Occupations with points. Most jobs I’m best suited for don’t have strict titles and may not pay the minimum. And again, my experience doesn’t count.
The experience that does count require me to get training that allows me to legally pursue those lines of work (such as working with children). To get the training I need a visa. Catch-22!
If I had it my way, visas would never exist in the first place. Everyone gets a UN passport and has freedom to travel. We can’t have a global community if we keep fencing ourselves from each other.
Firstly: my mum reads most of my online writing, and I have to warn her that this will be an especially sensitive topic for her. It doesn’t directly involve her but she’s more traditional and I figure that just the title will give her a heart attack. So, for everyone’s sanity:
HI MUM! I love you, but you might not want to keep on reading. Be assured that your daughter is OK and fine and dandy. If you still want to read on, well…don’t say I didn’t warn you. Thank you :D
Now that we have the Parental Disclaimer out of the way:
It amazes – and sometimes disgusts – me how people that work in the sex industry are viewed by others. Prostitutes, strippers, dominatrices, submissives, porn actors, whatever. Men, women, feminists, chauvinists, whatever.
I’m a pretty vocal feminist. I’ve also very recently developed an interest in the workings of the sex industry. And I see so many clashes of cultures, particularly in terms of morality.
Too much slut-shaming.
Women have the right to choose the direction of their life. To set their own boundaries. To decide how they use, show, display their body. How they use their sexuality. Whether they want to make money out of their sexuality at all.
So what’s all this crap about sex workers being “immoral”? “Lacking dignity”? “Tramps”?
It’s a job. A profession. In many ways it’s not that different from most other jobs; you show up, play a role, do your stuff, get paid, go home.
Yes, there are plenty of issues with exploitation. Trafficking. Disrespect. Abuse. They are NOT exclusive to the sex industry. Exploitation and abuse happens in almost every industry. Politicians being shot down for not looking “feminine” enough, women being kidnapped and sold as “domestic help” slaves, inadequate pay and maternity leave – there’s still a lot of issues with women in the working world.
The sex industry isn’t inherently exploitative or evil. It’s linked to core beliefs and structures that support the ideas of women not being allowed autonomy, of women being property, of people having to fit certain moulds to be accepted. Deal with the issues directly.
I’m often surprised at how different the perception is between countries that have different legal and moral concepts of the sex industry.
In Malaysia, a conservative Muslim country that has made the sex industry illegal, the most you hear about the sex industry in mainstream media are “guest officers” illegally from different countries being arrested and locked up. Also massive discrimination against transgendered people. It’s hush-hush; any mentions usually go along the lines of “OMG those immoral bad culture-corrupt people!” Anything remotely sexual is frowned upon – just look at the yearly hysterias surrounding so-called sex parties.
And then you have Bangladesh. Also a Muslim country, but with a different mazhab (school of thought) of Islam, comparatively liberal. Still very traditional in many ways. In 2000, prostitution was legalised in Bangladesh. This was a response to outcries from Bangladeshi sex workers whose brothels were being unfairly raided and shut down by the police. They demanded protection – and got it.
Most of the sex industry is legal in Australia, with different states handling various aspects differently. For instance, brothels and private escorts in Queensland can’t list services on their websites; not so in New South Wales. In the past couple of years, strip clubs have become a trendy hangout for young men and women alike. There are still places considered “sleazy”, but there’s also a growth of more high-class venues that put a lot of attention on all aspects of the club – such as Love and Rockets and the women-owned B Confidential . If anything untoward happens to sex workers, they have plenty of rights and protections on their side. You still have the goons who think all sex workers are stupid/slutty/useless/whatever, but you also have a lot of other people who stand up for sex workers and beat the stereotypes. Satisfaction) is one of many fantastic fleshed-out portrayals of the sex industry (in this case, a high-class brothel) in Australia; they don’t gloss over the sex, but they also give the characters thorough stories, motivations, and personalities.
In the US, where it’s only legal in Nevada, there seems to be a stronger case of “sex workers are slutty”. At least, I’ve seemed to notice more of a backlash against sex workers. A lot of chauvinists feel that sex workers live only for them and that they have the right to treat them as crap because they’re somehow less than human. Some very radical feminists consider sex workers to be in cahoots with the patriarchy, and think that there is no possible way that sexuality and feminism can ever match. “OMGTHEY’RE PROMOTINGPOLEDANCECLASSESHOWEVIL.” (Most sides of that debate are annoying – “pole dancing is patriarchal oppression!” “it’s just for FITNESS, let’s not talk sex!” “only stupid women do it, it’s not fit at all”. It’s sexy, fun, fit, and some women find it empowering. Deal.) America seems to have a very confused relationship with sexuality – it’s treated as such a taboo thing, yet also strongly desired; representations of sexuality are either heavy on the stereotype or far away on the other side of the spectrum; it’s both treated as the Holy Grail and Hell’s Banquet. There’s no humanity in this. I don’t think a show like Satisfaction could have ever existed in America at all. You do have the outliers like Annie Sprinkle, but she probably wouldn’t have been so famous if the US was more lax about sexuality.
So you have a whole bunch of threads getting tangled here:
Women cannot own their sexuality!
Sexuality cannot be a commodity!
Sex is immoral if there are no babies!
Anything to do with sexuality is by extension evil!
Sex workers have no right to be human!
You can’t possibly have chosen to be a sex worker! (well guess what: many do!)
Some aspects of the industry are fucked up. Therefore the industry as a whole is fucked up.
Which then leads to the following underlying beliefs:
Women don’t have the right to set boundaries that work for them.
If you consent to one thing (say, being nude or doing a lapdance) you consent to everything.
Being aroused is bad.
People can only relate to each other in specific ways.
You can only use your body in certain ways dictated to you from outside authorities.
Women are property and only exist for men’s amusement. (speaking of which: a common argument is that sex work exists only for male titillation. What about girls that like girls?)
You can only be empowered in certain ways; other ways don’t count.
It’s not good to be an opportunist.
Sex is bad.
It’s just sex!
It’s odd how in so many places – including places you think will know better (aherm, US) – sex is seen as both a big deal and something not worthy of respect. We value violence and killing more than we value sexuality. Death over birth. Hate over love. Oh, shoot-em-ups are fine – but oh woe is us if we have to see a breast!
It’s our bodies. We all have them. They’re odd-looking things. Certain things make us feel different. Certain touches, tastes, smells, sights, sounds excite us, cause various reactions. That’s just how it is.
So why the muddle?
What is so immoral about going to a strip club and watching a dance? A lot of contemporary dance isn’t all that different in its aesthetics. And so you went to a brothel and paid for a sex session. With legal brothels, you at least have the assurance that the sex workers are checked out, clean, healthy, well taken care of. (Illegal ones don’t have the same resources – this is why I’m all for legalising.) They’re professionals. Their job is to entertain, comfort, console, excite, whatever it is you’re looking for. And like other service workers you meet, you treat them with *respect*. Just because they’re naked when they see you doesn’t mean you can treat them like crap.
Here’s what I’d like to see change with regards to society’s expectations about the sex industry:
Have comprehensive sex education that educates people about different facets of sexuality and sexual health, gives them options and resources for health, and ultimately teaches them to respect their bodies and other people’s bodies.
Stress the fact that it’s perfectly fine to set boundaries for yourself. No one should make you ashamed for being a virgin by choice or having casual sex or whatever, as long as it’s consensual and informed.
Provide resources for people to know more about sexuality and its different modes of expression.
Teach people that other people are not their property and that, no matter their background or lifestyle, they deserve respect for being a human being. I feel that if that one’s sorted, a lot of others fall into place.
Legalise the sex industry and provide legal recourses for things like assault & battery, financial rip-offs, legal/work disputes, and so on
Get more women (and people really) out of exploitative situations and stress the fact that no one deserves to be exploited.
Stop criminalising petty things like a nipple on TV or a breastfeeding mother.
Provides spaces for people to explore and consider their bodies and sexuality – heck, a lot of “sexual” stuff isn’t actually sexual but more something else being expressed through body and relationships.
Make sex less mysterious and taboo – it’s part of the general human condition.
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As you can tell, I enjoy blogs about business and project management that don't sound like typical blogs about business or project management. KPIs, asset management, quality processing...not my bag. Tara Joyce's blog deals with entrepreneurship from within - creating a business that you are personally passionate about and running it by your own principles. She's also lovely and friendly, and will give a listening ear to anyone in need of some encouragement.
OK, I'm biased - Mithi's my older sister. She's finishing up her BA in Illustration, and over the past few years she's built up an 
If you're into fashion or food blogging, and you haven't heard of Luxirare, where have you been?!? She may have way too much time on her hands, but man she makes the best of it.
The Lady of the Manners's really entertaining. Her credo is that being Goth doesn't have to mean being surly and rude, and her blog is full of in-depth advice about fashion, dealing with people, and even random questions like "
Amelia Arsenic has a wild, crazy sense of style - macabre punk goth glam futuristic rock & roll. She's committed to her style and provides lots of tips and guides on how she achieves it - from fashion stylings to mood boards to makeup tutorials. She was on hiatus for much of 2009, but she's back and I'm greatly looking forward to seeing what other creativity she has up her sleeve.
