Conference 22 March: Being Slovenian in Australia -excerpts

Sasha Ceferin — Wed Apr 16, 2003 8:13 am

Author: Sasha Ceferin

Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2003 8:13 am

Conference 22 March: excerpt from papers

What does it mean to someone to be multilingual, to grow up with access to two or more cultures, to feel a part of two communities? These are broad issues faced by second and third generation Slovenian Australians at different times in their lives. It is a journey of discovery laid out by different medium - parents, radio, church, clubs, press, visitors, music and travel.
We are Slovenian Australians, and so we have a link with Slovenian culture. We live surrounded by Australian culture and other cultures which today make up Australia. so our Slovenian culture is not dominant in our lives. It takes effort to make our Slovenian culture be part of our lives and it is something we need to chose for ourselves…..
Sometimes we come to realise how important things are later in our lives, sometimes too late. I can only hope that this will not be the path with our Slovenian identity.

Roland Mrak, Bank Manager

I feel exceptionally proud to be of Slovenian background and very fortunate to have parents who supported and encouraged me to learn the language and be a part of the community. I have received such rich rewards from my participation in this community. It has opened up experiences and given me opportunities I would have otherwise never had. My only hope is that I have embraced enough of the language and culture so that I can contribute my bit to future Australian born Slovenians……
My development was greatly enhanced by participating in activities of another culture and speaking another language……. It saddens me when I meet many Australian- born Slovenians who regret not having taken more interest in learning the language. It is also so disappointing to see young Australian born Slovenians reluctant to take more of an interest in their parent’s culture. There are many people in our society who are in awe of those with another culture and the opportunity to learn a language. What they would do to have a rich background such as ours.

Veronica Smrdel, secondary school teacher

What is it like to be a person of Slovenian heritage in Australia? Overall, I was provided with a wealth of experiences that moulded the adult I have become….
The yearly New Year’s Eve dance and other dances were exciting events …. They were ideal occasions at which to enjoy the sound of Slovenian singing and music surrounded by people with whom there was a sense of belonging and identification. There was no need to explain ‘who and what’ you were when you were at those dances. My favourite memory of the dances revolves around the adults singing without instruments after the band had packed up. The way that my parents and other Slovenians knew how to sing the same songs at the same tempo always filled me with amazement. The singing was an expression of togetherness and shared experiences and I was always happy when I would hear someone ‘zavriskati’ which my dictionary translates as ‘to shout out with joy’……
This year, after a twenty-three year absence, I have enrolled in Slovenian at the Victorian School of languages on Saturdays. My aim is to become proficient enough to communicate with my non-English speaking relatives when I go back to visit Slovenia.
If I did not firmly believe I would again have the opportunity to spend time in Slovenia where I could witness its beauty and experience a sense of connection with my family’s past, I would be profoundly sad.

Silvia Zele, secondary school teacher

Thezaurus : Slovenian language resources log

Conference 22 March: Being Slovenian in Australia -excerpts