Volunteers and parents at first-ever Vietnamese-Australian football club talk about how football helps them challenge stereotypes and combat the loss of tradition.
In South-Western Sydney, it's not surprising to see Vietnamese Australians kicking the "round ball" in a park.The Vietnamese-Australian Football Academy, the first of its kind, was established in October 2020
Mr Tran said his family could not afford the time or money to let him attend sporting activities when they first arrived in the country as refugees in the early 1980s. Discipline and respect are two of the most important qualities VAFA teams want to exhibit on match daysMr Tran hopes the academy can be a venue where his people can forget about the Vietnam War and "celebrate what it means to be Vietnamese Australians".
"A lot of us have sent our kids to tuition, piano lessons and swimming lessons — things that other Australians have been doing for a long time — but rarely football." "Whilst life Australia presents great opportunities, we [Vietnamese Australians] struggle to maintain our Vietnamese culture and traditional values.," Mrs Damson said.VAFA volunteer Kelly Damson , is a teacher by trade.
Mr Nguyen enjoys celebrating traditional Vietnamese festivals such as Tet and Moon Festival with the other parents at the club. "I am trying to establish friendships with other Vietnamese parents and create long-lasting connections for my own child," Mr Nguyen said.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Monarchists turn on Nationals’ Canavan over republic supportPhilip Benwell, the long-time head of the Australian Monarchist League, told his members he never thought the Queensland senator would “bend with the wind”.
Read more »
NT records one new COVID case in outbreak, three possible cases detected in remote communitiesThe Northern Territory records one new case of COVID-19 related to the current outbreak, but authorities say three possible cases have been detected in remote communities.
Read more »
Lockdowns favoured professionals and managers, while low-income casuals hit hardestWith New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory in lockdown during August, new figures show nearly half the nation literally took their work home with them.
Read more »
Indigenous Australians make up more than one in four domestic violence hospitalisationsMore than one in four Australians needing hospital treatment due to domestic and family violence are Indigenous, a new report has revealed. However, advocates say the figure is not surprising.
Read more »
Australia’s booster rollout ‘falling behind’A significant decline in the number of weekly Covid vaccine doses has left one of the biggest medical bodies in Australia concerned.
Read more »
Early birds find museum welcomes those on autism spectrumAbout one in 70 people are thought to be on the autism spectrum, of those up to 96 per cent of people experience sensory processing difficulties. This might include hyper-sensitivity to smells, tastes, textures, noise or light. | Ellie Mitchell
Read more »