The label CALD - which stands for culturally and linguistically diverse - has been widely used to describe certain communities, but is it still a useful term?
A new essay has examined whether the term is still an adequate and meaningful descriptor.
Vicky Arachi, who came to Australia seven years ago, believes the CALD label is not always helpful, and can unintentionally create barriers or reinforce stereotypes. "Although I understand that sometimes it makes things easier logistically, I think that it is a bit of an outdated term," she said.Vicky Arachi and her family are originally from Greece, and came to Australia seven years ago.Ms Arachi says umbrella terms like CALD encompass people from a wide variety of backgrounds but do not adequately illustrate the diverse experiences and cultures in Australia.
Mr Lo was born in Australia to ethnically Chinese parents who came from Vietnam. He spoke Cantonese at home, and later picked up Mandarin."CALD is a very broad term and I think it doesn't really reflect our authenticity or our lived experiences," he said. "What makes Australia great is celebrating those multiple identities and dualities, and having a label like Asian-Australian or Chinese-Australian enables me to do that in a much more authentic way."A new report from the Scanlon Foundation Research Institute has examined the issue of labelling in relation to cultural identity, posing the question of whether CALD is really a meaningful and appropriate way to measure diversity.
"It shouldn't be purely an administrative decision ... they should be part of that conversation," she said.
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