AS ANY student of history knows, the Chinese have been in Australia for a long time.
They were part of the gold rush of the 1850s and have been arriving ever since — in small numbers, and in waves.
But should they retain their Chinese culture and heritage in Australia?
Some say yes and some say no — and there will be an attempt to settle the question in The Great Gap Debate on Thursday when people from St George will join teams of people from all over Sydney to fight for the affirmative and the negative.
Organisers Mikall Chong from Bexley and Daphne Lowe Kelley from Drummoyne are reworking a similar debate held earlier this year in Mandarin.
Both believe that this sort of debate has to be run in English to attract a wider range of people.
Mrs Kelley said that unlike in the old days when most Chinese were Cantonese speakers from Guangdong province, the community now was mixed, with people from all parts of China and South-east Asia, and representing many generations.
Though interested in hearing the other side of the argument, Mrs Kelley believes that regardless of how well integrated people are, most retain some elements of their Chinese culture.
"Even when fully integrated we are still recognised as being of Chinese descent," she said.
Mrs Kelley, a retired teacher, was born in New Zealand, and her grandfather was a Sydney market gardener early last century.
Her first husband, the father of her son, was Chinese and her second husband was of Irish descent.
Her son "who can hardly speak any Chinese" has an Aussie wife, considers himself Australian but still maintains some aspects of culture.
Mr Chong is "ethnic Chinese" from Malaysia and came here with his family about 20 years ago. As the job situation was tough at the time, he maintained his travel agency in Kuala Lumpur for eight years.
"I can identify with the Chinese community here, although I'm from Malaysia," he said.
"Ethnically, we are Chinese — and we can't run away from that."
The Hu family from Nanjing came out as skilled migrants seven years ago and have since had their second child, Grace, 6.
Grace and sister Sisi, 15, are fluent in both Mandarin and English.
Sisi, with aspirations to be a barrister, feels strongly that they should retain their Chinese culture.
Sisi has experienced some discrimination on the school bus and usually makes a point of telling people on the phone that she is Chinese so "it doesn't come as a surprise".
But Sisi and her family love many aspects of Australian culture, from friendly attitudes to economic and political matters.
THE GREAT DEBATE
The second topic on the debate agenda will consider whether the gap between new and old Chinese Australians is too wide to bridge.
Mr Chong hopes to organise similar debates with other communities such as Lebanese or Egyptians in an effort to better understand what makes up Australia.
The debate will be on Thursday, September 18, at the Mitchell Theatre, Sydney Mechanics School of Arts, 280 Pitt Street.
Bookings: greatchinesedebate.eventbrite.com.au
Should immigrants forego their culture when they come to Australia?
