With the 2022 Federal election less than 3 weeks away, it’s more important than ever for all people of voting age to be aware of the candidates we’ll be voting for at the ballot box.
#ICYMI here’s a quick list of female South-Asian candidates running for the Labor, Liberals and the Greens parties to get you up to speed.
Australia’s International students are talented, hard working and resilient and deserve more support from the government and community. Our team member Dishi breaks down her experiences as an International Student in Australia during the pandemic and the challenges international students face both personally and professionally. Read the full piece to understand just how resilient the international student community is and why they deserve to be treated better than being Australia’s ‘cash cows’.
Ever felt that by living in Australia you were distant from your South Asian roots? Our new blog writer, Janani is passionate about Indian philosophy and in her latest post she shares how Indian philosophical concepts are actually quite deeply embedded in Western culture from daily conversations to pop culture.
This book made us reflect on all the gatherings we had attended over the last year, wondering if we have been a good host and whether the gatherings were meaningful. The book forced us to self-reflect, to think more deeply about the ways we’ve connected in the past and what we’d like to change moving forward.
If you’re not sure whether this book is for you, trust us when we say it is! This is the kind of book that you’ll read over a few weeks or months, taking in its golden nuggets of information, reflecting on them, applying them to your day-to-day life and finding yourself more satisfied with the way you connect with others. Check out our full review.
Mental wellbeing is important for everyone, no matter what community they’re part of. It’s healthy and normal to seek mental health help when we need to, just like we would for a physical ailment.
If you’re curious about: getting mental health care or what it’s like having a South Asian psychologist, or having conversations about mental health with friends, checkout this blog.
Our Content Editor, Erika (@byerikamenezes), loves planning and making lists. She’s shared her top 6 goal-setting habits to help you achieve your 2022 New Year’s resolutions! Head to the blog to find out what you need to do to stay on top of your resolutions.
Last month we read Tahmima Anam’s ‘A Golden Age’ as part of our South Asian Women’s book club. A tale of hope, courage and Bangladesh’s Liberation War, this novel was a great way for us to learn about Bangladesh’s history which many of our members were not as familiar with. The novel inspired some interesting conversions on war, history and relationships with our members sharing stories of war they had heard from family.
Maneet shares her journey overcoming her skin-related self-esteem issues. Her story is one that many South Asian women will be familiar with: experiencing societal obsession that attempts to control women’s appearances and enforce impossible beauty standards. Maneet shares the lessons she’s learned about herself, her skin and her healing journey.
This month our book club read and discussed Afghan-American author, Nadia Hashimi’s, The Pearl That Broke Its Shell. A book about two women’s desire for freedom to control her own fate and the feeling of powerlessness she wishes to overcome. The book instigated interesting conversations on ‘naseeb’ or destiny and whether we believe in the concept.
Recently, one of our Co-founders, Daizy, went on an online book-buying spree because she’d been struggling to find books by and for the South Asian diaspora in her local bookshops. Knowing what it was like to grow up without stories that reflected her experiences and culture, Daizy wanted to find books that her young nieces and nephew would enjoy and reflected their lived experiences. To see what young adult books Daizy bought, check out the blog.