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Multiculturalism is one of the many factors which makes Australia unique, contributing to our rich history and character. About 27% of Australians have at least one parent born overseas, 23% themselves were born overseas, and 16% speak a language other than English at home. The Chinese, Greek, Italian, Arabic, Vietnamese, plus many other cultures have contributed to ethnicity of Australian society today. These ethnic groups come to Australia and are required to fit into a completely different way of life, but it would be unrealistic to expect that ethnic communities should “leave their ethnic identity behind”. These groups give Australia a better appreciation of other cultures and bring aspects of material culture (food, houses, and other things used in day-to-day life) and non-material culture (elements of life which are not common day-to-day, but are still very important, for example, religion, language and values). The relationship between ethnic groups and traditional Australian communities is growing stronger.
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