Pioneers Homework

Choose 1 Story from the Pioneers section and answer the questions below. You must indicate which section you have chosen.

‘The Beat of a Different Drum’ - Simon Tong

1.    Do the second generation of migrants have an easier time than the first?

In a way, the second generation of migrants does have an easier time than the first because racism has toned down significantly over the years. However, the second generation still has a tough time trying to master English and adapting to the Western society if their parents has never experienced living in a foreign country before. For example, Simon doesn't have parents who are good with English, hence he has difficulty facing school homework or learning how to have a proper conversation with others when he can only self teach at the age of fourteen. Therefore the second generation of migrants would only have an easier time than the first if their parents were knowledgeable and experienced with the foreign society.

2. Why do the pioneers choose to come to Australia? Do you think that their reasons are always clear, even to them?

Simon and his parents chose to come to Australia because they did not want to take part in the Cultural Revolution in China. I don’t think their reasons are always clear because Simon’s mother herself does not know enough English to be able to safely travel and stay in Australia. This is evident when his mother doesn’t understand the pilot announcing that the passengers’ luggage would be transferred to Melbourne. Even though Simon was there to assist his mother, he was unsure of his own English skills and this made the situation extremely risky. Hence, if Simon and his family can’t even understand English properly it makes it very risky for them to live in Australia, let alone schooling.

3.    How do the pioneers’ lives change when they come to Australia?

Simon’s life changes when he gets bullied and harassed at school with racist comments. At Hong Kong, he was able to socialise with his friends, read books at the public library and perform as an average student at school. This all changes when he moves to Christian Brothers’ school as he has lost his dignity and identity and does not feel like he belongs anywhere. However, he eventually manages to befriend a boy and begins to accept the Australian society better, having hope by making a friend who is patient with him and who also helps him improve his English along the way.

4.    What elements do they choose to bring with them when they migrate? And which do they reject? Why?

-Not stated in the story-

5.    What tricks do the pioneers learn to assist them in belonging to Australian culture?

Simon discovered that “soap operas were excellent hearing aids” and that he was able to concentrate on colloquial dialogues. This enabled him to formulate sentences thus plan for basic conversations with other people. At the end of the story, Simon’s biggest discovery is that  music helped him form a stronger relationship with English by letting him learn the grammar and vocabulary more easily.