How Australians spend their day on January 26 can vary greatly. It is a date that evokes mixed feelings and has different meanings for different communities.
For some it is a holiday; for others it is historical day of mourning.
With almost a third of the population born overseas – an estimated 8.6 million, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics – Australia is one of the most multiculturally diverse countries in the world.
However, this Australia Day comes at a time of heightened social tension, recent data shows national property is at its lowest level in more than ten years.
Despite this, support for multiculturalism remains strong, according to the ANU’s 2024 Mapping Social Cohesion report.
For many migrant Australians, January 26 remains an important milestone: the day they became Australian. This year, 20,600 people from more than 150 countries will take their citizenship pledge as part of Australia Day events across the country, joining more than six million people who have become citizens since the first ceremonies were held in 1949.
To mark the date, SBS News spoke to five migrant Australians from India, South Sudan, Israel, China and Italy about what the day – and being Australian – means to them.
From tasting Vegemite to quiet reflection
Karan Raina came to Australia from India in 2013 as a masters student, looking for a fresh start and a chance to build his career in a place “known for its lifestyle and opportunities”, he tells SBS News.
Raina described his first experience of Australia Day in 2014 as a “welcome to the club moment”.
“Coming from overseas, the concept of a barbecue and a day at the beach was the quintessential Australian experience I heard most,” he says.
Karan Raina’s first Australia Day was spent at the local park, where she tried Vegemite for the first time. Credit: Delivered
“I took part by going to the local park with some fellow students, trying Vegemite for the first time and just enjoying the sun and relaxed atmosphere.”
After a decade in Australia, Raina says his plans for January 26 are calmer and more reflective.
“I usually use the holiday to relax, catch up with good friends and reflect on how far I’ve come since I first arrived in 2013 with just a few suitcases.”
It’s less about the big party and more about appreciating the peaceful life I have here.
This year he also reflects on his ‘double identity’ as a migrant.
“Even when things feel tense in the news or media, I focus on the reality of my day-to-day life… For me, being Australian is about the contribution I make every day.”
‘This country was built by immigrants’
Chef Luca Quadri came to Australia from Italy in 2015. Eight years later, he became a citizen.
“I was already a chef, so for me it was a little bit easier because I could get a sponsor, or I could get a skills visa through my skills as a chef,” he tells SBS News.
Ten years after arriving, Quadri says he feels like he is now part of Australia.
“It feels like I have two houses, one in Australia and one in Italy.”
Luca Quadri says he now has two houses in Australia and Italy. Credit: Delivered
Despite recent social tensions in Australia, partly caused by a wave of anti-immigration rallies, Quadri says he is unfazed and chooses to ignore the rhetoric.
‘I don’t think they are [rallies] important because this country was built by immigrants. So I think it’s just people who don’t understand how this country works and how we got here.”
The first time he heard about January 26 was from a colleague, who told him, “Tomorrow is Australia Day, we’re going to celebrate it.”
‘As an immigrant here, I don’t have that [strong feelings about the date]. I just think if it’s just a day where we celebrate Australia and as a country and we all come together… it should be celebrated.”
Listening to First Nations voices
Born in South Sudan, Andrew Gai is a domestic violence prevention practitioner and community advocate. He arrived in Australia in 2006 under the humanitarian visa program and became a citizen in 2009.
Before then, Gai said he had never celebrated a country’s national day, and initially celebrated Australia Day passionately, but stopped when he learned what the date means to First Nations people.
“My community association used to organize fun days for young people and families… We have stopped organizing this event,” he says.
“Recently a few young people asked me if we were doing the Australia Day event again and I said ‘sadly no’ and explained to them why and they understood.”
Andrew Gai will no longer celebrate on January 26 after hearing about the “pain associated with this date” for First Nations. Credit: Delivered
It is a day that requires sensitivity and recognition of historical injustice, he tells SBS News.
“Australia Day cannot be approached as normal,” he says.
We can participate in national celebrations while acknowledging the pain associated with this date and listening to the voices of First Nations peoples.
Gai is proud of his South Sudanese heritage, while at the same time expressing gratitude for being Australian. He says seeing the recent anti-immigration rallies, including today’s, is disappointing.
But he believes “we are more united as Australians than what we hear in the media”.
“I call these rallies un-Australian because they are divisive and have a racially motivated agenda,” Gai said.
“With the exception of First Nations peoples, we have all been on different journeys and we all have very unique stories, but we all call Australia home now and no one should be made to feel like they don’t belong here.”
Pride despite division
Physiotherapist Gil Jelin and her husband moved to Australia from Israel in 2017.
“We always wanted to try living abroad, and in my last year of study in Israel I came to Australia to learn from a physio, which surprised me… I decided I wanted to continue working with him and it pushed us to emigrate,” she tells SBS News.
Gil Jelin believes the country is “as divided as it has ever been” since she arrived from Israel in 2017. Credit: Delivered
But as a Jewish migrant, Jelin says she feels “not great” as an Australian right now, especially in the wake of the crisis. the December 14 Bondi terror attack.
“I feel like the situation right now is as divisive as it has ever been in the last eight years,” she says.
“So much hate, politics, people thinking they know you or what you’ve been through. Feeling like the government doesn’t take anti-Semitism seriously enough… So not a walk in the park.”
However, on Australia Day, Jelin plans to spend time with her family and friends.
“[We’ll] toast our beers by the pool and enjoy the luxury and privileges of being Australian.”
“We love this country and we are proud to be part of it and celebrate this day,” she says.
Forward, not backward
Felix Dong, originally from China, moved to Australia as a student in 2011 to complete his university studies. He was granted permanent residency and later became a citizen in 2023.
‘We are not allowed to have dual nationality [in China]so choosing Australian citizenship means giving up many legal and practical ties with our country of origin… It also means that returning to China in the future will entail visas and additional barriers,” he tells SBS News.
“I am proud to have become an Australian… and I believe Australia’s success as a multicultural country comes from strong legislation and real implementation.”
I still believe strongly in the Australian multicultural model, even in times of tension.
Over the years, Dong has spent Australia Day, like many other holidays, occasionally attending community activities or taking a break.
“Like many international students, my initial understanding was quite limited. Occasionally I attended community events, but it did not initially have deep personal meaning for me.”
“The most meaningful Australia Day experience for me was the year I became a citizen. That was the first time the day really felt important on a personal level,” says Dong.
Dong says he was moved to learn the meaning behind certain Australian iconographies – such as the kangaroo and emu, which cannot easily move backwards – symbolizes a nation moving forward.
“These types of shared beliefs bring people of different races, ages and backgrounds together.”
This story was created in collaboration with SBS Italian.
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