Wai Yee Leong Linda Tan

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Understanding Chinese Culture
Wai Yee Leong Linda Tan
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South Eastern Region Migrant Resource Centre
(SERMRC)

• About Us
• All migrants and refugees living in the S/E
  region of Melbourne
• LGA - City of Greater Dandenong, City of Casey
  and Shire of Cardinia and surrounding areas.
• Aged Disability Services 
• Friendly Visiting Program
• Flexible Respite Program
• Planned Activity Group
• Carers Group
• Diverse Care Program - 50 different languages and
  dialects
• Partners in Care - Community Aged Care Packages
• Training Services

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Local Demographics of residents in the South
Eastern Region
Population of people born in China
2690
1385
785
254
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Language Spoken at home, by Proficiency in
English, by Age
Greater Dandenong
2289
1929
659
80
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Migrant Information Centre (Eastern Melbourne)
Established in 1999 to support the settlement of
migrants and refugees in the Eastern Region of
Melbourne Covers 7 LGA Boroondara, Knox,
Manningham, Maroondah, Monash, Whitehorse and
Yarra Ranges

• Aged Care Disability Services
• Multicultural Equity and Access Program
• Community Partners Program
• Healthy Lifestyles for CALD Communities Project
• Inner East Social Inclusion Initiative Mobilising
  Communities Project

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Diversity of Chinese Communities in the EMR
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Diversity of Chinese Communities in the EMR
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Diverse nature of Chinese Community
What Countries do Chinese speaking people come
from?
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China
Hong Kong
Taiwan
Vietnam
Malaysia
Singapore
Indonesia
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Migratory History
Migration Waves (from China to other countries)

• 1850s
• Before 1949
• 1980s
• After 1989 Tiananmen Square Demonstrations

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Spoken Languages

• Mandarin is the official language in China
• A significant proportion of Chinese people in
  Victoria speak Cantonese
• Other dialects are Hakka, Hokkien, Teo chew, Wu
  (Shanghainese) and many more
• All languages/dialects use the same symbol to
  represent the words although the words are
  pronounced differently

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Written Languages

• Traditional Fonts
• Simplified Fonts
• For example

Aged Care Assessment Team
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Chinese Names
Surname
Generation/ middle name
For example My name is Leong Wai Yee
Given Name

• (Surname) (Given Name one or two words)

• In Australia, Chinese people write
• Wai Yee Leong or Leong Wai Yee

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Festivals

• Chinese New Year (Spring Festival)
• Mid-Autumn Festival
• Duan Wu (Dragon Boat Festival)
• Qing Ming

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Chinese philosophy religion

• Confucianism
• Daoism (Taoism)
• Buddhism
• Ancestor Worship
• Folk practices
• Islam (Hui)
• Christianity

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Culture Aspects of Chinese Life

• Characteristics of Chinese Culture
• Harmony
• Self discipline
• Internal peace, external harmony

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Characteristics of Chinese Culture

• Family Concept
• Men as the head of family
• Focus of family-children
• Marriage Impact on 2 families
• Divorce
• Children to carry family name
• Achievement or shame Bring to family

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Attitudes towards Older People

• Grown-up children - support and care for their
  parents or grandparents
• Respecting the old and loving the young
• Traditional Chinese people prefer to live with
  the whole family, children, parents, grandparents
• Now live alone and not seeing their children on
  a regular basis

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Attitudes towards people with a disability

• interpret disability or mental illness as a
  disgrace /shame
• punishment due to wrongdoing of the person or the
  family in their past life

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Attitudes towards Health

• Balance forces of Yin and Yang
• Illness - disharmony or imbalance of Yin and Yang
• Food and herbal medicine can be used to prevent
  and cure diseases, build up one's health, and
  prolong one's life

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Common barriers in accessing aged care services

• Language barrier
• Lack of knowledge/understanding of Australian
  aged care services
• Values and culture perception

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Strategies for working with Chinese families
Community

• Knowing the demographics of your region
• Developing rapport and trusting relationship with
  
• - Senior clubs
• - Language schools
• - Carer groups
• - Ethno-specific service providers
• Provide community education session using
  interpreters and translated materials

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Strategies for working with Chinese families
Community (continued)

• Promote your services through Chinese newspapers
  / radio programs
• Consult with local ethnic groups to identify
  cultural issues
• Provide practical support
• Provide staff with cultural awareness training
• Use of bilingual educators/workers.

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