In Iran, they call it a democracy but it’s more of a dictatorship, and one day, I started protesting about the government’s policies. I knew the risks, but I felt someone had to do it. Finally, it became too dangerous for us to stay in Iran, and we escaped to...
My father came to Australia by boat in 2001, just before the government stopped processing asylum seeker visas for refugees who had arrived by boat. Every time I think about that, it just amazes me because if we’d arrived even one month later, our lives would’ve been...
I was born in El Salvador and had a very happy childhood, but when the civil war started in the 80s, my family migrated to Miami, Florida. Six years later, we returned, but found it hard to get used to living there again, as the war had not ended. My parents then...
My parents sent me to Melbourne to study. At first, I was really reluctant to leave Malaysia, and nervous about being alone. But on my third day here, I picked up a magazine from RMIT and saw they were looking for officers for their student association. Joining that...
I didn’t come from a wealthy background in Nepal. My father had to get a loan to pay for my flight and my first semester at university, and when I first arrived, I stayed in a house in Sydney with 28 others. Then I moved into another place with some friends, and all...
