This was published 4 years ago
'I like the freedom': Indian immigrants embrace Australia Day
Amandeep Singh Dharni will celebrate Australia Day with enthusiasm, after officially becoming a citizen last year.
Mr Dharni, who immigrated from India in 2008, and his wife will take their eight-year-old daughter and join extended family for a barbecue at Parramatta Park. Mr Dharni said they might swim in one of the local pools.
"I have a 100 per cent independent life," he said. "I have nothing to say that is a bad thing about Australia, I have achieved everything in Australia, whatever I achieved, I achieved from here, I am getting rewarded for all the achievements."
Mr Dharni said Australia's multicultural society meant the family could practise their Sikhism religion at home and at their Glenwood temple in north west Sydney.
He appreciates the egalitarian culture of Australia, compared with the much more stratified structure of Indian society.
"I like the freedom and the fact you can choose where you want to work. If you want to work in a petrol station or as a cleaner, no one is screaming at you and when you go out everyone is treated equally," he said.
"The culture is very different in India, you can own the petrol station but you cannot work in it yourself, other people are expected to work for you."
Also from India, Meher Sultana moved to Sydney 15 years ago because of an arranged marriage and "fell in love" with the people and the greenery.
Mrs Sultana loves to celebrate Australia Day with a family barbecue.
"I love doing barbecues where we grill chicken, having an open fire to cook and have a party," she said. "Everything is cooked and arranged before the party in India, here [Australia] the party is having fun and cooking together," she said.
This year she is volunteering at the non-profit Indian Squad Women's Association to recreate her childhood memories of her grandmother hosting neighbourhood parties back in India.
This Sunday, the organisation is hosting an event at Lakemba Senior's Citizen Centre with cultural performances, art classes and magic shows for children, sausage sizzles and Indian street food.