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For many immigrants (not all, because this is not a generalisable problem, but a specific one), conservatism is conviction. It is a safe rule book that has been instilled into them culturally, for many, dating back to the year in which they left their countries.

From a young age, I was taught that my passport was synonymous with my identity in the world. Alongside my name, handy phone numbers, and home addresses, I had branded this fact into my brain. Even in my sleep, I could recite my passport number and its expiry date in a heartbeat.

On my last call of the day with Ma, I hear from miles away about the family gathering on the floor, as is customary across Bengali households, and chat over the steam and smell of masala chai and vegetable croquettes. I smile, and try to make do with the last piece of gulab jamun tucked at a corner in my fridge.

Writer Madeleine Rick explores the phenomenon of Australian 'cultural cringe' and notions of home, featuring a conversation with King's College London Professor Alana Harris.

Stéphane Ly-Cuong, Clotilde Chevalier, and Phuong Le at the London screening of Dans la Cuisine des Nguyen (Stéphane Ly-Cuong, 2025);...

Photo by Talia Andrea Anyone even remotely dialled into the music industry nowadays will know that Dialled In is one of the latest and...

Diaspora Dialogues is an ongoing series presented by singer, writer and sonic poet DemiMa Mseleku at Roundhouse. The evenings consist of...