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by Jill - In Someone Else's Shoes by Joseph Assaf 10 Aug 2010
I found this book whilst browsing the book site and then being a languages teacher I thought it may be interesting from the point of view of culture. I thought is may be a novel which I could choose for my book club reading evening. To preview it I found it through the Library which ordered it from the Gold Coast library. I read it in a couple of days as I could not put it down. I found it challenged and reinforced ideas I had in my head. It was spot on and I really wanted to share it with others and bought 10 copies through the website. Reading this book reminded me to think before assuming everything about other cultures, the situation with immigrants and the present day bout people issue. It made me ponder on the difficulties of my own husband and his family who arrived in Australia Dad in 1954 & Mum and three siblings 1956 and the struggle they have overcome to be integrated citizens of this great country. So I will share it with my colleagues and friends and let you know what this discussion brings forth next month. It will contribute positively to people & society where we live I am sure. It is a must read for all those who have anything to do with Multiculturalism and immigration as well as those who live and work amongst multicultural society and who doesn't. Teacher's please take note. IT OPENS ONE'S MIND...

by Boomert - In Someone Else's Shoes by Joseph Assaf 13 Jan 2010

In Someone Else’s Shoes : A Vivid Journey through Culture, Diversity, and the Human Spirit (Joseph Assaf, Leichhardt: Jascom International Pty Ltd, 2008)

Multiculturalism is not a passing fancy. It is not a hobby. It is not a government policy. It is not a ‘nice thing to do’ or a marketing opportunity. Equally, diversity is not a choice. It is not an option. It is not a public-relations exercise or an employee-relations program. In Australia, diversity is a fact of life, and multiculturalism is a way of life. Our diversity has the potential to offer greatness, but it also presents opportunities for disaster. What we need to do, after we have fostered and facilitated diversity, is to foster and facilitate harmony. (p69-70).

Joseph Assaf’s In Someone Else’s Shoes is a handbook on multiculturalism told through the journey of his remarkable life. Arriving in Australia in 1967 from Lebanon wearing another man’s tan shoes (an Australian Immigration requirement at the time was that all arriving immigrants wear a pair of new shoes), Assaf taught himself English and is now a pioneer of multiculturalism in the business of multicultural communication. His book is written simply, with colourful, innocent anecdotes that at times reads like impassioned oratory. Indeed, Assaf has presented widely at conferences, and written discussion papers for governments and private institutions on the challenges and importance of understanding multiculturalism.

Assaf writes of the ‘Three Fixations’ of Australian society —the fixation on the past, an enduring fixation on abundance, and the Australian predisposition for regulation. He writes that Australia’s fragile, developing identity is shackled by these fixations that are ‘blurring’ the vision of the country’s future. Australia, writes Assaf, is yet to recognise our unique and practical advantages and the opportunities they represent. The building of an Australian identity is an integral component of Australia’s future and ‘is as important as the way we build our infrastructure’. Such an identity needs to include the three qualities of resilience, ingenuity, and enterprise. In this way, Assaf believes that Australia “will be in a position to take the goodness that is already engrained within our national character, and build a future that gives us a clear passage to (and a strong position in) the global marketplace.

One cannot teach, or learn from, other groups without living with and understanding them. Only when you have learned about someone else’s culture can you have any hope of advancing the cause of your own culture with them. We must learn to walk in the shoes of our fellow humans.(p.74)

For more information, visit www.josephassaf.com.au.

Author Biography: Joseph Assaf
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