Harmony Day: More important than ever to our increasingly multicultural society

Today, March 21st, is Harmony Day - a global celebration that recognises our diversity and brings together Australians from all different backgrounds.

We've been through a lot as a nation in recent years, and it's natural for both individuals and community groups to feel less connected to their local area thanks to lockdowns, business closures, frequent schooling adjustments, social distancing and more.

The results of the 2021 national census show that, despite the challenges of the last few years, Western Sydney is continuing its growth, consistently positioned as one of the most multicultural regions in the country - let alone the state. These differences in nation of birth, language spoken at home and religious beliefs give residents significant exposure to a world of cultural, societal and culinary experiences.

It won't come as a surprise to learn that Western Sydney has a significantly higher proportion of foreign-born residents than anywhere else in Australia, with 41 per cent of local residents participating in the 2021 National Census confirming they were born overseas, from 128 countries of origin. That's significantly higher than the national average of 20 per cent.

It's a similar result when it comes to languages spoken at home. While the national average is just north of the 20 per cent mark, in Western Sydney a significant 46 per cent of households speak a language other an English at home, with Arabic, Mandarin, Hindi and Urdu the most widely spoken ahead of Tagalog, Assyrian and others. In total, over 100 global languages from around the world are spoken regularly in Western Sydney.

Importantly, the five years between 2016 and 2021 also saw an explosion of interest and engagement with Indigenous languages. There has been a jaw-dropping 278 per cent increase in Indigenous languages spoken in Western Sydney over that time, according to census statistics. Though there is much work still to be done when it comes to the preservation of these historic languages, the upturn in engagement is a positive sign that bodes well for the future given our native languages have faced a fight to survive in recent years.

As is always the case, the statistics also brought to light a less-obvious but still significant trend in recent Western Sydney migration. More than any other group, Western Sydney's Nepalese community is on the grow. There has been a 140 per cent increase in immigration between 2016-21, with a proportionate rise in Nepalese languages spoken locally.

But while these statistics all paint a picture of a strong and multicultural society, public engagement with their community has struggled to return to pre-pandemic levels.

The 'Australia Talks' national survey, last taken in 2021, showed that nearly 60 per cent of Australians know their neighbours by name - but breaking down that statistic paints a worrying sign for the future when combined with other numbers.

That survey shows that, of Australians aged 50 and above, the number who know their neighbour is nearly 80 per cent - but among young people aged 18-24, that number is almost halved.

There are a number of reasons and causes that could be contributing factors. Older Australians move less frequently beyond the age of 40 and are more likely to have a fixed address, more savings (on average) and a mortgage. They rarely have to start new employment positions and are less technologically reliant.

While that's no guarantee they'll be more socially active, by comparison an 18 year old in an apartment who is changing homes and jobs every two years and struggling with constant economic pressures is going to find it much harder to feel connected to their community, especially when people their own age show a similar level of interest (or lack of) in community engagement.

In terms of young people, the population of the western suburbs has a higher percentage of 0-24 year olds that the wider population, but other than a random outlier (35-39 year olds), the west is below the Sydney average for every other age demographic. While the causes are unclear and there's a chance this trend will reverse with the development and employment coming to the area, it shows that the west is home to a significantly younger population of Australians, the same demographics who don't know their neighbours and feel less connection to their increasingly multicultural communities.

With so much diversity to celebrate, re-engaging the next generation of Western Sydney residents needs to be a primary concern.

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_{All statistics taken from Census Data, WSU analysis and the Australia Talks National Survey 2021.}

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