My culture in a shoebox

By Eva Telemachou

Growing up in an un-diversified neighbourhood in Australia meant that for most of my life, I was never culturally competent. I never thought twice about what it was like for my mother, of Egyptian descent, to migrate to Australia from Sudan, or my father, of Cypriot descent, whose parents migrated to Australia. I was never taught to speak Arabic or Greek because when my parents grew up, they learnt to unlearn it. I never met my Yia Yia and Pappou. I have always felt distant and disconnected from my culture. 

When I started to study at university, I was confronted with people who were connected to their culture, who were proud of who they were. Suddenly I realised this was something I lacked. I was confronted with my lack of knowledge and cultural competence. The pride my friends had in their culture was a feeling that I had always yearned for, but that never really came naturally to me. 

I have always felt a bit empty, knowing some part of myself was missing.

 I had the chance to accompany my parents on a trip to Cyprus in 2023. I saw this as an opportunity to connect to my culture and the motherland. In Cyprus, I soon experienced how important connection to a place, city and country is, how our cultural roots and connection to our cities and their land make up part of who we are. I had never seen my father so immersed in his culture. He was speaking his language so fluently, eating his favourite foods; he was at home. While travelling, I learnt about the dark realities of Cyprus and its history. I learnt about my grandfather who lived through a depression, struggling for food and worried about his future. I learnt about the complexities of the green line and how it cuts the country like a scar.

After travelling to Cyprus, I soon experienced how important connection to your country and its land is. How our cultural roots, connecting to our cities and their land, make up a big part of who we are. Through conversations with family and locals, my severe lack of knowledge about my culture began to emerge. However, I was filled with a sense of belonging as I experienced a sense of place through storytelling, meeting and engaging with people. I am filled with gratitude. Travelling around Cyprus enabled me to grasp a sense of belonging as I learnt about my heritage, gained a sense of place and was able to understand the importance of connecting to my culture.

This shoebox holds precious archives that represent the journey and experience of my family’s migration to Australia. 

My collection of family archives looks into my grandparents’ lives (whom I was never able to meet) and my father’s. I have pieced together the small shoebox my Yia Yia and Pappou left to my dad consisting of photos, letters and documents. This shoebox holds precious archives that represent the journey and experience of my family’s migration to Australia. These archives hold bundles of mountainous photos and letters. These fragments encapsulate my family’s rich history and experiences.