What a great topic for discussion especially if seen under the mental health lens and the way mental illness is perceived in various ethnic groups. Of course we all have things that make us feel proud about our ethnicity despite the fact that no one chooses where to be born, the language that they are taught from infants or the religion and traditions that are passed on to them. Food, music, art, history, philosophy, etc are all things we cherish about our backgrounds and things we bring into our new multicultural setting we call home. We all have common experiences through migration, settlement and integration into the Australian society even if it has happened in different eras for various groups which bind us as a nation. And even though they are things in each person's cultural heritage that make them proud, I find it more exciting to dwell on the things that make me proud to be an Australian citizen. You see, after thirty years since my naturalization, I embrace, respect and feel a deep sense of pride about this land that I have chosen to be my home because it has provided us with endless opportunities for growth, education, employment, financial independence, health and welfare supports and systems and structures that ensure that as citizens of this nation we all have a chance to have a fair go, and reach our maximum potential in whatever we choose to pursue in our lives. This is something that makes me feel very proud as I know that I and my family wouldn't have this quality of life and care and reap the benefits of such systems if we still lived in our country of origin. Another aspect that makes me feel very proud about living in Australia is the fact that despite 46% of our population having at least one parent born overseas in more than 200 countries, representing more than 135 religions and faiths, we all live peacefully alongside each other sharing our cultural heritage and enriching the diversity of this land. Moving from multiculturalism to intercultural-ism where each cultural group supports and learns from each other and shares/works together to develop further this great nation of ours is finally, something that makes me feel utterly proud to be an Australian. I find this sense of pride to be invaluable as I have been actively contributing to it and developing with it thus providing me with a sense of ownership as a citizen of a country that has embraced me and welcomed me with open arms. I feel proud to having had this opportunity. :)