A Story of Two Settlements
By Dr. Salma Al-Khudairi
It is interesting that my first settlement went more smoothly than the second.
I was born in Iraq to an Iraqi family. I graduated from Baghdad University with B.A. (Hons) in Sociology and went on to obtain an M.A. in Urban and Regional Planning from the same university. Then I went to England and completed my studies with a Ph.D. in Social Planning and Development at Liverpool University. After that I lived in Jordan for nine years while working as assistant professor at Jordan University. Due to political circumstances in Iraq (oppression, discrimination, and war) I decided to leave the region and immigrate to Australia, seeking security and better life opportunities. It was not an easy decision to leave but I had to take it.
I came to this country with the start of the Australian spring of 1992. I had heard about this beautiful country from various sources, had tried to collect information about different Australian States and finally decided to settle in Perth, Western Australia. Now it has been more than a decade, but I still remember every minute of my journey on that night of 31 August 1992. I didn't know one single soul in the city. I still remember how people on the plane asked me if I had a friend or relative waiting for me at the airport. When I said that I didn't know anybody, they offered help and gave me their addresses in case I would need some help. It was a big adventure; but I believe when you don't have a choice you must take the risk no matter what.
After arriving in Perth, I started by contacting the Migrant Resource Centre to provide me with the support I needed to settle in. I then contacted the University of Western Australia and went to see the Dean of the Faculty of Art. My previous experience in teaching at university made it easier for him to offer me an honorary position, where at least I had a base, could access the library and use other facilities. I still remember the first day I worked at the Department of Political Sciences. It was a good experience and helped me a lot to find my way. Through my work with some colleagues, I had the chance to meet other people from different background, which made my life more interesting and opened new doors that I hadn't thought about before. I also had the chance to make new contacts at other universities and organisations, which helped me to find some part-time jobs.
The first year of my first settlement was the most difficult one. I tried hard to find full-time work but the answer I got was invariably: "We need Local Experience". I thought it would be easy to find work because my qualifications from England are recognised here. My priority was to find a full-time job. For a single, newly arrived, educated woman it was quite essential to survive in the new environment, to be recognised and accepted in the new country. After a while I started to accept the fact that I needed local experience and began working in different organisations. Two years later, I was granted Australian Citizenship, which was a big relief. I felt more secure and settled.
In 1998, I was lucky to find my soul mate, and we decided to get married. My husband is originally Iraqi, had lived and worked as a civil engineer in Saudi Arabia for many years. I went to live with him in Riyadh where he was settled. It was one of the most valuable experiences I have ever had. I worked as a consultant for NGOs and learned a lot. My husband and I stayed there until it was time to come to Australia.
In my second settlement, I came with my husband to Australia in 2003. This time we wanted to live in Melbourne "the most liveable and lovable city". We knew that it was not going to be easy. But with persistence and patience we will get what we want. We know also that we made the right decision.
For me this is the second settlement, I thought it would be much easier this time; but!!! I have found that the first settlement had gone more smoothly and easily.
It is my third year in this city, and I am still trying to find my way.
Updated: 16 October 2006
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