"The year 2018 marks 70 years since Australia’s modern migration system was conceived and the nation’s transformation into a vibrant multicultural society began," says Laurie Nowell from AMES Australia.
"In 1948 two seminal things happened. The notion of Australian citizenship was created – before then we were merely British subjects. Secondly, the Immigration Act was changed to effectively allow people from non-Anglo-Celtic backgrounds to settle permanently in Australia."
"We have collected the stories and experiences of more than 30 migrants who have come from different countries and in different decades since 1948 on a dedicated website," Mr Nowell told SBS Punjabi.
One such story is that of Sanam Sharma, who was born and brought up in Amritsar (Punjab). Arriving in Australia as an international student in 1999, having completed higher studies in Microbiology, Sanam tried his hand at a myriad of jobs before choosing Human Resources as a career choice.
He now works a national HR Manager in a large Australian corporate firm, and is also a published poet, writer and blogger.
Previously, he has worked as a casual producer for SBS Punjabi, which he regards as an integral part of his wholesome migrant experience.
"For me, the thought process was very simple. Since I had this opportunity to be in Australia, I wanted to achieve something that I couldn't have in India" Sanam told SBS Punjabi.
Humbled at the opportunity of being one of Australia's representative migrant stories, Sanam said, "My story is like that of any other Indian migrant. There are other stories in the exhibition where migrants recount tales of escaping war, oppression and severe hardships, but our community generally has a different story of being born and educated in India before moving to Australia."
"We faced other challenges like psychological isolation in a new country and the struggle at a professional, cultural and individual level, to carve our identity in this country."
"Things have changed now since the Indian diaspora has grown exponentially in the past two decades, so the new migrants have a cushion - a buffer - of people who came before them and have established themselves well."
"But there is a greater responsibility on the shoulders of the diaspora to be more prominent in leadership positions - not just politically, but as business leaders and community leaders, so we make a substantial contribution for the next wave of migrants. We need to be trailblazers."
'We need to lead a positive and constructive change, and create a strong legacy for other migrants."
The AMES exhibition showcasing these successful migrant stories will be formally launched this Thursday, July 26.
"We are launching the campaign with a photo exhibition in Dandenong (Australia’s most diverse city) - and then there’ll be other events across Victoria over the rest of the year," Mr Nowell told SBS Punjabi
The theme of the exhibition is 'What Makes an Australian'. The video showcasing Mr Sharma's story highlights his poetry - which embodies his personal migrant experience.
"I feel we migrants have made huge contributions to Australia in the past seven decades. It is important for us to be able to express our experiences, whether they are good or bad," says Sanam.
'I believe as Punjabi migrants, we must draw upon our innate qualities of being enterprising and adventurous, and must express ourselves whenever possible - we must our beliefs and our thoughts, not because we seek attention, but because we must stand up for our core values."
