Influential members of Australia's fastest growing migrant community have been acknowledged for their community contributions at the inaugural African-Australian awards in Sydney.
More than 100 African-Australians were honoured, among them athletes, artists and business people.
"It's a privilege to be recognised for the positive effort you put out there [to] support your communities," said youth worker Asha Saad Saleh.
Federal Minister for Multicultural Affairs Kate Lundy said the awards aimed to challenge stereotypes about African-Australians.
"Sometimes I think those negative perceptions are not only incorrect, but if that's the only face of African-Australians the Australian public are seeing, it's just downright wrong," said Senator Lundy.
Living Legend award recipient Rosemary Kariuki said the ceremony was about demonstrating the desire of migrants to give back to the community.
"We have so many Africans we see today, who are contributing to the Australian economy and community," she said.
"So they [wider community] can see what we are giving back to the community. We are not only taking."
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