By Thang Ngo
We know Cabramatta now as the exciting, vibrant foodie destination. It wasn’t always like that. Once upon a time, it was more well known for the ‘junkie express’ and as the heroin capital of Australia. SBS explores the amazing transformation in this landmark, 3 part documentary on SBS One, from 8th January 2012.
“Once Upon a Time in Cabramatta is the untold story of how the Vietnamese community overcame the odds and found their place in multicultural Australia. From Prime Minister Fraser’s landmark decision to open Australia’s doors to thousands of refugees at the end of the Vietnam War, this three part series follows the Vietnamese people of Cabramatta as they struggle to find their place in a foreign land. The 80s and 90s see the arrival of street gangs, a heroin epidemic and the first political assassination in Australia’s history. The Vietnamese people are vilified and demonised and it seems Cabramatta represents all that is wrong with Asian immigration. But as the century draws to a close there is a remarkable turnaround and the Vietnamese people finally find their voice – speaking up to claim their rightful place in their adopted home. Cabramatta becomes a community transformed. Australia, a continent changed forever.” SBS publicity.
See the video sneak peek for a taste of what’s to come.
The boys of Once Upon a Time in Cabramatta, SBS One, Sunday 8th, 8.30pm: (l-r) Thang Ngo (me), Joey Le, Tony Hoang.
Why not join the conversation?
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Disclosure: noodlies Sydney food blog is a passion I indulge in after hours. During the day, I am an employee of SBS, however, not in a food related area… oh, and I’m also featured in this documentary!
Really looking forward to seeing this show on SBS, and maybe next year, I’ll get to visit Cabramatta.
Yes, very excited.. I think Cabramatta will be the flavour of the month in 2012. Also I’ve got a feature on Cabramatta which will come out in the Feb edition of Feast magazine.. which hits the streets on 9 January 2012!
Really looking forward to it, putting it on my calendar now!
It’s good the Vietanamese community’s story will get told at last 🙂
I’m very much looking forward to this series.
Cabramatta today is probably my favourite part of Sydney to spend a day with the family in. It’s great to be able to have a relaxing lunch there and spend the rest of the afternoon immersing yourself in the local culture.
I’m sure that twenty years ago, I probably wouldn’t have said the same thing.
Full credit must go to all the community leaders who worked tirelessly for the betterment of the area.
Communities don’t just improve on their own; the people who never lost faith and continuously laboured to make the area better deserve a lot of credit.
Yes, I really think it’s time for Cabramatta to shine 🙂
Thanks for this wonderful feedback L Luk!
going to use this doco for my hsc study on areas of belonging.
Fantastic, that’s great!
I’m very much looking aorwfrd to this series.Cabramatta today is probably my favourite part of Sydney to spend a day with the family in. It’s great to be able to have a relaxing lunch there and spend the rest of the afternoon immersing yourself in the local culture.I’m sure that twenty years ago, I probably wouldn’t have said the same thing.Full credit must go to all the community leaders who worked tirelessly for the betterment of the area.Communities don’t just improve on their own; the people who never lost faith and continuously laboured to make the area better deserve a lot of credit.a0a0
Thang Ngo is such a critical figure in this story: I remember him when I first met him back in the 1990s as a Unity Party councillor on Fairfield: talk about the innocent conjuring up an alternative reality! Now a decade or so ahead, we can look back and see how quickly things can change when people decide enough is enough. There are so many insights and lessons in this series; even though I was closely involved I strongly recommend it. Read more background http://andrewjakubowicz.com/publications/vietnamese-in-australia-a-quintessential-collision/.
You’re too kind Andrew. I’m just glad that Cabramatta is now such a wonderful place.
Looking forward to learning more about Cabramatta. You instinctively know there is more to Cabramatta when you visit, I’m looking forward to revealing what that is. I do have high hopes for this doco.
I’m really looking forward to hearing about your story Thang. It’s one thing to read your words, but it’s another to learn about the person who writes them.
We don’t need your foul language and poor attitude. Thanks anyway.
Awww thanks for the support 🙂
I can’t wait to watch this!!! Already put a reminder on my phone 😉
It’s easy to sit behind your computer and slag people who live in Cabramatta off. Let’s see you go there and say it to there face!….oh I forgot they probably don’t understand you right? Well just go give it a try you piece of human excrement! I live in Perth and I have visited Cabramatta, it’s awesome!
There’s probably still drug dealing and that in cabra, but its not as bad as before
As a previous teenage kid who lived on the streets of Cabramatta in the 90’s I have had many people in my life die from drug overdoses from that time. I have since been back to Cabramatta to visit and it has no where near as many drugs, gangs etc as it did back then. They are working towards improvement and have obviously come a long way. Unless you were around back then you would have no idea. I recommend that you look at some of the drug overdose/ drug deaths and violence related deaths statistics before you go and comment on an era that you obviously no nothing about. And as for the racist comments well that clearly indicates a lack of education.
Looking so forward to this series as it was my life in the 90’s and it would be good to give some people an understanding of what my life was like back then. I too have changed my life around just as Cabramatta has evolved!
my parents were war refugee’s, both of my parents were wealthy and my father was studying law before the war started. He enlisted as a south vietnamese officer fighting against the commies. When the south fell a lot of his mates were either executed or re-educated through camps.
My parents until this day are still bitter towards the communist government with regards to what had happened. They hated the fact that they were seperated from their family back in vietnam and having to be forced to settle into a foreign country where they knew nothing of or face certain death or poverty. I suppose they can never forget the trauma. (Vietnam war vets are not treated with honour as they would in Australia, especially if they were branded traitors of communism)
During the 80’s and 90’s they worked hard to make a living and was faced with a lot of racism issues. Nowadays things have changed and everything is getting better, I am glad to see my parents finally enjoy living their life in peace.
I was always told whilst growing up that we as a family should forever be grateful; we are in debt to Australia for everything that this country has provided us.
Although I was born here, I’ve taken this down to heart and became a public servant for this country in order to repay my family’s debt.
Good on you, Andrew, I’m sure your parents are very proud
Alot of people say that it was cause of the Asians, but in a suburb were you were new and not accepted any culture would walk the same road. like a new born child they need support to learn & grow.
If a child ends up a gang member, a dealer or strays for the right path the parent should be there.
But what do you do when the parents are also lost like a child, In my view it is the local council & ESPECIALLY the Police should pick up the role. Mainly the Police lacked the motivation to guide the people in the right direction, I remember selling Heroin around the station & John st everyday & no one would stop me or ask me what i was doing, There was no fear of punishment or fear of the consequences what so ever. 4 years I was there & in those 4 years I was grabbed about 10 times to be searched & 1 time I was arrested for possession.. so I was searched once ever 10 weeks, WOW when I look back & think, if there was just more police presence or knowledge of the danger I would have not been there.
The current police was not doing anything but as soon as a new Police commissioner was brought in from the UK, Cabramatta completely change. Day by Day you could notice how Cabramatta felt cleaner & safer, so who is to blame. I say blame the ones that can make a difference ……………………
…………………………………….The Police !!!!!!!!!!!!
Alot of people say that it was cause of the Asians, but in a suburb were you were new and not accepted any culture would walk the same road. like a new born child they need support to learn & grow.
If a child ends up a gang member, a dealer or strays for the right path the parent should be there.
But what do you do when the parents are also lost like a child, In my view it is the local council & ESPECIALLY the Police should pick up the role. Mainly the Police lacked the motivation to guide the people in the right direction, I remember selling Heroin around the station & John st everyday & no one would stop me or ask me what i was doing, There was no fear of punishment or fear of the consequences what so ever. 4 years I was there & in those 4 years I was grabbed about 10 times to be searched & 1 time I was arrested for possession.. so I was searched once ever 10 weeks, WOW when I look back & think, if there was just more police presence or knowledge of the danger I would have not been there.
The current police was not doing anything but as soon as a new Police commissioner was brought in from the UK, Cabramatta completely change. Day by Day you could notice how Cabramatta felt cleaner & safer, so who is to blame. I say blame the ones that can make a difference ……………………
…………………………………….The Police !!!!!!!!!!!!
This doco made me see how much my parents sacrifice for me to be here today.. I understand they wanted me to have a better future and to live and be raised differently to how they did back in vietnam. This really opened my eyes.
I’m glad some good has come from this doco!
I have always been one to say that if a junkie can get off the drugs then hats off to them … at least they arent ending up in a grave. Having just seen the programme i am bot shocked & outraged at the ignorance of the NSW police force. However, having travelled extensively & encountered poverty in different countries i NEVER turned to any illegal activity to survive. the fact that the Vietnamese community didnt speak up … be it due to fear or lack of english skills is of NO CONSEQUENCE, as I was told in China …. ïgnorance is NO excuse”
I lived in the Cabramatta area back in the 80’s when i was pregnant with my first child … i remember seeing a Vietnamese man laying in the gutter vomiting … I knealt to ask if he needed help & was chased down the street by this man with a baseball bat, bear in mind i was about 8 months pregnant at the time …., if it wasnt for a quick thinking bus driver i could have been murdered myself. I am not going to sit here & listen to a mob of Vietnamese pple saying how they were prisoners of their own homes, because at least they could communicate with their own people where i couldnt, so basically i was much more of a prisoner in my own home due to the language barriers which, really should never have been an option, if people did as i did & learned the basics of the language of the country they come to, then we would have a whole lot less problem. I am sorry to say i have no empathy for the people of Cabramatta nor do i applaud their actions now or over the past 10 years … NONE of this would have occurred if you didnt congregate in one area & you took the time to learn the language of your new home, Im sure i am offending quite a few people here but I am going to have my say too. Dont go to a foreign country if u wont or choose not to learn the national language. I learned chinese when i was in china because it was expected of me … i had no teachers to help me, i learned because i was the only australian there & if i didnt learn i couldnt communicate … sorry people of Cabramatta I refuse to sit here feeling sorry for u or the drug problems you allowed yourselves to get into … as far as Im concerned you are very lucky that you werent deported for illegal activity as you would have been in many other countries, in fact if you were charged with such offences you would have faced the death penalty, so before you come out asking for pity, you may want to take a breath & realise, had you been in another country you wouldnt be having that breath your now taking!
I don’t believe the lack of learning a language was the root of the problem here. A change in environments, a lack of trust in policing as they weren’t to be trusted back home in Vietnam, expensive living, depression from past war, massive lifestyle changes and all the reasons they ran from their country in the first place. I am grateful to have read many books on refugees, ‘boat people’ etc, I have a far deeper understanding of the difficulties faced and that this is just not a black nd white issue.
I am shocked at how bad it was. I knew it was bad, as a teen I visited cabramatta with friends around 94-95 and remember the dealers at the station, I also hung with people in the city who were either members of 5T or associated with them. I’m thankful I didnt find myself neck deep in this hardcore lifestyle.
What an amazing doco. Thank you Thang, for all you have done to restore some sort of peace and well being to the Vietnamese community. I was immensely impacted and uplifted by the positive changes that have taken place. Can’t wait to come eat there very