Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services, Laurie Ferguson, today paid tribute to Vietnamese-Australian filmmaker Khoa Do on the 35th anniversary of Vietnamese settlement in Australia, which coincided with the world premiere of Do's new film, Mother Fish.
The film, screening at Riverside Theatres in Parramatta, is about four refugees who fled Vietnam in 1980 and is Australia's first feature film with an all-Vietnamese cast in title roles.
Khoa Do was named Young Australian of the Year in 2005 and is already the director and writer of two previous highly acclaimed films, The Finished People (2003) and Footy Legends (2006).
'I was pleased to attend a showing at Parliament House of Footy Legends, which focused on the Yagoona area adjacent to my electorate,' Mr Ferguson said.
'Mother Fish adds to the rich and diverse tapestry of Australian stories, of which we are all a part. According to the 2006 Census, nearly 160 000 Australians recorded their birthplace as Vietnam. About 75 per cent of them arrived between 1975 and 1990 as refugees.
'The 2006 Census also recorded nearly 50 000 people born in Australia who identified their ancestry as Vietnamese.
'Thirty-five years on, Vietnamese Australians are very much an important part of Australian society.
'Those who arrived from Vietnam worked hard and provided opportunities for their children born in Australia.
'Vietnamese Australians are today well represented in universities and many highly skilled professions.
'In 2007, former refugee Hieu Van Le rose to occupy one of the highest public offices in Australia, Lieutenant Governor of South Australia.
'I offer my congratulations to Khoa Do on the world premiere of Mother Fish.'
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