Assimilation Of Stolen Generations

family would not survive. Ruth’s aspirations are hindered due to the fact that she is

In May 1940, Germany invaded the Netherlands. When they invaded, Ruth had to wear a yellow Jewish star when attending school and couldn't play with Christian friends. At the age of nine, her and her family had deported to a concentration camp in the Netherlands. “There was nothing we could do about it," Ruth states, "We were basically forced to move into this camp”. Her parents worked in the camp. Ruth did not work, but she learned how to steal things to barter for

Native Americans have been neglected, abused, and tormented since the 1700’s when their land was abruptly invaded by Europeans. Europeans declared this “unknown” territory to be their property from then forward and did anything and everything to make sure this would happen. This included forced assimilation, where Natives were stripped of their cultural traditions and forced to assimilate to an english speaking, westernized culture (McLeigh, 2010). This included taking children from their families and sending them to boarding school to learn a new language, new cultural traditions, and new religious practices. Starting in 1860 and lasting until 1970, children were taken from their families at a young age and often lost touch with their family

In 1902, the Ruth’s sent their son away to St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys, which was both a reformatory and an orphanage. Ruth developed a love for sports, particularly baseball, which served as his escape from the strict environment at St Mary’s. From an early age he showed potential as an athlete, and in his late

This essay will utilize the indigenous children related policy to analyze how the removal of children is still impacting them today. A brief legislative development history will be provided. After that, this essay will examine various negative impacts that caused from the policy, such as the continuous removal of children, mental health problem and youth criminal problem.

The stolen generation Task 1 The song 'Took the Children Away' by Archie Roach is a song about the stolen generation. The stolen generation is a major event that happened in Australian history. This happened between the 1890s and 1970s as many aboriginal children that were 'half-caste', were forcefully taken away from their families, to live in girls and boys houses, missions or foster families. At the age of 18 they were then released, still many didn't find any family or relatives. Some children never learned anything traditional and received little or no education.

* This chapter was written in Italics because it was written from a different point of view which was Ruth’s perspective who talks about her past as a child.

Mameh made a significant impact on her daughter because her kindness and ability to persevere through tough situations taught Ruth to never give up on her life and family. When Ruth decides to leave Suffolk for good, Mameh tries to persuade her daughter to stay, but Ruth replies with, “‘I can’t live here, Mameh,’ and she didn’t bring it up ever again or ask me to stay any longer” illustrating that Mameh knows there is nothing left for Ruth, and even though Mameh needs people to take care of her, she chooses to put her family first (McBride 214). Ruth values her mother's selflessness, and makes sure that she does the same for her own children as well. Another characteristic that Ruth admires is her mother’s ability to not stand down, even though she is constantly abused and insulted by her husband. After Tateh gets another girlfriend, he tries to get Mameh to divorce him, but Ruth, who is caught in the middle, writes “She refused, and I could understand her dilemma

During "After the War", Ruth and the others travel throughout Europe and across the sea in an attempt to smuggle a group of orphaned children to Palestine, where they hope to build a Jewish homeland. At the end of their journey, Ruth has not only helped in getting herself as well as a large group of children, to freedom. With the help of Saul, Zvi and many other strong characters she meets along the way ,Ruth has also gone from full of despair and anger to rediscovering hope.

A perfect example of separation and dispossession is the stolen generation. The stolen generation is a term used to describe the indigenous children that were taken away from their families and their land by the Australian federal government. The stolen generation has grown up without any family ties or cultural identity. This may create social and financial disadvantages, feelings and insecurity, low self-esteem, depression, violence, suicide, abuse of alcohol and other drugs, crime and a general lack of trust.

The National Inquiry into the separation of the children concluded that 'between one-in-three and one-in-ten Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families and communities in the period from approximately 1910 until 1970' (Wilkie, 1997). It was the 1960s, at the earliest, when the various 'protection' Acts were either abolished or discontinued.

Government policies authorising the removal of Aboriginal children have caused extensive and unrepairable damage to every aspect of Indigenous culture. It could be argued that the emotional turmoil which occurred as a result of this policy, is greater than any physical abused ever faced by the Australian Aboriginal people. The act of child removal would be a scarring experience for parents and children of any race or culture. This policy had a particularly damaging impact on the Indigenous people as their identity is based within a set of strong traditional guides and teachings. These lessons are not recorded, but can only be taught through speaking with elders and learning through a connection to others within the mob, connection to art forms

Contentious debate continues to rage in present society opening a floodgate of ethical issues which can have detrimental effects on all parties involved. Ethics vary from each individual and tend to stem from their own belief systems external to that person (Dosen, Harris, Brock, Imariso and Smith 2007:336). These ethics give rise to conflicting arguments in present society. 50 years ago, Indigenous Australians were not entitled to enter a bar, cafe, swimming pool, or a cinema, if that deprivation of basic rights wasn’t enough; they then took children from their mothers later on known as the ‘stolen generation’ (www.creativespirits.2008). The stolen generation, estimated at over 100,000 children were taken from their homes and placed in missions, reserves or dormitories (www.creativespirits.2008). “I feel our childhood has been taken away from us and it has left a big hole in our lives” an Indigenous Australian part of the stolen generation (www.creativespirtis.2008). The loss of ones culture and identity was deemed worse then being poor and living in sub standard living with their families.

Colonial dispossession left the aboriginal people stripped of their land so the Europeans could take ownership.

Ruth was one of eight children