Courage and Hope - The Migration Museum

Between North Terrace and the Torrens is the Migration Museum. This is the first time that I have come across it, even though I have been to Adelaide many times.
As they say, that is a season for all things. Perhaps certain matters strike a chord with me now, not before.
Australia is a land of migrants. This is a museum dedicated to those who left their homelands for good reasons to settle in this country far from everywhere else. War is probably the greatest cause of migration. The current intake includes Sudanese.
In the front courtyard are plagues placed by various ethnic groups to honour their migrants – Filipinos, Bosnians, Croatians, Jewish, Slovenians, Hungarians, Serbians, Lithuanians, Estonians, Latvians, Tartars, Polish, Vietnamese and British child migrants. Migrants from over 100 countries now contribute to multi-cultural Australia.
A bronze sculpture greets visitors with the inscription “the immigrants - courage, pride, dreams, achievements”.

This is what it is. People are sometimes critical of migrants and wonder why they leave and settle in another country. They do not realize the pain, suffering, sacrifices, challenges, rejections and discriminations that migrants put up with. Like all things, you pay a price. You go with the hope that life will be better, if not for you, for your children. Most ran because of war and famine, persecutions, discriminations, abusive governments, and for the pursuit of freedom and basic human rights.
Some sacrificed their way of life and career, not being able to speak the language of the new country. They faced the challenge of starting life and careers again, but with hopes and aspirations for the future. Most will miss their homeland for the rest of their lives. Some never made enough to even go back for a visit.

As recorded at the museum, an early migrant, Mary Thomas in 1836, penned these words:
“Yes, England I have fled from thee
Fast fades thy beauteous shores
Then flow my tears, for I shall see
My native land no more.”

I salute and respect the people who have the courage, hope, and determination to migrate.
One day, I hope people will leave their countries, not as migrants, but as happy tourists.