By Prem Dwivedi
On 21 September, I stood inside South Australia’s Parliament House and looked back on a journey I could never have imagined as a boy growing up in a small village in Uttar Pradesh, India.
I was there to share my migration story at the Don Dunstan Centenary Celebration—not as a politician or policy expert, but simply as a migrant who had travelled a long way, both geographically and personally, to find a home in Australia.
I was honoured to be among parliamentarians, community leaders and members of Don Dunstan’s family.
I also had the privilege of meeting the Hon Nadia Clancy, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, and reconnecting with Amarjit Singh Grewal, a respected South Australian multicultural community leader.
Migration was not the focus of the celebration; the occasion was about reflecting on Don Dunstan’s legacy. Yet as I walked out of Parliament House, I found myself thinking about Australia’s migration conversation today.
The reason was deeply personal: I was thinking about migration because I have lived it.
I came to Adelaide in 1995 as a scientist. But my journey began much earlier, under the shade of a banyan tree in a small village in Uttar Pradesh. From there, life took me across countries, cultures and continents, eventually bringing me to the place I now call home.
That journey has changed the way I see the migration debate.
When I hear migration discussed mainly in terms of numbers, population growth and pressure on housing and services, I understand those concerns. But I also cannot forget the person behind the number—the migrant with a story, a family, hopes, uncertainties and a desire to contribute.
Migration is a two-way journey
Migration is more than moving from one country to another. It is about building a new life.
Migrants have responsibilities. We should make an effort to learn English, understand Australian laws and democratic values, participate in our communities and contribute to the country we have chosen to call home.
But Australia also has a responsibility to provide opportunities for newcomers to participate and belong.
Integration should not mean erasing where we came from. It should mean bringing the best of where we came from into the society we have joined.
‘Bring a plate’
One of the first Australian expressions I learned was: “Bring a plate.”
At first, I took it literally. Over time, I came to see it as a beautiful metaphor for multicultural Australia.
Every migrant brings an invisible plate to the Australian table—culture, language, food, memories, traditions, values, struggles and hopes.
I can celebrate Diwali and still be proudly Australian. I can speak Hindi and English. I can remember my village while feeling deeply connected to Australia.
Belonging has never meant forgetting where I came from. It has meant adding where I came from to where I am.
A conversation beyond numbers
My message to Australia’s political leaders is simple: let us have a mature conversation about migration, but let us make it about nation-building as well as population numbers.
Housing, infrastructure and essential services matter. So do English-language learning, employment pathways and community participation.
Much of belonging begins locally—a neighbour saying hello, a community group extending an invitation, a workplace making someone feel welcome, or a family sharing a meal.
These small moments can turn a newcomer into a neighbour.
My memoir, The Unlikely Indian Migrant: From a Village Boy to a Scientist in Australia – Against All Odds, tells the story of my journey from that village in Uttar Pradesh to a scientific career and community life in Australia.
The book became a #1 Amazon Australia bestseller soon after publication, was later read in the Australian Senate during a contribution on social cohesion and has been nominated for the 2026 CreateSA Ruby Awards.
I am grateful for those recognitions. But when I think about my journey, I still think first of the boy under the banyan tree.
Australia gave me opportunities I could never have imagined. I have tried to give back through science, education, community work and now storytelling.
That is why I believe our migration conversation must remain human as well as practical.
We can discuss housing, infrastructure and services honestly without losing sight of the contributions migrants make and the communities we can build together.
Migration is not only about who comes to Australia. It is about what kind of Australia we build together.
And the simplest lesson from my journey is this: We do not build a stronger Australian table by asking everyone to bring the same plate. We build it by making room for people to bring something of their own—and to share it with everyone else.
Contributing Author: Dr Prem Dwivedi is a biomedical scientist, author and migrant storyteller based in Australia. He is the author of the memoir, The Unlikely Indian Migrant: From a Village Boy to a Scientist in Australia – Against All Odds, which chronicles his journey from a small village in Uttar Pradesh, India, to a scientific career and community life in Australia.
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