Cultural Diversity Week – Israel Segall

As part of Cultural Diversity Week, The Huddle chatted to people involved in our programs to share their story and talk about their culture and what it means to them. 

The Huddle spoke to Israel Segall who came to The Huddle through our Welcome to AFL program and now volunteers his time in that same program.

Tell us a bit about yourself

I’m a Chilean journalist, and a Spanish teacher. I came to Australia to study a Master's degree in creative literature. I love sports, especially soccer and basketball and I'm excited to have discovered footy!

How did you find about the Welcome to AFL and The Huddle?

The Huddle given me a tremendous opportunity to bring me closer to Australian culture in a relaxed and fun way, the staff are cheerful and eager to integrate us.

There is nothing more Australian than footy, comparable only to vegemite. My first game was amazing and I loved that the North Melbourne fans were willing to share their love for a team with us, discuss the rules of the sport and the value it holds for them. A lady sitting next to me watching the game was my guide, plus the opportunity to start with women's footy was even more interesting. The players were fierce and fought with passion during play.

What does cultural diversity mean to you?

Cultural diversity is an approach to the essence of being human; it is discovering and being discovered. It’s opening a huge door to different worlds, with respect and joy.

How do you celebrate your culture?

Latin culture is characterised by joy, dancing, music and delicious food. We are a culture of hugs and constant smiles, perhaps because our history has been full of conflicts, our outburst is colourful and festive. For Latinos the party never ends!