Tasneem Roc is an Australian actor
who has had roles in Heartbreak High,
Home and Away, East West 101 and Reef
Doctors. She graduated from the
University of Sydney with a double
major in English and Art History.
Heritage is a fundamental part of
identity. It tells us which cultures to associate
with, and who our „tribe? is. I am Eurasian – my
mother is from Scotland and my father is an
ethnic Karen from Burma. However as a child,
being from two different cultures, neither of
which I could fully relate to, left me feeling
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somewhere in the middle. Now as an adult I?d like
was born, and our house was full of artifacts from
to think I am a good example of modern Australia
many different cultures – Indonesia, Malaysia,
and of multiculturalism, and I appreciate that
Burma, and Thailand. I would say our upbringing
being a child of two cultures has exposed me to
was multicultural, or at least culturally curious.
greater humanitarian issues, such as refugee
My father encouraged my brother and I to try
rights, and democracy in Burma.
different flavours – always bringing home an
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exotic new fruit to try, or Chinese duck or pork
Growing up I spoke only English, and some
My parents had travelled widely before I
very bad high school German. My brother and I
buns.
never learnt my father?s languages – Burmese and
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Po Karen, apart from a few essential sentences,
ethnic groups of which my father is a part, have
mostly related to food – such as “It?s hot” and
strong cultural traditions – as do the Scots, my
“No more! I?m full!”
brother and I were raised in a very eighties
Although Burma, and certainly the Karen
Aussie, western way. Mum made great spaghetti