Multicultural Australia Papers M A P 7 3 B B S [ a %i NEGOTIATING ETHNICITY, SEXUALITY AND GENDER: THE PERSONAL IDENTITIES OF LESBIANS FROM NON ENGLISH-SPEAKING BACKGROUNDS ____________ By Maria Pa 11o11a-Chiaro 11 i Murnwi'rmriii-mimnwTMMrarriiit an The Ecumenical Migration Centre puoiishes these occasional papers on aspects ot Australia's multicultural society to stimulate debate and dialogue The opinions expressed m these papers do not necessarily represent those of the publishers "I he Ecumenical Migration Centre welcomes contributions to this senes from organisations and individuals Ecumenical Multicultural Migration Australia Centre Papers Library & Already Published : Documentation Unit Map 70 $6.50 Multicultural ism: Liberal Theory of The Ecumencial M igration Centre is a Change or Reactionary Theory of Social community organisation providing advocacy, Order support, information and consultation to migrants and refugees by Hossein Adibi The EMC Documentation Unit Publishes: Map 71 $3.50 Improving Services to Migrants: ' Migration Action, a periodical on ethnic relations Training Approaches • Reprints of articles, papers and repons of by Tonina Gucciardo-Masci interest to the researchers and the community ' Kits lor workshops Map 72 $5.00 ' Bibliographies and repons on selected topics Turkish Women from Traditional The Bookshop provides a mail-order Rural Backgrounds: Ethnicity, Pre- service specialising in material on: Migration and Settlement in Asutralia ‘ Migration Australi a ' Human rights by Benal Keceli ' Refugees ' Ethnic issues Multiculturalism The Reference Library is open to the public: Map 73 $10.00 it holds books, papers, periodicals, videos and press clippings on a variety ot topics related to Negotiating Ethnicity, Sexuality and m igraiion Gender: the Personal Identities of Please can ihe librarian for lunner information Lesbians from Non English-Speaking Backgrounds. ISBN 0-947119-19-1 ISSN 0155-4409 Ecumenical Migration Centre (Inc) 161 VICTORIA PARADE PO BOX 1389. COLLINGWOOD Pit. 9416 0044 FAX 9416 1827 , Negotiating Ethnicity, Sexuality and Gender: The Personal Identities of Lesbians From Non-English-Speaking Backgrounds MARIA PALLOTTA-CEHAROLLI B.A., Dip.Ed., Grad.Dip.A. Women's Studies ABSTRACT In this dissertation, the intersections of ethnicity, sexuality and gender in the experience of lesbian women from non- English-speaking backgrounds are investigated through use of literary, theoretical and empirical materials. There is a particular emphasis on women from Italian-Australian background. The roles of social ascription, community acknowledgement and personal agency in the personal identity formation of lesbians from non-English-speaking backgrounds are assessed. The applicability of models of ‘cultural conflict’ and ‘cultural complementarity or choice’ are also evaluated when discussing these women's positions within their ethnic families and communities, within the wider Australian society, and within the predominantly Anglo-feminist lesbian movement. The diversity of experience and situation that exists breaks many of the stereotypes and presumptions made about les­ bians, and indeed about all women from non-English-speaking backgrounds. © Copyright 1994 CHOMI Table of Contents e Chapter One Introduction.................................................................................................................................................. I * Concerns and Objectives of the Study..................................................................................................... 1 4 The Structure of the Study....................................................................................................................... 2 The Parameters of the Study.................................................................................................................... 3 Chapter Two Defining the Issues: Personal, Ethnic, and Sexual/Lesbian Identities ............................................... 6 Personal Identity ....................................................................................................................................... 6 Ethnic Identity .......................................................................................................................................... 8 Sexual and Lesbian Identity .................................................................................................................... 10 Chapter Three Defining the Issues: The Personal Identities of Women in Italian Families and Communities...... 14 First-Generation Italian Migrants and Women's Familial, Sexual and Social Identities......................... 14 Second-generation heterosexual Italo-Australian women and their positions within two cultures — ‘Cultural conflict’ or ‘cultural complementarity’ ............................................................................... 17 Chapter Four Feminist Responses to the Intersections of Ethnicity, Gender and Sexuality— from ‘Universalism’ to ‘Unity in Diversity’ .................................................................................................... 21 Chapter Five Lesbians from Non-English-Speaking Backgrounds..............................................................................25 The‘Cultural Conflict’ Model and Lesbians from Ethnic Backgrounds ................................................ 25 The ‘Cultural Complementarity/Choice’ Model and Lesbians from Ethnic Backgrounds..................... 36 Chapter Six Discussion and Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 44 Appendix A Models o f‘Cultural Conflict’ and ‘Cultural Complementarity/Choice’ .............................................. 46 Appendix B The Implications of Conducting This Study: The Position of the Researcher.................................. 47 Appendix C Methods Concerning the Interviewing of Italian-Australian Lesbians .............................................. 49 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................................... 51 % Page i Chapter One Introduction Section 1: Concerns and Objectives of the Study plex and their intersections in need of exploring, rather than the woman being expected to identify with one at I'm a Sicilian-Italian-American Lesbian, the scum of the scum of the scum, the expense of the other. A question that arises is, in forgotten by those who scream Pettman’s terms, “Can one prioritise oppressions?” in protest because they are (1989:6). Relatedly, Meekosha and Pettman(1990), in forgotten, their paper on the implications of such categorisation, or and I am neither seen nor heard. “category politics”, discuss how multiple identities tend “The Fly” to be spoken of and acted on “as if they were alternative Rose Romano, an Italian-American poet, presents her or mutually exclusive definitions”. They suggest, for personal and social positions clearly in her poetiy example, that “woman” tends to be positioned as an (1990:40). She explores her triply marginalised identity alternative identity to “aboriginal” or “immigrant”. Even — as woman, as non-English-speaking background where new collectivities around different shared identi­ (NESB), as lesbian — and the constitution of this iden­ ties have emerged, such as immigrant women’s groups, tity as non-existent by her Italian community, as invisi­ there are still many other differences within these sup­ ble by the wider American society, and insignificant by posedly multiple categories such as class, occupation the predominantly Anglo-American feminist movement. and age. Thus, the new categories that allow for a degree of multiplicity or intersection are still “homogenised or The triple marginalisation, or further marginalisation if universalised...as if you cannot have a complex iden­ social class is also taken into account, of lesbians from tity”, resulting in the subverting of experiences and non-English-speaking backgrounds lacks research in objectives shared across the category boundaries Australia. Research by feminists such as Rowland( 1988) (1990:2-3). has given us the awareness of how women receive con­ flicting messages about who they are. This research has The dangers of “category politics”, or politics organised been vital in generating the mechanisms to avoid or on the basis of difference, soon become evident. Smaller resolve conflicts, or make women active agents, when identity groups may result in less collective strength, can confronted by shaping or moulding to fit the existing lead to a pluralism that does not challenge the powerful socio-cultural and political structures and discourses of centre as all “others” are different from the dominant femininity and womanhood. The boundaries of possibil­ centre and rendered subordinate, and individuals who ities for women on the sexual, social and cultural contin­ have a multiple identity may “fall between the category uum have been extended. Nevertheless, most of these cracks” (Meekosha and Pettman, 1990:7). The catego­ possibilities have become available for white-middle ries may also be seen as static and unchanging, and class-heterosexual feminists. Working class, Aboriginal, without provision for the modification of the initial NESB and lesbian women have often been considered developed strategies. marginal, or their specific issues incorporated into and represented by mainstream feminism. It is largely