To belong is to feel as though you are a part of something. Belonging or sense of belonging can be individually, within a group, community, society or the larger world. This sense of belonging can be earned through our family, friends, likes and dislikes and backgrounds. Belonging to a group can operate both positively and negatively in our quest to define ourselves. In belonging to a group we satisfy our needs for belonging, acceptance and approval however in order to maintain our position in the group we often have to put individual needs second and put the needs of the group ahead of our own interests. Poet Peter Skrzynecki uses various language techniques throughout his poems to portray the idea that you have to earn belonging. "Migrant Hostel" reflects his own personal experiences as a migrant in Australia. The combination of ''comings, goings, arrivals and sudden departures" implies a sense of chaos, insecurity and instability. The title of the poem, Post card, provides a sense of not belonging in itself, as the postcard is a symbolic representation of the distance that the person appears to feel about his connection to Poland.
The concept of belonging, not-belonging, and rejection are equally balanced in the poem "Migrant Hostel" and are depicted by the language and images. Family is the great identifier in this poem, illustrated by inclusive languages of collective pronouns; "left us wondering," "we lived like birds of passage," "whose track we would follow," "from our doorstep" and "daily we passed." Further images of bonding are "nationalities sought each other out distinctively like homing pigeons." Within this poem, there is some sense of cohesion and empathy with the other migrants. The idea of belonging is incorporated into the text as the migrants slowly begin to feel a sense of belonging as they adjust to the new landscape and develop friendships with fellow migrants who share the same customs to them.