The Effectiveness Of Australia 's Multicultural Policy

It is thought by many that part of the Australian identity is being a very tolerant country that accepts and includes all cultures and people from all walks of life; however, after coming across the poems No More Boomerang by Oodgeroo Noonuccal and Be Good, Little Migrants by Uyen Loewald, the experiences felt by two Australians prove that this idea is... questionable.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has stated that “Australia is the world’s most successful multicultural nation”. All the people know Australia is a multicultural state which is a civilization of populace from a wealthy variety of artistic, racial, linguistic. The multiculturalism describes the difference of culture and race in modern Australia. This difference is trying to safeguard the benefit of every Australian and national interest. Cultural variety is significant since our state, workplaces, and school are comprised of a variety of artistic, ethnic, and racial clusters. We can gain knowledge of it from one another. Everyone has their rights to express and share their culture heritage including language and religion. All of us have to establish a stage of accepting about each other. Everyone needs to respect each other whatever by different culture and religion, this is the meaning of freedom. Freedom is not likely to get rid of limitation or do what you want to do. It is a standard that everyone can understand the differences brought about by different cultures.

There has been considerable discourse associated with the Australian public’s reticence in relation to their failure to acknowledge that this is a critical social justice issue. A number of polls have reflected that the general consensus is that the Australian public is fearful of an influx of asylum seekers and this is fear is correlated to a growth in concern associated with terrorist related global activities. In addition to this New York Times (2015) claims that the ongoing positioning of Islam as a threat by the media perpetuates the subordination of minority groups. Support of this ideology is evident in the rise of conservative right wing parties such as the One Nation party. In fact, according to the The Sydney Morning Herald (2016) One Nation has ‘quadrupled’ its support since 2016 when the preference deal was signed with the Liberal. In addition to this, the rise in attendance numbers at Reclaim Australia rallies with individuals carrying signs such as “ISIS refugees are not welcome” and “Australia should stop the Invasion” testifies to the level of contention some sectors of the Australian public have towards asylum

Unfortunately, many migrants that come to Australia find themselves in this situation, struggling to feel included and comfortable with their changing identities. However, these differences make it harder to belong to one group; they can also strengthen bonds with one another. The most immediate and obvious indicator of difference with migrant is that of

Australia is a nation of immigrants. It has become a vibrant & diverse place where tolerance & equality are both accepted & expected by its people as part of their way of life. It is also considered as one of the world’s most culturally diverse countries. In fact, it was the egalitarian streak in Australia’s national character that facilitated the development of contemporary multiculturalism of Australia.

Multiculturalism has been advantageous for Australia. Do you agree? Australia has always been a multicultural country, the first immigrants that came to Australia were the British in 1788. During this phase of European settlement various policies were created to address cultural diversity. One of the most infamous policies was that of assimilation that forced Australian Aboriginal people and migrants to give up their own culture and heritage and assimilate to colonial Australian culture. Eventually this policy was revised to Multiculturalism. That as a policy in Australia refers to handling the ramifications of diversity, bearing in mind that all Australians have the right to a cultural identity, all citizens must be able to express their cultural inheritance. Whether Multiculturalism is advantageous for Australia or not is a very controversial topic. There is a side that argues that multiculturalism could threaten the lifestyle of many Australians. On the other hand, research demonstrates that from an Australian perspective it has been mostly advantageous. This essay will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of multiculturalism in Australia, with regard to economical, historical and social perspectives.

Culture is always changing. Beliefs, behaviours and presentation, religion and language all form part of what is an individual’s or community’s culture. (Bowes, Grace, & Hodge, 2012, p.75 & 77). Due to its intrinsic nature, when people migrate to Australia, they bring their culture with them. As migrants come from all over the world, and not the one place, their

Immigration to Australia Introduction Australia is often described as one of the ‘classical countries of immigration’. The concept of being a ‘nation of immigrants’ is at the center of Australian identity.

Australia is a settler nation which is now made up of many ethnic groups who share similar cultural traditions, common language, shared history and a shared identity (ABS, 2016). These groups contribute to what is referred to multiculturalism. Australia has a higher proportion of people born overseas than the US, Canada and the UK, with 49% of Australia’s population (or a parent) being born overseas (Census of Population and Housing, 2016). Compared to other Western nations, Australia has one of the most diverse immigration populations (Collins, 2013, p. 145). The meaning of multiculturalism in Australia has changed significantly over time. Today, Australia is a culturally and ethnically diverse country and therefore is a multicultural society. In terms of public policy, multiculturalism can be defined as policies and practices implemented by the Australian government that aim to manage cultural diversity to benefit the whole of society (Department of Social Services, 2014). Although Australia is a multicultural society, there are criticisms of public policy surrounding multiculturalism.

In a recent article authored by Alice Pung, a first generation Australian of Southeast Asian parents, titled ‘Living with Racism in Australia (Pung 2016), Alice details key points within her (and her families) life revolving around their migration from Cambodia to Australia. Within this she touches on, albeit briefly however still illustrating her point quite clearly, immigration, race/racism, assimilation, ethnic minorities, ethnic conflict and social cohesion.

Is Australia an inclusive society? Reports from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2003a, 2003b, as cited in Ashman & Elkins, 2009, p. 7) show 25% of the Australian population is currently made up of migrants from around 200 countries. This fact demonstrates Australia, on the whole, has a tolerant and inclusive society. A society can be identified as a collection of people who live together in a relatively ordered community (Ashman & Elkins, 2009, p. 7). It could be said, Australia has one of the most inclusive societies on the planet; however, this was not always the case.

The immigration policy of Australia has been in a constant state of flux ever since Federation in 1901, when the first legislative piece, the Immigration Restriction Act, was introduced. The Immigration Restriction Act has become infamous in Australian history and throughout the world, more nefariously as the ‘White Australia Policy’. The White Australia Policy was Australia’s seemingly indestructible way of ensuring a White Australia. However, the immigration of European refugees after World War II, which aimed to defend the nation from Japanese invasion, challenged this policy. From 1901, Australia held a strong belief that coloured people, specifically Asians, were inferior and detrimental to the Australian way of life, and did all in it’s

The Australian Citizenship Legislation Amendment, Strengthening the Requirements for Australian Citizenship and Other Measures Bill 2017, introduced by Mr Peter Dutton, minister for Immigration and Border Protection proposed to reform the requirements of citizenship. The bill incorporates a number of integrity measures to ensure migrants are capable of upholding Australian values and subsequently, prepared to be full, active members in Australian society. To maintain social cohesion and facilitate social progression, the bill suggests stricter application requirements, fundamental to determine whether an individual acquires Australian values measured through new imposed testing. Currently, Australia is a combination of diverse cultures, religions and consequently, it is considerably difficult to define the values of Australian citizens as a whole. Therefore, the underlying motives of the Australian Citizenship Bill 2017 are highly controversial.

Pedersen’s article is quite confrontational outlining the major issues that Australian individuals portray today, through their beliefs and thoughts about asylum seekers and Indigenous Australians. The sample group taken in Perth, is used as a representation of the wider population of Australia, with majority of Australians revealing a strong negative view against both groups. “It was found that people are becoming increasingly hostile” (Pedersen, A. Clarke, S. Dudgeon, P & Griffiths, B 2005) and are becoming ignorant and unsympathetic about the current situations that the two groups face today. This is mainly due to the general aspect of racism, being misinformed and uneducated about the events that these cultures have faced or are still dealing

The Vietnam War had a huge affect on the nature of migration to Australia. Vietnamese refugees changed the face of Australia and created today’s multiculturalism. Since World War 2 and the Vietnam War, Australia has become a multicultural country. Before the Vietnam War, though, the Australian government tried their best