...The Immigration Restriction Act 1901 (White Australia Policy) was one of the world's oddest race-based government policies in that much of the impetus for it came from white men who liked and respected non-white races to the point they felt inferior by comparison. In addition, many of the opponents of the policy said extremely racist things when arguing for its abolition. Reflecting the nuanced psychological issues associated with it, the Act instructed migration officials to use a dictation test that allowed non-whites to be excluded without publicly acknowledging that they were being targeted for exclusion. In other words, it was widely understood to be an Act designed to exclude non-whites but officially it wasn’t. The reluctance to officially recognise the Immigration Restriction Act as a policy to exclude non-whites could be partly explained as flowing from the popularity of non-whites in Australia for much of the 19th century. Ironically, this could be seen as a legacy of Australia's penal foundations. Specifically, in 1820, nearly 80 per cent of the colonial population was a Convict, Emancipist or of Convict descent. As a consequence, the majority of the population were second class-citizens and the exclusive free settlers were the disliked minority. Race was insignificant compared to the stigma of criminality and the majority of the population shared that stigma together. An English newspaper of the time wrote: "Historically, the greatest rift has been between...
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...affect it has, ultimately depends on the attitudes, policies and beliefs of the society’s people. The reception of migration may be influenced by personal values and way of life of citizens, however it can also be seen to be hugely swayed by political leaders. This essay will demonstrate these points through explanation and the exploration of the thoughts of those, both anti- and pro- immigration with within Australia. It will highlight the assets which migration can provide Australia – economically and culturally and give reasons why anti-immigration policies would damage the society instead of enriching it. Reasons why immigration is seen in a negative light will also be addressed, including national identity loss, unemployment and negative economic effects. Over the last fifty years, Australia has encompassed a large-scale immigration policy predominantly “concerned with population building and importing human capital and skills,”(Jackubowicz 2006). Multiculturalism, strongly linked and interchangeably used with immigration came around as a term in the 1970’s and was initially strongly advocated politically. However in more recent years questions relating to whether or not multiculturalism should be encouraged have arisen, triggering strong debates and inconsistencies amongst Australian’s and particularly in the political sector. There are a range of anti-immigration groups that have existed or still exist in Australia, all aiming (or they aimed) to project their ideas...
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... 5 iii. Data Collection 6 iv. Expected Outcomes - Conclusion 7 Reference 8 Executive Summary This report shows the immigration rates and is compared to those of the rest of the world. From this report, Australia can be seen as a widely multicultural society with a very wide variety of ethnicities and country of origins. The first chart was obtained from the Australia Bureau of Statistics. It clearly outlines the migration growth from the 1970’s – 2014; Although the numbers are not inversely increasing, the final migration population in the recent years has clearly outgrown from when migration first started back in the 70’s. The second chart was also obtained from the Australia Bureau of Statistics. The data reflects on the numbers of different population from different countries residing in Australia in the year 2014. It can be seen that the European countries are top on the charts followed by Asian countries. Despite each country having its own resources and opportunity to work, there are a portion of them that choose to migrate to Australia and have yet to stop increasing over the years. This could be caused by the increased job opportunities and scarce labour availability in Australia, hence requiring the extra experience and manpower available from all over the world. In a nutshell, from the statistics shown, one of the reasons the charts are showing an inverse increase over the years could be every so and then the government...
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...AIA103 Australia New World Nation 3. Since the late 1940s, Australia has been transformed from a monocultural ‘British’ society to become one of the most racially and culturally diverse nations in the world. How would you explain this? Today, Australia is considered as one of the most successful nations in building a tolerant, inclusive, and culturally diverse society. Many people are willing to live in this land. However, the pace to this successful society is very tough. For the first 50 years of federation Australia, this country was a monocultural ‘British’ society. Most migrants came from Britain. Since the late 1940s, more people from different countries immigrate to Australia. Most of them are European migrants after World War II. This phenomenon triggered defensive reactions by the previous dominant of Anglo-Australians (Nichols, 2011). The dominant wanted to assimilate the immigrants at the first stage, but some conflicts occurred during this process. Then, the immigration policy has been changed from assimilationsm to multiculturalism. After the start of federation of Australia in 1901, the government utilized White Australia Policy to all Australians, preventing anyone to enter Australia unless they were from Britain and trying to make this country into an English-speaking, Anglo-Australian cultural one. At that time, English is the first language being spoken by above 95 per cent people in Australia (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2002). Britain...
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...The Rise and Risk of China Introduction Australia has felt the full impact of Chinas “extraordinary economic growth and active diplomacy” (Ikenberry 2011, 23) in East Asia. The power transition of China “becoming a formidable global power” (Ikenberry 2011, 26) is of growing importance to Australia’s economic prosperity and security (Shen 2009, 110). But as relative power begins to shift, the latest defence White Paper released last Friday May 3, stated “the relationship between the United States and China, the region’s and the globe’s two most powerful states, will more than any other single factor determine our strategic environment over coming decades” (Probyn and Wright 2013). Drawing upon the Research Thesis of Yi Shen at the University of NSW, the aim of this essay is to examine the repercussions of the US-China strategic rivalry over Taiwan. In the event of conflict, Australia would be forced to side with the US which “has kept Asia peaceful and Australia secure for many decades” (White 2011, 81). Maintaining a military alliance with the US as well as ongoing economic opportunities with China requires stable relations amongst Asian powers by adopting “the logic of concert” (White 2011, 90). As China becomes an ongoing threat to US primacy in Asia, it is in the best interest of Australia to maintain dual relations by the establishment of a new order that ensures regional stability and security throughout Asia. Clash over Taiwan Australia’s ability to maintain...
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...social dynamics. Before 1941, Australia maintained a strong alliance with Britain, relying on its support during conflicts like World War I. However, the Fall of Singapore left Australia vulnerable and disillusioned with British assistance, prompting a shift toward the United States for military aid. This new partnership led to cultural exchanges that resulted in a rise in "war brides," challenging traditional Australian views on relationships. At the same time, the war intensified fears of Japanese and other immigrant communities, leading to internment and discriminatory policies that deepened societal divisions. Thus, Japan’s entry into the war not only reshaped Australia’s foreign alliances but also significantly influenced its social landscape, reflecting a complex mix of admiration, envy, and injustice....
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...Federation was when the colonies of Australia united on the 1st of January 1901, to form what is now called ‘The Commonwealth of Australia’. This federation didn’t happen overnight but through a period of 50 years of discussion by the people of Australia. This idea was achieved for many reasons including to unite the defense forces of Australia, a sense of nationalism and to have a ‘White Australia’. While there were many reasons supporting federation, there were also arguments that hindered the idea such as loss of worker rights, loss of cheap labour and also the thoughts of isolation by the smaller colonies. One of the key reasons for federation was to unite the defense forces of Australia. During a trip to the Australian defense units by Major General J.B, he deeply criticized about the wastage of the separate colonial defense units. As Major General J.B stated ‘the defense forces should at once be placed on a proper footing but this however quite impossible without a federation of the forces of the different colonies’. During the late 1800s, Australia became very concerned about the ‘threat’ from Asia and it soon became very clear when Queensland feared Germany’s intentions on taking Papa New Guinea. Supporters such as Sir Henry Parkes argued and supported for the idea of federation as it is clearly necessary for Australia’s defense forces to come together and protect Australia against foreign powers. Another obvious reason supporting the idea of federation was due...
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...THE MAN OF STEEL AND THE DRAGON: AUSTRALIA’S RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA DURING THE HOWARD ERA PROPOSAL INTRODUCTION On consecutive days in October 2003, President George W Bush of the United States of America and President Hu Jintao of People’s Republic of China addressed joint sittings of both houses of the Australian Parliament. This historic occasion symbolises how Australia conducted its foreign relations with ‘East’ and ‘West’ during the Howard Era. The pragmatic decision to allow Hu Jintao to become the first non-American foreigner to address both houses demonstrates how Howard viewed Sino-Australian relations. It showed the world that it was possible to have warm relations with both the United States and China. By the end of the Howard Era in 2007, China had become Australia’s major trading partner. This was a far cry from 1996, when in the first months of the newly elected Howard Government a series of events caused severe tensions in Sino-Australian relations, as described below. This culminated in the Chinese response of banning visits to China by Australian ministers, a serious manoeuvre in the nuanced world of diplomacy. From these frosty beginnings, the relationship between the two nations strengthened considerably, for a variety of reasons, some of them outside Australia’s control. Paul Keating may have sown the seeds to Australia’s ‘pivot’ to Asia, but it was the Howard Government that undertook the most significant shift in orientation, cumulating in...
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...In this essay, I will describe the life of the Aboriginals in Australia, a characterisation of the character Jack McPhee and some comments of his experiences in the novel “Wanamurraganya”, an analysis of “Mary’s Song Cycle”, and finally I will talk about the movie “Rabbit Proof Fence” First, I will like to start talking about who and what the Aboriginals are, they were the original residentes of Australia and they have been there since around 45.000 years ago, however the Aboriginals claim they trace their creation back to the “Dreamtime”, an era where the earth were created. Before the first settlers came to Australia in 1788, the Aboriginal people lived throughout Australia, although the most of the population lived along the coast. Today more than half of all Aboriginals live in cities, often in cruel conditions with bad educations, and some with the habit of drug, alcohol and smoking addictions. The novel starts with that Jack McPhee is born in 1905, and that he is an illegitimate son of an Aboriginal woman and white station owner. Mary’s Song Cycle is made Ruby Langford Ginibi, she is born Jan 26 1934 and she died Oct 1 2011, she a Bundjalung author, historian and lecturer on Aboriginal history, culture and politics. The poem is narrative, because it a tells a story, the story is about the “stolen generation” and how the Australian government treated the Aboriginals, the poem ask the reader where it’s people, children, traditions and warriors are, but right in the...
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...aQ2) “Australia will never be fully accepted as part of Asia because of continuing domestic and regional obstacles.” Critically evaluate this claim, citing relevant examples to illustrate. Downer, A. (2005). 'Securing Australia’s interests—Australian foreign policy priorities', Australian Journal of International Affairs, 59 (1), pp. 7-12. Evans, G. (2010). 'Australia's Asian Future', addressed to the Australian Club's International Table, Melbourne, 16 September. Accessed 15 April 2012 at . Gillard, J. (2011). 'Australia PM Julia Gillard on Australia's Role in Asia ', transcript of address to Asia Society, Melbourne, 28 September. Accessed 15 April 2012 at . Griffiths, M. & Wesley, M. (2010). 'Taking Asia Seriously', Australian Journal of Political Science, 45 (1), pp. 13-28. Harris, S. (2005). 'China-US relations: A difficult balancing act for Australia?' Global Change, Peace & Security, 17 (3), pp. 227-238. Higgott, RA and Nossal, KR. (1997). 'The International Politics of Liminality: Relocating Australia in the Asia-Pacific', Australian Journal of Political Science, 32 (2), pp. 169-186. Jain, P. (2008). 'Australia's Asia Dilemma', Global Asia, 3 (3), pp. 86-93. Jones, DM & Benvenuti, A. (2006). 'Tradition, myth and the dilemma of Australian foreign policy', Australian Journal of International Affairs, pp. 103-124. Jupp, J. (1995). 'From 'White Australia' to 'Part of Asia': Recent Shifts in Australian Immigration Policy towards the Region'...
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...Skill migration is the best immigration policy strategy because it contributes to the strong growth of Australia’s economy. Since 1970s the expansion of Australia´s population and the achievement of skill profile had impacted the economic development of the country. Not only it had allowed people to live in a pacific and harmonious environment, but shaping the nation towards economic prosperity and quick progress in pro an industrialized, secure and pleasant state. Australia is named as a “country of immigrants” having one in four people born in overseas and with a great advantage: it is still sharp contrast to the chaos, intolerance and hatred that suffered a lot of countries worldwide. One big concern is the enormous amounts of capital...
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...Australia post 1945 - Key terminology – * Assimilation Policy – official government policy which aims to integrate minority groups into the dominant culture group. This results in a loss of culture, tradition and languages. * Balance rites – Aboriginal rituals that aim to make a supernatural connection with ancestral beings from the dreaming * Crown land – Public land owned by the commonwealth of Australia and managed by Australian government * Dispossession – The forced removal of aboriginal people from their native land. * Dreaming – Aboriginal spiritual beliefs about creation and existence. The dreaming establishes the rules governing relationships between people, land and all things for Aboriginal people. It links together the past, present and future. * Freehold title – Absolute and permanent ownership of the land. * Half-castes – An offensive term referring to a person of mixed decent or ethnicity. * Land rites – Property rights pertaining to land. * Meta-temporal – the trinity of the past, present and future. * Native title – Form of land title, which recognises aboriginal people as rightful owners of their traditional land. * Protection policy – official government policy stating in the late 19th century. Removed aboriginal people from unsuitable environments and placed them under the protection of the state. * Sacred sites – Places of spiritual significance to Aboriginal people as they are connected with ancestor beings...
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...politics and Aboriginal Australians, circa 1900–1980s ABSTRACT The focus of this paper is stories by, and about (mainly non-Aboriginal) Registered Nurses working in hospitals and clinics in remote areas of Australia from the early 1900s to the 1980s as they came into contact with, or cared for, Aboriginal people. Government policies that controlled and regulated Aboriginal Australians provide the context for these stories. Memoirs and other contemporary sources reveal the ways in which government policies in different eras influenced nurse’s attitudes and clinical practice in relation to Aboriginal people, and helped institutionalise racism in health care. Up until the 1970s, most nurses in this study unquestioningly accepted firstly segregation, then assimilation policies and their underlying paternalistic ideologies, and incorporated them into their practice. The quite marked politicisation of Aboriginal issues in the 1970s in Australia and the move towards selfdetermination for Aboriginal people politicised many – but not all – nurses. For the first time, many nurses engaged in a robust critique of government policies and what this meant for their practice and for Aboriginal health. Other nurses, however, continued as they had before – neither questioning prevailing policy nor its effects on their practice. It is argued that only by understanding and confronting the historical roots of institutional racism, and by speaking out against such practices, can discrimination and racism...
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...The Stolen Generation in Australia The Aboriginal people lived long on their land without any contact from the Europeans. They are believed to first arrive in Australia between 42,000 and 48,000 years ago (Beck). They managed to live in often inhospitable conditions unbearable for the inhabitants of the “old continent”. The Aborigines did not differ only in their living conditions, but also in their way of living in general, their culture. The aboriginal culture was based on several principles which did not come to understanding when the Europeans first arrived. Perhaps the most essential aspect of the Aboriginal culture is the “kinship obligation”, when everyone in the tribe is expected to perform certain tasks without being asked to (Encyclopædia Britannica 4). The white society, in contrast with the Australian indigenous people, was based (and still is) on the concept of private membership, something absolutely unknown in Australia prior to the European settlements. The irreconcilable differences led, in consequence, to clashes and misunderstandings between the two cultures. The Europeans, however, regarded themselves superior. Lloyd describes the situation in Australia after the arrival of the European settlers as being based on “the idea of Aborigines as an inferior ‘doomed race,’ superseded by more highly developed, more enlightened Europeans” (Lloyd). No matter whether this claim was legitimate or not, it had damaging consequences. James Cook landed in Botany Bay in...
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...In post war Australia, there existed two types of world, the majority and the indigenous minority. In the period following the Second World War, majority of Australians lived in a place where laws ensured order, having enough resources to have a sustainable standard of living. If they didn’t possess or had access to resources, the government benefits and services helped them. The other world was occupied by indigenous Australians whose ancestors had lived in Australia for more than 40 000 years. By the 1950s they lost their land and way of living, living on the edge of town rubbish dumps and sometimes earning money as fruit pickers. State laws didn’t give them any benefits, told where they were allowed to live, stole their children and also had control over who could they marry. Contact between the inhabitants of these worlds was little, the non-indigenous didn’t care or know about the sufferings of the minority. However, in the late 1950s, aboriginal disadvantages became aware in the eyes of some of the majority and what they could do to address it. They recognised the potential to form a grassroots reform movement to bring the rights and protection of Australian citizenship to the dispossessed aboriginal population. From the late 1950s, aboriginal and non-aboriginal activist came together to campaign for equal rights for indigenous Australians and to bring about the dismantle of laws which deprived the indigenous Australians of civil rights. The Australian civil rights movement...
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