In the past week, harmful comments were made by Australian politicians calling for a ‘monocultural’ Australia. But what does it mean for real people? We explain it here.
Fact: Australia has never been ‘monocultural’.
Centuries of multiculturalism, built on diverse history
For more than 65,000 years, hundreds of unique Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups populated and cared for what we now call Australia. Each had their own language, systems, and cultures.
More than two hundred years ago, Pashtun and Pakistani cameleers helped lead Australia’s iconic Burke & Wills expedition across Australia, bringing food, water, supplies and infrastructure right across Australia. Some of the Islamic mosques that they built still stand today.
Just over a century ago, Australia published its first Greek-language newspaper (Afstralia). For those growing communities arriving here in the aftermath of the Greco-Turkish war, their connection to Greek culture and news stayed strong despite now calling Melbourne home. This shows just how normal and meaningful it is to remain connected and share culture, while integrating into a new life in Australia.
100 years of ‘Chain Migration’
In the battlefields of the WWI, Indian and Chinese soldiers fought alongside their fellow ANZACs for Australia.
Meanwhile, Greek, Italian and Eastern European families and towns developed systems of ‘chain migration’ to Australia in the post-war years – bringing friends, family members, new languages, different cultures, religions and traditions and embedding new ethnic communities in cities like Melbourne and Adelaide.
Chain migration was considered (and still is) to be the most effective system of migration – ensuring that strong family and community ties help new arrivals to succeed and become proud Australians with good support networks.
Also, developing communities in this way helps identify and grow services, boosts innovation, and strengthens Australia’s international relationships.
Post-war multicultural Australia
As the world recovered from WWII, refugees and migrants from Eastern Europe arrived to Australia. They introduced more than a dozen new languages and cultural systems by the middle of the 20th century. And our cities grew and thrived with the arrival of communities from South East, Central and South West Asia and North Africa, becoming international hubs of commerce and activity. Since 1947, multiple Governments have recognised the importance and human rights of refugees in Australia – despite the fact that many have been subject to discrimination, exclusion, and hardship here in Australia.
These diverse groups, with all of their complexity, language and cultural differences, built our modern society, from our buildings and shops, to our homes and community services.
And since 1971 (that’s 55 years!), one-third of all Australians were first or second generation migrants with strong and unique cultures.
The evidence is clear: Australia’s history has always been defined by varied, complex, diverse community groups that find ways to work and live together.
‘Monoculturalism’ harms all Australians – here’s why
To suggest changing to a ‘monocultural’ Australia that never existed, is nonsensical, and not based on any truth or evidence.
Instead, it threatens harm to Australians of all backgrounds and ages.
- For older people from migrant backgrounds, it erases their contributions made over many decades. It suggests that their hard work in building Australia was not important, and it ignores their many years of sacrifices to give their children and grandchildren good lives and opportunities here.
- For newly-arrived people, it prevents them from being integrated into communities where their skills and gifts are so needed.
- It even harms Australia on a global scale. No longer would we be the vibrant, multicultural and innovative hub that makes Australia appealing for visitors and the international businesses. This would impact our economy and restricts future opportunities.
In addition, it stokes fear, encourages distrust, misinformation and even violence. There are simply no peaceful paths forward based on hateful and divisive language. We believe it’s important to remember that language like this is designed to generate media coverage and public controversy – not to actually benefit real people like you and I.
This cannot be acceptable if we truly care for all Australians.
All are welcome
At Spectrum, we will always stand for truth, evidence, and connected communities because we believe in equal human rights for all. We will continue to both support older people from migrant backgrounds, and welcome new arrivals with arms open.
This is the welcoming, diverse Australia that we all know and are proud of.
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Kelsey Dattoli, Marketing and Communications Lead
Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre
