The Australian Experience of Multiculturalism

Many countries are worried about the difficult question of the coexistence of dominating population groups and ethnic minorities, for we are living in a period of borderless age and movement of people among nations, whether due to civil war or economic hardship, cannot be ceased. Australia presents us with a valuable case study of a nation of different ethnic groups trying to live together, for she follows a national policy of multiculturalism, Aborigines lived in the continent of Australia for more than 40,000 years before the first permanent Europeans began settling in 1788. Many more immigrants of different nationality, particularly Chinese, who faced prejudice and hostility, came to Australia after the discovery of gold in 1851. Anti-Chinese legislation came into being in 1855 and this came to include other Asian immigrants. The White Australia Policy was introduced in 1901. The Racial Discrimination Act made it unlawful to discriminate on grounds of race, color, descent, nationality or ethnic origins in 1973. The Galballey Report of 1978 suggested more immigration programs, services and encouragement of multiculturalism. In 1984 Professor Blainey admonished that the continual entry of Asians at the rate then occurring could weaken or explode the forbearance extended to immigrants. Some censure of Blainey\u27s sayings is: "It\u27s fanning the flames of racism and turning the clock back for this multicultural society of ours." The Age Editorial said "It is education and the social structure that give immigrants the prospect of a good life in their new land." In 1988 the FitzGerald report told us an increase in the number of professional and skilled immigrants. It also admonished widespread mistrust of multiculturalism. John Sherwood (1984) defined Australian society as consisting of three categories: Indigenes, Invaders and Immigrants, and he asserted that Aborigines must just fully receive special consideration in education and under the law. Australia\u27s society of multiculture is a state of flux with many things yet to accomplish and many more potential problems to overcome. I believe, however, that people all over the world should share Australian ideal and practices of multiculturalism. Education must play a key role in promoting the concepts of pluralism, diversity and social responsibility of students. English teachers especially will have many things to share with language teachers in Australia and administrators to explore ways of acquiring language and in so doing empowering students