Modul 12
Australian
Multiculturalism
I.
Six Key Factors in the Emergencies
of Multiculturalism in Australia
1 Undeniable reality Australia =
multicultural society
1 The Xenophobia was waning
1 The immigrant communities were
becoming confident and
articulate
1 Expansion of migrants and ethnic
community groups cultural 
political issues
1 Labor Party Immigration Policy in
1972 to 1975 (Minister AI
Grassby)
1 Social reform
II.
Immigration Policy : A Historical
Perspective
Before 1901
1 Racial exclusion
1 Predominantly British
1 1850’s : gold rush, non - British
migrants increasing (China,
German, Poland, America,
Scandinavia, Hungarian)
White Australia Policy (1901)
1 Before World - War II
 Racial exclusion (official)
 1901 – 1940 : predominantly
assisted British migrants
and
Southern Europeans
(Italian
and Greek)
 1945 : ALP / Arthur Callwell
as first immigration
minister,
planned
immigration
1 Post – World - War II
 Populate or Perish
 Non - British :10 British
 Two – year – indenture labor,
unskilled labor (non British),
assisted (British)
 Displaced - persons (Baltic)
 Heterogeneity, not
homogeneity
 Diversity by default, not by
design
III.
Multiculturalism and Multicultural
Policy
Multicultural policy : public / government
policy
Multiculturalism : (everyday)
multicultural policy
The question :
1 Which countries implement this ?
1 When adopted by Australia ?
1 For whom ?
1 By whom ?
1 Why ?
IV.
Multiculturalism as Theory and
Practice
1 Al Grassby (1973) : ‘A multicultural
society for the future family of
the
nation’ : contribution of
migrants
1 Zubrzycki (1977) : cultural
pluralism
1 Jean Martin : structural pluralism
(emphasis on access to
economic
and political
structures)
1 Galbally (1977) : multiculturalism
as practice
1 Blainey (1984) : multiculturalism as
divisive
1 Jupp (1986) : reaffirm
multiculturalism as public policy,
proposed for structural
pluralism
V.
Multiculturalism : Pros and Cons
1 Pros
 Capitalists
 Major political parties
 Labor shortages
 Defense / securities
 Growing market
 Capital
 Benefits, etc
1 Cons, right – wing : Blainey (1984),
Knopflemacher
 Costly and divisive (publicly funded, minorities interests,
disanglified)
1 Cons, left - wing : Jakubowicz,
Lepervanche
 Multiculturalism as strategy
for containment
 Effective means for social –
control - initiated by the
state
VI.
Multicultural Policy and Immigration
Policy
1 Multicultural policy
Introduced in 1973 after the failure
of
 Assimilation and integration
 Assimilation
 Integration
1 Assimilation (postwar - mid 60s)
 Non - policy, mono culturalism, Anglo-conformity
 Migrants discard cultural
baggage, assimilate
 Treating migrants as other
Australians




‘New Australians’
Gap between rhetoric and
reality
Problems of settlement 
NESB
Mid 60s  special assistance
for migrants
1 Integration (mid 60s - early 70s)
 Transitional
 Assimilation section 
integration section (1964)
 Ad hoc response, not
systematic policy to migrant communities demand
1 Multicultural Policy (1972 –
present)
 Guiding principle for migrant
settlement
 Celebration of migrant
cultural ‘trappings’
 Diversity not homogeneity
 Cultural pluralism not
monoculturalism
 Salad bowl, not melting - pot
VII. Three Dimensions for
Multiculturalism in Australia
1 Cultural identity
The right of all Australian within
carefully defined limits, to
express
and share their individual
cultural
heritage, including
language and
religion
1 Social justice
The right of all Australian to
equality of treatment and
opportunity and the removal of
barrier of race, ethnicity
culture,
religion, language,
gender and
place of birth
1 Economic efficiency
The need to maintain, develop and
utilize effectively the skills and
talents of all Australian
VIII. Multicultural Institutions
1 AIMA (Australian Institute of
Multicultural Affairs), 1979
1 OMA (Office of Multicultural
Affairs), 1987
1 ACMA (Advisory Council for
Multicultural Affairs), 1989
1 NMAC (National Multicultural
Advisory Council), 1994
1 DIMA (Department of Immigration
and Multicultural Affairs), 1996
1 NMAC (new) (National Multicultural
Advisory Council), 1997