Great essay, and one of the first I have seen that takes on this issue that embracing diversity is not to be selective but includes all of us, there can be no exceptions.

We all hope the newer arrivals settle in to a lifestyle that fits in with other arrivals, recent or ancient, eventually.

I do wholeheartedly agree with the comments on diversity of food, a particular fondness of mine, that has enriched our lives.

I can’t remember being taught that “Aborigines were murderers, thieves, rapists, idle minds and could not be trusted.”

I think that’s a furphy.

I was taught about the Roman empire, the Greek empire, the French empire, the Spanish empire, the Russian empire and so on.

There could some truth in the concept of expand, or be conquered by someone else.

It is not clearly known who was in Australia before the arrival of Australian aborigines.

Stephen,
I don't know where you received your education, but mine was in NSW public schools during the late 40s and early 50s. We were never taught about "...British colonianalist conquering and civilizing hostile natives...." or that "Aboriginals were murderers, thieves, rapists, idle minds and could not be trusted"

You must have dreamed that. We certainly did not learn much about aboriginals or their cultures, but nothing like the above was ever mentioned.

Also you claim "Australia was founded on the White Australia Policy" and then admit it came into being in 1901, which is over 100 years after settlement. It was introduced to protect Australian workers from an expected influx of chinese which threatened their jobs. It had nothing to do with aboriginal policy or our attitude to aborigines at the time.

I do not think the vast majority of Australians have a problem with diversity in our population provided there is mutual respect. Ask Tom Calma to tell that to the Lebanese muslims, who want us to accept their culture but show no respect for other cultures, race or religion. Perhaps we should accept that some cultures simply will not accept or respect others and not import those cultures.

The ideolagy of multiculturalism split people into ethnic groups rather than united them. It is good to see that era quietly passing.

Another good post,Banjo.I seem to be your most ardent fan!

I too agree that we are acquiring an exciting cultural mix that is making Australian community vibrant.
I love to see the West Indians,Africans, Indian, Burmese,Thai and Chinese and Vietnamese sharing our streets and public places like our shopping centres arm in arm with white men and women,completely at ease. I do feel threatened by the hooded enigmas drifting about.I can never know if there is a man or a woman in the shroud.They choose to be sepratist and unsociable. Only those born and broughtup in secular demorcacies abroad are accepting of our political and social fabric.The other sort want more than we need to give them eg sharia law,right to treat girls and women in any way they see fit.They brook no interference from us. Its going to be a hell of a long time before I ever feel comfortable amongst them.try living in parts of Britain where they have formed ghettoes and are in the majority.No whites ever want to go anywhere near them. Those are parts of the UK that are lost forever!! I have experienced it first hand. Recently three are on trial for planning to assassinate the Royal family. Just where will they stop.

socratease

I really enjoyed the article. A few comments, though:

The Immigration Restriction Act was one of the first pieces of legislation passed after federation. Thus it was one of the founding principles of the Australian nation. What the colonies did before that was entirely up to them (provided that the poms approved) and varied greatly from colony to colony.

As recently as the 1980s and 1990s, I learnt about the brave colonists conquering and civilising the natives. That our history began in 1770 when I was at school in NSW and in 1616 when I was at school in WA speaks volumes. I also remember the outrage I felt when the 'friendly natives' - a major drawcard for the Swan River Settlement - turned out not to be so friendly. I never found out why they were so hostile - were they mean-spirited, or were they provoked?

The point I am trying to get across is that I, for one, did have a 'white' education, at least in primary school. Aboriginal culture was taught in the same way as neolithic life - something people did before they knew better.

DIVERSITY....in

-Food..
-Some mutually acceptable customs.
-Compatable Family structure.
-Language
-Religion
-Ethnicity/Skin color

are all ok within very serious limits.

Philipino's can enjoy Balut as much as they like.. and I don't care if they sell it here.. but I sure won't be eating partially formed duck embryo's.

Mutually acceptable customs are where the host group can recognize, without being either coerced or 'told' that some aspect of a non host culture could be beneficial to them...and..they embrace it.

Family Structure. I for one embrace the 'extended family' structure where Grandparents brothers and sisters offspring and their offspring are regarded like first cousins... makes for great family re-unions and can also be a kind of mini 'mutual benevolent society' for the whole clan.

Language... I think we can all benefit from learning and using at least one foreign language. I've got 3 besides english. But English is the language of State and Education.

Religion. This is generally a non issue. If the "religion" is like Buddhism which is a kind of glorified self help system.. no biggy, but I've written enough 'volumes' on a certain other religion which is characterized as seeking and working toward world domination in a political way. To my mind such religions have no place here.. at all.

Ethnicity/Skin color.. never a problem for me, black white or brindle.. doesn't matter..I care about the values the person holds more than their skin color or race.

CONCLUSION. As long as diversity is not a threat to an established order or culture, and is always absorbed by osmosis rather than any active promotion by governments or political parties.. then it's fine.

Otokonoko, that might have been the way you interpreted it, but I was schooled in NSW in the same time period, and I took the way black culture was taught as being a part of history, ie that the culture as it was in 1788 is not practiced any more. Might I add that colonial white culture has changed significantly in the same period.

A lot depends on the beliefs of individual teachers. I may have been lucky in the my mother believed in a broad education (books on the rainbow serpert, tiddalick, how the birds got their colours and others are still at my childood home), and my aunt spent years as a RAN in Arnhem land.

A good article by Stephen. I dont agree with all of its contents, but its a refreshing change to see someone admit that suspicion and racist leanings are not purely a white man's affliction. If we can get to that point, there is much better chance of all working together to build better outcomes for everyone.

culture as it was in 1788 is not practiced any more. Might I add that colonial white culture has changed significantly in the same period.
Country Gal,
the nature of culture is in that it evolves from when a people have reached a stage when they were able to not have to focus on mere survival which allowed them to focus on activities not related to basic survival. Activities that enabled them to forget the harsh reality of daily life. Superstition played probably the biggest role in every culture. As a matter of fact it still does.
We all agree that culture evolves so why does it come as such a big surprise to so many that after the arrival of newcomers, invaders & mere visitors age-old cultures changed. To claim that a culture is being destroyed by others is of course a well documented fact but it is not well documented that many also use culture as an excuse for their own shortcomings. If anyone knows how anything cultural at all can develop without change then I'd dearly like to know

Culture can mean very ritualised as well as very ordinary practices of how one goes about being culturally competent in one's family - and culture.

Cultural change can be imposed as well as voluntarily embraced.

A culture is a way of life of a group of people--the behaviors, beliefs, values, and symbols that they accept, generally without thinking about them, and that are passed along by communication and imitation from one generation to the next.

Stehehn Hagan wrote: "Australia was founded on the White Australia Policy that created a racial characteristic preference for its desired settlers from the Immigration Restriction Act of 1901. This federal policy played to the quintessential 20th century rugged Aussie who had an innately racist outlook..."

No, Australia was founded as a British settler society, and its immigration laws were designed to maintain the predominately British character and identity of the Australian nation.

As for 'innately racist outlooks', perhaps it will come as a shock to you, Mr. Hagan, but nearly every other nation on earth still practices discrimination against immigrants on the basis of ethnicity. Every country in Asia, for example, restricts the entry of immigrants from other ethnic groups. Thus China only allows "overseas Chinese", India only allows its “Non-Resident Indians", and Japan only allows ethnic Japanese.

Does that also make those countries 'innately racist'?

"...the preferred immigrant was British in origin and in their absence the alternative northern European Nordic race with their blue eyes and blond hair sufficed."

So why was it that the largest number of non-British European immigrants to Australia came from Southern European countries?

I suspect your mention of "Nordic race" types with "blue eyes and blond hair" is nothing more than a calculated attempt to draw an implicit parallel between 20th Century Australia and Nazi Germany, with its "Aryan" supremacist ideology.

Needless to say, such a comparison is completely inappropriate and highly offensive.

[Post continued below]

"Tom Calma... spoke of his excitement of seeing Australia by the day, becoming more diverse."

I would argue that anything that diminishes the influence and demographic position of whites would be viewed as 'exciting' among Aboriginal activists. They see non-European immigrants as a natural ally in their struggle against the white Australian majority, so no wonder people like Tom Calma are salivating at the prospect of a more 'diverse' Australia (read: a less European Australia).

"Just imagine if we didn’t have cultural diversity: no decent coffee, Indian Thai, Vietnamese, Greek or Lebanese take-away."

If "diversity" is so wonderful and beneficial, then why didn't the Aboriginals embrace "diversity" when the British first settled in 1788? Why weren't they tolerant and inclusive enough to accept the Europeans rather than attack them?

After all, those British settlers transformed this undeveloped dustbowl into a wealthy, technologically advanced country within the space of a few generations. Just imagine if they hadn't of come!

It seems somewhat hypocritical for Aboriginal activists to proclaim the joys of "diversity" on one hand, while on the other condemning the arrival of Europeans on this continent back in 1788.

Efranke,

Wonderful post, thanks, I'm going to show it to my students as an example of how not to think, act, write if you want respect and honour.

Gosh, Rainier, what a devastating point-by-point rebuttal you've provided.

In fact, your response was so devastating that it made me realise how disrespectful and dishonourable it was for me to point out that if Mr. Hagan and others were consistent in their peculiar logic, they would be deploring the historical "xenophobia" and "racism" of the Aboriginals who opposed European settlement, and celebrating how the European settlers joined and "enriched" the indigenous monoculture.

Oh, and since you're indubitably a paragon of respect and honour, perhaps you'd also like to show your students some of your racist, anti-white rantings on this forum. I certainly found them most revealing.

mmm..at this juncture I usually think of all the diversity that i can point you toward, such as the hundreds of different languages, clan groups, customs and traditions that do not support the Indigenous mono-culturalism your accusations rely on. Clearly you have no room for new knowledge - preferring to depend on the simplistic myths that you grew up believing – and which are now foundational and supportive of your own bigotry. How sad!

And why on earth do you believe the highly educated Hagans and Calmas of this world should listen to your instructions? Puleeeze! Get a grip; this is just an online forum for gawd sake!

Now run along maaate, do some reading in your local library on racism, history and politics.

PS. My student's all thank you for illustrating how racism (as sociological and cultural phenomena) is often misunderstood and thus psychologically disturbing and confronting for its most enthusiastic practitioners.

Oh forgot to correct your accusation on me: In other posts I have attempted to point out that white people who are uncomfortable about race and who try to pretend that race does not exist are not simply failing to understand the dynamics of race; rather, they are in fact repressing-evading-their own feelings about race and the fact that they benefit from race in a racialized society.

Yes, we are looking at people just like you and wondering what makes you tick.

scary hey!