Wednesday, November 20, 2013

The White Australia Policy

And they say Australia is not racist or sexist
Well maybe - maybe not 5 decades or more ago.
I lived in the northern suburbs during the 10 pound Pom era.
I was in primary school with immigrants
from Italy, the UK, Greece and other countries that I had never heard of!
But we were all just kids in the school playground - we didn't care where you were from.
We learnt much from being invited into each other's homes.
Adults were more concerned about these people from other countries.
Kids integrate better than so-called adults.



Learn more here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Australia_policy

4 comments:

  1. I knew this greek Aussie actor who used to tell us how he had such a hard time in Australia. I think racism, anti-Semitism… happens in every country. It is about fear of the unknown, and believing your religion is better than another... It is a shame it still happens in this day and age but it is so much easier to blame another race, religion… than looking deep inside yourself and actually educate yourself and/or finding out why we feel that way.

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    Replies
    1. Nadege
      When I first read your comment I thought it was "This Geek Aussie Actor". The Greek community have brought so much of their culture to Melbourne more so than most states of Australia and we are so much more rich for it.

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  2. I think Australia was miserable to non-British would-be migrants up till WW2. If it wasn't for a desperate need to increase our population rapidly, we would still be a racist society.

    Thank goodness things finally changed. When my husband Joe arrived in Australia in the 1950s, he didn't know a word of English. But every teacher was asked to place new migrant children in desks next to children who spoke their language. Joe was made to feel very very welcome in the school system.

    Those primary school children from Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary in the 1950s went on to become successful professionals and business people in the 1970s. How stupid and racist of Australia to now be dragging boatloads of refugees back out to sea.

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  3. Hels,
    You echo Sue and my thoughts exactly.

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