Australia's Multiculturalism On The Spotlight

By -

One of the biggest reasons why a lot of people embark on an Australian immigration is because the country is very welcoming of immigrants. Indeed, even with the spate of immigration changes that were implemented by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, the country has still been generally open to people coming from all over the world.


And an even more attractive aspect of this openness is the fact that the country is willing to take in people coming from different cultures. Indeed, multiculturalism has been one of the defining aspects of Australian lifestyle. And this one has made Australia as one of the most livable


However, it seems that there is a threat to the multiculturalism that is present in Australia. As it is there are groups that are arguing that the very concept of multiculturalism has actually failed in Australia. Thus, they are clamoring for a stricter control in the immigration policies in order to protect Australian values.


One of the biggest critics of the idea of multiculturalism is former Prime Minister John Howard. Howard served as the country's Prime Minister under the Liberal Party for eleven years (1996-2007) before being replaced by Kevin Rudd of the Labor Party during the 2007 federal elections. During his term, Howard implemented strict immigration policies, including the infamous Pacific Solution, which saw asylum seekers being transported to nearby islands instead of being let into the country.


According to Howard, Australia might have gone too far in letting in a wide variety of cultures into the country. He argues that because of the perceived lenient stand by the present Labor government on the matter, many of Australia's cherished English values are now slowly eroding away. He also added that because of the lax attitude, Australia has now become an easy targets for extremists.


However, Howard asserted that he is not against the idea of a wide variety of people entering the country. He said that it is the people's basic rights to choose the place they wish to live in. but he also emphasized that these people should also learn to respect and love the culture of the place that they are living in; in this case, Australia.


On the other hand, many supporters argued that, contrary to the above assertions, multiculturalism itself, is essentially a part of Australia's core values. This, they pointed out, can be easily evidenced by the continuing reception and assimilation of Aboriginal elements into Australian culture. They have also asserted that multiculturalism is essential to promote the country's further development.


Image Resource

http://www.international.swinburne.edu.au/study-in-australia/australia/multicultural.jpg

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

South Australia Attracting A Lot Of Immigrants

By -
Image
If you are thinking of immigration, Australia is probably one of the countries that would top your list. And you are definitely not alone on this one, as a lot of people are actually moving into Australia yearly. And many of them have since said that they have indeed made the right decision. And one of the most popular choices for people to settle in the land down under is South Australia. Indeed, the southern state has been getting a lot of immigrants in the past few year. In the last year alone, around 11,377 people moved into South Australia. The figure is significantly large than the one registered in 2009, which had around 9,695 arrivals. Experts say that the numbers are likely to grow further this year, as more people are attracted to move into South Australia. Of these numbers, people coming from the western countries, such the United States, Britain, and New Zealand still comprise a major bulk. However, people coming from China, India, and other Asian countries are also
Read more

Places to Avoid in Australia and Why

By -
Your travel visa to Australia can't exactly tell you what places you should visit nor the places you should avoid. Knowing these, we are here to give you advice and precautions to make your Australian getaway more enjoyable. Australian places are really desirable and exciting, yet, just like in other countries, there are places that you should avoid. It can be because of danger, disappointments, expensiveness or anything. This message goes to everyone, a student, worker, traveler or businessman. Whether you are an immigrant or an original Australian citizen, you should heed to this warning. Because either of the two, there are still a lot of Australia that you need to learn. It is not really the place but the factors relating to it. You are asked to avoid these places because of the danger, bad weather, or maybe because you might sneak in to a restricted area. Just remember that there are limitations to ensure your safety. When you visit Australia, please be advised that you are n
Read more

Australia Faces Tough Environmental Issues

By -
Image
If you are thinking of immigration, Australia will most likely be one of the top places that you would want to move in. As it is, Australia is often imagined by a lot of people to be a picturesque country, with lush landscapes and great rivers. However, this one is actually far from being perfect. The truth is, Australia, just like any other developed nation, is also suffering from serious environmental problems. And this one has greatly alarmed many authorities, such that they have started to move and deal with these problems. The issues have also reached a higher level, as these have now become a forefront in policymakers' decisions. One of the biggest of these issues is climate change. In fact, this one has become a highly contended issue in the recent campaigns for the 2010 Federal Elections in the country. However, not a few environmental groups are concerned that the attention being given by politicians to the issue might not be enough. According to them, the i
Read more