Can Contemporary Australia Still Be Described as Anti-Asian - Essay Example

Can contemporary Australia still be described as anti-Asian? Introduction Globalization has opened up free trade and investment and subsequently countries have been forced to open up their borders to promote free flow of goods and services. However with the adoption of free trade across borders it has also become apparent that people should supposedly move freely too and this has created immigration problems. Global statistics indicate that the years between 1990 and 2005, there has been a total of 36 million migrations with 2.4 million migrations occurring every year on average, of the 36 million migrations a surprising 33 million occurred in industrialized countries. (Shah, A. 2008: Pg 5). Australia has not been spared of the immigration challenges and as explained by John Docker, Gerhard Fischer (2000: Pg 123), that the idea that Australia should be a purely European nation particularly of British origin established during the rise of one party state by Pauline Hanson during the early years of the 20th century still occupies the subconscious minds of many contemporary Australians. John Docker and Gerhard Fischer explain that the notion was conceived from the imagination that occupied the minds of Australians concerning the racial and cultural homogeneity that served as a pre-requisite for the creation of one party state in 1901. The desire to create a unified nation was driven by the objective to bring together the five separate colonies into a Federated Australia. The desire also led to the establishment of policies whose aim was to keep out Asian immigrants who were perceived as hardworking, highly efficient and economically competitive. There are also other events that led to the creation of anti-Asian sentiments and it is important to analyze them considering the changes that have occurred. This approach will provide a good background from which to evaluate the contemporary Australia and whether or not it can be described as anti-Asian or not. Economical Aspects Surrounding Anti- Asian Sentiments Asian migration to Australia has been the most controversial occurrence in the Australian history of immigration because they were the first to visit the shores of Australia during the seventeenth century. Furthermore most of the immigration legislations and policies adopted later on were targeted at preventing or regulating Asian immigrants. The anti-Asian sentiments during the nineteenth century were conceived from the fact that the influx of Asians in Australia was perceived as economically threatening and disadvantageous to the native Australians. The situation was further worsened by the discovery of gold in Australia. The Asians were viewed as a threat by European settlers who had just arrived in Australia and were trying to make out a living. However racism appeared to be just a tactic to maintain economic superiority by the European settlers because they prevented they sidelined the Aborigines on the grounds that it was difficult for them to be absorbed or fit in the Australian society; now the Europeans were still racist towards the Asians who were more likely to fit in very well. Therefore it is conclusive that the major reason of the anti-Asian sentiment was that they were perceived as an economical threat. Therefore if the anti-Asian sentiments were as a result of economic threat it was obvious that language and race were used as excuses in order to establish legislatives that would guarantee the exclusions of the Asians both economically and socially. For instance the Immigration Restriction Act in 1901 whose aim was to establish white Australia was significant in the reduction of the number of Asians immigrants in Australia in the subsequent years. (John Docker, Gerhard Fischer, 2000: Pg 125), The migration of Asians to Australia has undergone various changes with a drop being observed after the end of the Vietnam War. However the migration rates rose again exponentially and by 1980, Asia had replaced European countries as the major source of migrants in Australia. By 1983 Asians formed the largest part of overseas people born in Australia. The increasing Asian migration compelled the Australian government to adopt a more critical economic focus which emphasized on aspects such as education qualification and capital. During the early 90s more than fifty percent of migrants from Asia comprised of professionals, managers and administrators and the issue could no longer be viewed just as an economic threat. (Cohen 1995: 376). The experiences of Asians in Australia are also affected by other factors although the major factor is racism. However other factors such as ethnicity, gender and social class also have influence just as they have influence on native Australians. Migrants from North East Asia arrive in Australia as professionals and as businessmen and generally they are given more regard. However migrants from countries like Bangladesh and Vietnam who come to Australia to look for low paying jobs experience racism and anti-Asian sentiments much more than their counterparts from North East Asia. Research has shown that although racism in Australia cannot be compared to racism in other parts of the world which is characterized by extreme violence, the levels are quite alarming and require that the issues be addressed. (Castles, S. 1992:45-70). Asians experienced the most of the racial violence especially those in the work force and those from Middle East as a result of the gulf war. Robin Cohen (2000: 378) outlines that in the early 1980s two important debates emerged because two major ideologies surrounding the Asian immigrants in Australia. One ideology which was presented by historian Geoffrey Blainey argued that the Asians presented a threat to the Australian way of life and furthermore they caused unemployment to other Australians a situation which provided a precarious environment characterized by tension especially in the suburbs where the Asians mostly settled. However this ideology was greatly refuted by economists who argued that there existed no correlation between Asian immigration and unemployment and that tolerance to Asians was mostly observed in areas where Asian population was high. Blainey’s ideology was also refuted by major businessmen, Churches and trade unions. Another example that demonstrates how the economical threats used as an excuse for racism was increasingly becoming unpopular, was the 1998 Australia’s bicentennial year when the leader of Federal Opposition John Howard attempted to use the same anti- Asian sentiment to gain political advantage. His manifestos included the reduction of Asian immigrants and refuting of multi-culturalism. Howard was subsequently rejected not only by his party members but by many businessmen who argued that the move would sever the beneficial economic relationship that Australia was enjoying with Asian countries. It is easy to observe how the issues surrounding immigration have taken a turn because before Asians were excluded because they were considered to be economic threats, presently there is an attempt to include Asians for the same economic benefits. This fact is evidenced by the fact that Asians have contributed significantly to the economic developments in Australia during the last century than any other time in history. (Cohen, 2000:379). The Asian life in contemporary Australia is therefore influenced largely by economic factors. During the last three or so decades Asians have been viewed as assets and not as threats due to factors related to globalization. It is therefore obvious that anti-Asian sentiments in Australia has very little to do with race or language. John Docker and Gerhard Fischer emphasizes that the sudden change in Australian perception towards Asian immigrants has been due to the increase in Asian capitalism and the fast pace with which the Australian economy is being integrated into the Asia-pacific region. Political Aspects Surrounding Anti-Asian Sentiments Although most of the reasons for anti-Asian sentiments in Australia were economically driven, political factors also had a significant role. During the 1930s Australia had established itself as an important trade partner with Japan. Australia sold to Japan wool, wheat and pig iron in exchange for finished goods. However during World War II Japan wanted to forcefully invade Australia and even managed to bomb Darwin an industrial city Northwest of Sidney. The Japanese advancements were quelled by the by US naval ships in 1942 and from there onwards the Japanese threat became apparent to Australia. Although the geological position of Australia is such that it is located towards the farther part of Asia, Australia preferred to maintain political ties with England in order to enjoy protection from England and the United States. Even though Australia softened their immigration laws after World War II towards immigrants from European countries, tough laws still applied to immigrants from Asia. However the policy of Asian exclusion was done away with in 1973. From this moment onwards ties with England started to loosen and by the time the ties were officially broken in 1986 by the passing o the Australian Act fifty percent of all the exports by Australia was to the Asia-Pacific. Much of the trade in the Asia-Pacific region deals with manufactured goods and they therefore have a value added aspect, this together with the fact that the trade is intraregional has led to the establishment of stronger ties. (Cohen, 2002:278). Conclusion Unlike other areas of the world where racism is strongly related to xenophobia, the anti-Asian sentiments in Australia were as a result of economical reasons and to some extent political. The economic causes were due to the fact that previously Australians had felt threatened by Asians who were hardworking, economically competitive and efficient. As a result it was obvious that with the advent of globalization that encouraged cross border and regional trade, the economical fears would be replaced by appreciation of the contribution of the Asian immigrants towards the economy of Australia and how it promoted better relationship between Australia and other Asia-Pacific countries. The change of immigration laws in the early 1970s have been materialistic in creating a general acceptance of Asians in Australia because it gave Australians a chance to look at the advantages of having Asian Immigrants instead of just considering them as a people who were out to steal their employment. According to John Docker and Gerhard Fischer (2000:121) a regime of value has been established in Australia; a regime that advocates for equality for all, cosmopolitan and tolerance and one that is enriched with cultural diversity. Although there may be some degree of anti-Asian sentiments in Australia it could be due to other factors such as economical class and ethnicity which is an inherent aspect in every society. Due to these developments throughout the years it would be unfair to consider Australia as being anti-Asian. References Shah, A. (2008). Global Issues Journal Vol 6: Social, Political, Economic and Environmental Issues That Affect Us All. Pg 5. London, Oxford University Press. Cohen, S. (2002). Geopolitics of the World System. 1st Edition, Pg 278-280, London, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Cohen, R. (2000). The Cambridge Survey of the World Migration. Pg 120-130 London, Cambridge University Press. Docker, J and Fischer, G. (2000) Race, Color and Identity in Australia and New Zealand. South Wales, University of South Wales Press. Castles, S. (1992). The ‘New’ Migrations and the Australian Immigration Policy. Pg 52-47 Sidney, Allen and Sidney Read More