Multi-Culturalism in Australia

Al Grasby changed Australia, when he introduced and became the face of the new Multi-Cultural policy. Wow! The idea was huge.
Up until the early 70’s Australia largely adhered to White Australia Policy and was still “relocating” children of indigenous Australians (known as Abos). The idea was mind-blowing. An approach so different to the American’s “melting pot” idea.
It was a vision that would allow for Australia to become a favourite destination for many. A vision that would/will ultimately lead to Australia emerging as new, yet to be defined, independent nation, with its own unique cultural identity. Yet Australia is an island and its isolation inspires isolationism, xenophobia and parochialism; problems that we have yet to completely overcome.
Today Australia is a multi-cultural society. We encourage the various ethnic groups to embrace their cultural heritage and somehow weave it into the national blanket that is Australia. I went to school in the 60’s and 70’s of the last century/millennium. It was a very different Australia then. Certainly not multi-cultural yet was inclusive up to a point.
The emphasis was on being Australian. The choice was clear; you were either an Australian or a “Wog”. A “Wog” was anyone that looked or sounded different (at my school they were mainly Greeks and Italians. I fell into no-man’s land. My name, Jacques, was so often mispronounced that it quite quickly became Jack. I believe that if you look at many of my generation they would have anglicized their first names.
I grew up Jewish, in Adelaide, a city of just under a million people and 800 Jews. I went to state schools, except for in Years 11 and12. To all of my former schoolmates who felt the need to beat me up at Easter, because apparently I killed Jesus, I send my regards. Ironic, that while it is not part of my personal or cultural heritage, it was I that turned the other cheek. I really had no choice as I was so outnumbered. Apparently this was something that “Skips” and “Wogs” could agree on.
There was no doubt that sport played an important part in the development of an Australian Identity (and I will discuss this in a future article). Soccer or “Wogball” was rarely played by “Skips”. Cricket, Footy, Netball and Softball were the team sports of choice.
We have come a long way since the early 70’s, or have we? Could it be that the world is just getting smaller and our sense of isolation less? Is there less racism in Australia today? One thing for sure it, it is certainly less overt. Most people are more politically correct and not just in public.
Most of the “Western” world tends to be politically correct, a product of a more inclusive democracy in our shrinking world. Is this a positive trend or are we just creating a veneer? Maybe a veneer creates a reality. What I do believe, is that we would be naive to expect people who live outside of western democracies to hold a similar world view, or have a similar mentality. Too frequently I will hold discussions someone who bases their argument on the assumption that "They" hold the same values as "Us"[i].

[i] See “A basic premise from which I build my views”..