By 1944, almost two-thirds of Australian imports came from the United States. The United States soon became a stronger cultural influence on Australia than Britain. Twentieth-century wars led to waves of new migrants to Australia. Each major conflict brought different groups seeking a new home. Immigration, however, was restricted by the controversial White Australia policy, making it hard for non-Europeans to settle. This policy was relaxed after World War II and abolished in 1973. TABLE2 summarises the relationship between global conflicts and immigration patterns.
TABLE2 Flows of migrants to Australia associated with world conflicts Conflict Origin of migrants World War II Europe Vietnam War Vietnam, Cambodia ColdWar Various African civil conflicts South Africa, Sudan, Somalia Gaza–Israel conflict Palestine
USSR: Russia, Ukraine, Baltic states
The early twenty-first century influenced Australian identity through global events. In 2001, the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States led to strict anti-terror laws and a sense of fear in Australia. The 2002 Bali bombings, killing 88 Australians, and the 2014 Lindt Café siege in Sydney, which resulted in three deaths, contributed to societal tension. Recently, racially motivated crimes have added to this climate. Governments must manage these crises carefully to ensure safety without inflaming racial tensions. Australia’s relationship with Asia has grown, influencing our national identity. Asian immigration began during the gold rushes and has intensified due to economic ties with China, India, South Korea and Japan. As of September 2024, 1 million international students, mainly from Asia, attended Australian universities. Asian cultural influences are visible in cities through fashion, music and trends. 19.3 SkillBuilder activity INVESTIGATING CONTEMPORARY CIVICS AND CITIZENSHIP ISSUES Your task is to research the history of a significant person in your life. You may choose to work with a partner or investigate the history of someone close to you, such as a family member, caregiver, mentor or other important person. By developing interview questions and then conducting an interview with an older individual, you will gain a better understanding of their heritage and what their identity means to them and to the people close to them. 1. Your first step is to develop your interview questions. The best way to write an interview question is to think carefully about what you want to discover. A basic list of questions could include: • Where do the significant people in your life come from? What is their national identity? • Who were the first people in your life to migrate to Australia, and why did they come here? • When did the significant people in your life arrive in Australia, and how did they get here? • What was life like when they first arrived in Australia? • How did they demonstrate their identity then, and how do they demonstrate it now? If the person you’re interviewing has Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage, you could ask questions such as: • What language group do you belong to? Where are the traditional lands of your people? • Does anyone from your community still live there? Why or why not? • You can also add your own questions to these lists. 2. Once you have written your questions, organise an appropriate time to conduct your interview. Be sure to either record the interview or write comprehensive notes during the interview to capture all the details shared.
TOPIC19 Citizenship, diversity and identity 573
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