Transforming a 'White Australia'

Download or read book Transforming a 'White Australia' written by Laksiri Jayasuriya and published by SSS Publications. This book was released on 2012 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mass immigration post World War II has transformed Australian society and politics. This is indeed a far cry from the vision of the architects of the 'White Australia' policy over a hundred years ago. This volume explores this dramatic change by examining the politics of the peopling of Australia dating from the Immigration Restriction Act 1901, the so-called 'White Australia' policy which sought to forge the Australian nation as a 'citadel of the British speaking race' (Prime Minister Curtin). The book examines how critical issues of race and immigration still haunt the political landscape even as we find an increasingly cosmopolitan Australia becoming more Asian oriented. As a study of this unique and successful experiment in creating a diverse and multicultural society, this book will be useful to anyone interested in what drives and sustains a diverse and pluralistic society.