Have migrants done a job on Australia or has Australia done a job on migrants? Byron Kemp.
Australia and the people who live here have developed over time an identity of an egalitarian or fair nation. This perception by other countries and by Australian residents as a land of opportunity and a country who supports the culture of a "Fair Go" for everyone dominates. This egalitarian depiction of Australia has come about because of more than 200 hundred years of immigration since European settlement. Today one in every five Australians were born overseas and immigrated to Australia creating the cultural representation of an accepting, tolerant country where all people have an opportunity to get along and to achieve.
Immigration to Australia has …show more content…
The people who suffer most from the cultural identity of Australia as a fair country that accepts differences are the hard working people who make the move to Australia expecting to get a "fair go". Often immigrants who see Australia as a place with ample opportunities are met with racism and discrimination. This situation is a disgrace considering the amount of time and effort that has gone into Australia's immigration policies. According to an article titled The Economic Effects of immigration in Australia " Immigration has a positive impact on the economy and that migrants do not take jobs from the Australian-born" (Collins, 1991, 101).
In Australia immigrants do sometimes get a "fair go" but very often they do not receive the treatment that has become part of Australia's cultural identity as an egalitarian society. There are still frequent and strong episodes of hostility towards Australian immigrants along with Aboriginals, Muslims and Asians. These groups of Australians are often on the receiving end of racism and prejudice, which in some circumstances can lead to difficulties in employment and other aspects of their