Migration Stories Essay Family Story

This paper will take a key interest in the migration story of my parents Barbara Heinemann and Kirby Clark and their story in relation to identify the factors that shaped the migration and resettlement of migrants in the 1980’s and the Australian government’s policies and desires. How the processes of alienation and assimilation affected migrants who came from a western culture and how acceptance and ‘mateship’ was difficult to find in Australians. I will do this while comparing the similarities that other migrants in Australia and around the globe faced and different migration trends in the 1980’s. The paper will also discuss migration and what set voluntary migrants apart from other people and particularly the predisposition for migrant children to become migrants themselves.

During the early 1980’s like much of the world Canada was experiencing a recession. Many people were in fear of losing their jobs in the current environment. “I was very nervous about cut backs at PWC (PricewaterhouseCoopers). From what I knew at the time, Australia wasn't affected nearly as much as Canada was so I decided I’d try my luck in Australia on a 2 year working/holiday. ” (). Many such companies were being encouraged by the Australian government to bring immigrants with “particular Professional skills, business experience” (). Many of the people that decided to take up the opportunity provided by organisations like PricewaterhouseCoopers never intended on staying in Australia. “ When I first arrived I thought I’d always be going home, like most of the people I worked with were expats they all thought they were going to go home after their visa was up”(). By the mid 1980’s Canada had pulled out of the worst of the recession. “ By the time I left Canada the recessions was pretty much over. I was in a rut, I wanted something new and a 2 year working/holiday in Australia was my way out, but when I arrived I saw that the recession wasn't over in Australia” (). Australia’s ‘clever