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Drawing on almost 50 years in Australia, Al Turley reflects on immigration, racism and his idea of what it means to be Australian.
Recently I met a true-blue dinky-di Aussie.
You could tell he was a genuine Australian by looking at him. He in no way resembled the folklore character of The Man from Snowy River nor the infamous bushrangers Ned Kelly and Captain Thunderbolt. In fact, he was similar in appearance to some of our current politicians.
He told me he was a mixture of European, Asian and Indigenous ancestry. I didn’t question which side of his family was which. It didn’t matter; he was an Aussie. And unlike all those mentioned above, he represents the Australia of today and tomorrow.
Today, we have a choice: embrace Australia as it is and will be or try to turn back the clock by reminiscing about a past that was never real but exists only in nostalgic imaginings.
Australia holds great promise. We are a microcosm of a world where every custom, culture and religion can exist in harmony.
Almost one-third of our people were born overseas and, for good reason, have chosen Australia as their home. They have come from all parts of the world to enjoy educational and employment opportunities and the life offered by our geography and society. As well, they have come, many at great sacrifice, to contribute to Australia’s economy and welfare.
We can bemoan the loss of White Australia, but our more open immigration policy was inevitable. And we can fool ourselves into thinking our country is somehow separate from the region around us, but maps reveal the truth. Geographically, Australia sits in the Indo-Pacific, with Asia our closest continental neighbour.
We are fortunate that, despite the devastation the British Empire left in its wake, we are the beneficiaries of an exceptional body of English laws and literature, and a language now spoken across the world.
All immigrants are subject to our laws and to our institutions. Why try to deny them their own culture as well? Why try to shape them into something they are not?
We are a family and each of us is different. Like family members, we can be tolerant of each other even if we don’t agree.
For 35 years my late wife and I sat across the dinner table from each other. She enjoyed her omnivorous meal while I consumed my vegetarian one. Neither of us ever criticised the other’s choice of food nor tried to persuade the other to eat only what we ate.
It should be no different with our choices of culture or religion. So long as we don’t impinge on others’ rights, we should be respected for who we are – true-blue dinky-di Aussies.
The Role of News Media
The recent death of former Cambridge University Professor Jason Arday once again raised the spectre of Racism. Although born in the UK and in every respect an Englishman, Jason was black.
The academic who brought plagiarism allegations against Arday to public attention was Nathan Cofnas, an American and former Cambridge philosophy researcher who later took up a position at Ghent University. The allegations against Arday had not been formally proven before his death.
Cofnas was already a controversial figure. While at Cambridge, he had argued that under what he described as a meritocratic, colour-blind system, Black people “would disappear from almost all high-profile positions outside of sports and entertainment”. His association with Emmanuel College, Cambridge, was terminated in 2024 following controversy over his writings on race.
Following Cofnas’s allegations, Arday came under intense public and media scrutiny and subsequently resigned from Cambridge. He was found dead on 14 August.
After Arday’s death, Ghent University suspended Cofnas while it investigated his conduct. The university subsequently imposed a three-month disciplinary measure requiring him to work remotely and barring him from teaching, although he was permitted to continue restricted research.
In my view, what followed the allegations against Arday went beyond legitimate scrutiny and became relentless media scrutiny. The whole episode raises troubling questions about racism, the media and the harm that can be caused when allegations against an individual become the subject of intense public scrutiny.
Why should we as Australians be concerned about racism experienced by Jason Arday? Because, despite the millions of immigrants with non-Anglo/Celtic ancestry who have arrived in Australia during our brief history, many of us, including myself, claim British heritage. And although this tragedy occurred in the UK, it is a reminder of the treatment people of colour can also experience in this country.
Some of us treat non-Anglo Australians, whether Indigenous or immigrants, with a disdain that is undeserved.
An example is the recent case of Nyadol Nyuon, who arrived here from Africa as an eight-year-old refugee and through her own diligent efforts became a talented lawyer, humanitarian and recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia.
After publicly speaking about her experiences of racism in Australia, Ms Nyuon relinquished her OAM and announced her intention to renounce her Australian citizenship and move overseas.
Most racial vilification is not so public as hers or that experienced by Michael Long, the former Indigenous AFL player and Norm Smith medallist who was subjected to racial abuse during his football career. Long’s stand against racial vilification in the 1990s ultimately helped bring about significant change in the AFL.
Generally, racist comments are made privately amongst people who think it’s okay because they are “only joking”. And that is part of our problem.
We seem unable even to agree on how racism should be defined. To me, it’s very simple: don’t denigrate anyone because of their colour or culture. A “joke” of this nature is not funny.
Immigrants Are Welcome, Racism Is Not
Those of us who consider ourselves White have no idea how devastating racist remarks can be.
Our fellow non-Anglo, true-blue dinky-di Aussies cope with the same day-to-day problems we do but layered over that is the struggle to make their way in a different culture.
For example, immigrants who are highly qualified in their fields may take many months to find employment when they arrive here because their overseas qualifications or experience are not always recognised or valued in the same way as Australian experience.
In an effort to ease the hurt of racism, some cultural groups have taken ownership of the very words that have been weaponised against them. Words once used as insults have sometimes been reclaimed and used within those communities themselves.
But these are the exceptions.
Many immigrants have few defences against the racism they encounter here. Some have emigrated from countries which have one, or perhaps two, main cultures and religions, so may have had little experience of living in a society as culturally diverse as Australia.
A familiar tale of immigrants to Australia is that they come speaking a language other than English and, when some doors are closed to them, start their own businesses.
Some, like Frank Lowy, a Holocaust survivor, gain great success and contribute hugely to Australian life. Lowy, the co-founder of Westfield, also played an important role in Australian soccer.
Most immigrants do not become billionaires like Frank Lowy. Some are content to operate their own small businesses in construction, cafes, food shops and other industries. Many others work in health, disability and aged care, hospitality, construction and numerous other parts of our economy.
They are among the people who clean our homes, tend to us when we are sick, look after our children in pre-school or our parents in aged care.
And the children of those immigrants will be among the skilled technicians, professionals and scientists we will rely on in future.
The Changing Nature of Racism
In the days following WWII our racism was blatant. Then we entered a long period when racists were more discreet. Today, it seems to me that racism has come out of the shadows again.
Australia, like many countries, has endured the Global Financial Crisis, Covid-19, cost-of-living pressures and international conflicts that have contributed to economic uncertainty.
Too often, I believe, anger about these problems is directed towards immigrants.
The catchcries we increasingly hear are that immigrants should come only from countries which understand “Australian values”, that some communities have “low trust” in governments and institutions, or that particular religions or cultures do not belong here.
There is something troubling in our tendency to pull up the ladder once we ourselves have climbed it.
It reminds me of the children’s game King of the Castle. One child who becomes “king” by gaining the topmost position on a mound of earth or piece of furniture will defend their position by fending off the other children.
This is what some descendants of earlier immigrants appear to do once they have established themselves in Australia. Instead of welcoming other newcomers, they fear that their positions will be eroded by them.
What short memories we have! Is it so easy to forget the struggles and stresses of settling in a new country?
Pauline’s Take on Immigration
Pauline Hanson and One Nation have long argued for lower immigration and have questioned whether some migrants share what they regard as Australian values.
I disagree with the idea that people should be judged according to the governments, cultures or circumstances of the countries they have escaped from.
To tie immigrants to the governments they have escaped from flies in the face of logic.
In the past, if we had banned ordinary immigrants because of the actions of their oppressive or warmongering governments, today our population, and our lifestyle, would be greatly diminished.
I know many immigrants to Australia from several different countries. The one thing they have in common is that they came here to better themselves and their families and to contribute to the welfare of this country.
An Iranian family I know came here for the very reason that they abhor their government and would never wish to return. Should they have been judged because they came from a country whose government does not share Australian values?
Such an approach defies our true story.
I have three friends from Malaysia. All three are model citizens who spend whatever time they can volunteering. They help everyone, immigrant and Australian-born. They do not discriminate.
I know two people from the Philippines. One is a kind friend always concerned about my welfare, the other someone who has made a great contribution to the arts in this country. Amongst other things, while living in the Northern Territory she formed a choir for people experiencing homelessness.
Are these immigrants to blame for the actions of political leaders in the countries from which they came?
A great friend from Sri Lanka has contributed substantially to the arts of this country. She has just finished creating a film from a novel she wrote.
Also, I know two Chinese immigrants; one a friend from Hong Kong, the other from the mainland. The latter works in tourism, encouraging Asian visitors to come to Australia and support Australian businesses. Although supportive of Chinese culture, neither wishes to return permanently to China.
Our history demonstrates the contribution successive waves of immigrants have made.
The immigrants who came here in the 1950s and 1960s included many Greeks and Italians who arrived with little English and little knowledge of Australian customs. They, as much as anyone, have been responsible for adding spice to our culture and for building our housing and infrastructure.
In the 1970s and 1980s, tens of thousands of Vietnamese refugees and migrants arrived in Australia following the Vietnam War. They have made contributions in almost every field including hospitality, medicine and construction.
Later waves of Chinese migration have likewise contributed immensely to education, medicine, business and Australian society.
The Trauma of Migrating
It seems no newcomer is immune from racism.
Now we are placing much of the blame for our woes – lack of housing, insufficient transport and pressure on services – on people from the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere.
Instead, we should be asking more of our politicians.
Australia has chosen to maintain substantial levels of immigration. Governments therefore have a responsibility to plan properly for population growth and provide the housing, transport and services that a growing population requires.
One of the most stressful occurrences in one’s life is relocating from one house to another, even if in the same suburb.
The trauma of moving to a new country and into a new culture can be enormous. No wonder immigrants seek solace amongst their own culture to mitigate the stress.
Yet this is a subject of derision by some because newcomers “keep to themselves”.
These same critics of immigrants to Australia have for decades cheered on their compatriots who travelled overseas to better themselves. So many Australians moved into the London suburb of Earls Court that it became known as Kangaroo Valley.
Australians living in London continue to congregate in particular areas and enjoy the company of other Australians. Yet here we sometimes criticise immigrants for doing much the same thing by forming their own communities in our suburbs.
Immigrants are blamed for many of our problems: housing costs, congestion, pressure on medical services and crime.
These are legitimate issues for public debate. Immigration increases the population and therefore adds to demand for housing, infrastructure and services. But that does not mean the individual immigrant is responsible for governments failing to adequately plan for that growth.
And when your wait in a medical centre or hospital is finally over, there is a good chance that the person helping to ease your pain will themselves have come from overseas.
On many occasions during my almost 50 years in Australia, I have shared meals and celebrations with people of dozens of different cultures, and to honour them I have on occasion donned their traditional clothing.
Pauline Hanson, too, has worn clothing of another culture. On two occasions she has appeared in Parliament wearing a burqa — not to honour people of a different culture, but as a political prop.
To me, that is not the behaviour of a true-blue dinky-di Aussie.
