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White Australia (1 Viewer)

goliwog

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I feel like a political rant lol

As a history teacher in training i am appauled by how politically biased the history curriculum and history text books tend to be. For example white australia , although racist , had several good points and economic advantages that are completly ignored or undermined. Consequently many australians have been depicted as racist bigets. Now before you all throw stones at me let me explain myself

I am an african american , my family migrated about 25 years ago to australia and obviously im black and had a slight accent. Now america had a long history of slave trade , when abolished which left sub social economic group. At the turn of the century there were many kanakas in queensland who were being treated pretty much like slaves. White australia saw them go back to their homes after only being in australia a short time. For me , white australia prevented a slave trade or sub class that exists in the united staes today. I am very glad that australia is not like the united states in this respect

Besides this , the white australia policy did not restrict all immigrants. Many asiatics were naturalised and allowed into australia on student or business visas. One for example was the founder of L J Hooker , an asain. Furthermore , white australia had good economic goals as a semi slave trade would damage the economy and create an unequal work force. White australia stopped this.

Essentially i am sick of people saying all the whites were racist when there were good things about white australia. (although aspects of racism was undeniable).
 

SylviaB

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were these positive consequences the intended ones?
 
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first off im pretty sure the British abandoned slavery a few months or weeks before or after the first fleet came to australia.

so you are shit.
 

loquasagacious

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Somewhat disturbed and indeed perturbed that a history teacher has such a flawed view of the white australia policy.

While the Pacific Island Labourers Act 1901 effectively ended kanaka slavery and together with the Immigration Restriction Act 1901 formed the basis of the White Australia policy we have to look a little deeper than that. Yes it did end slavery and yes it was associated with the White Australia policy - but that doesn't address whether or not the Pacific Island Labourers Act was good policy and it certainly does not qualify the White Australia policy as good policy.

Kanakas were taken from their homes by coercive means and then engaged as effectively slave labour in Australia. Then they were forcibly deported en masse. They got here by force, they were worked as slaves and they left here by force. In a best case scenario they were effectively deprived of several years of their lives. Deporting slaves is rather different to emancipating them however you seem to be conflating these actions. Imo the only moral action would have been emancipation and reparations from slave owners.

The merits of the White Australia policy can not be assessed based on the 7,500 kanakas affected though it must be judged based on it';'s broader merits or failures. It's primary motivation of the white australia policy was the restriction of asian immigration this is both racist, a violation of the right to freedom of movement and poor economics. It was bad policy.
 

John McCain

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For me , white australia prevented a slave trade or sub class that exists in the united staes today..
Australia had institutional slavery for over 70 years

http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/economy/stolen-wages.html
 

Nebuchanezzar

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i find it a bit hard to believe that a history teacher would have such a bad grasp of the english language

a product of your ancestry?
 

goliwog

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first off im pretty sure the British abandoned slavery a few months or weeks before or after the first fleet came to australia.

so you are shit.
Yes , the kanakas were not slaves technically but many were forced to live as if they were slaves in poor conditions and low wages.
 

goliwog

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Kanakas were taken from their homes by coercive means and then engaged as effectively slave labour in Australia. Then they were forcibly deported en masse. They got here by force, they were worked as slaves and they left here by force. In a best case scenario they were effectively deprived of several years of their lives. Deporting slaves is rather different to emancipating them however you seem to be conflating these actions. Imo the only moral action would have been emancipation and reparations from slave owners.

The merits of the White Australia policy can not be assessed based on the 7,500 kanakas affected though it must be judged based on it';'s broader merits or failures. It's primary motivation of the white australia policy was the restriction of asian immigration this is both racist, a violation of the right to freedom of movement and poor economics. It was bad policy.
I have a few problems with this.

Firstly you are making a moral judgement of the white australian policy and although this may be with good reasons its not fair to judge actions of the past on todays values. You have to consider weather it was moral considering the values of the day. Yes we consider white australia racist but to an extent that is because we have been taught to believe this. We really should aviod making a moral assessment of a historical event.

As for deportment verses emancipation , both would of had benefits. Off the top of my head i believe the kanakas had not been in australia anywhere as near as long as the negroes had been in the united states. Perhaps in hindsight they should have been offered the opportunity to remain in australia, although im not convinced they wanted to as a general rule.
 

Iron

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White Australia was a good policy for the time and place. It simply became outdated by the decline of the Empire and the reality of globalization. But while it existed, it allowed this nation to flourish thru generous worker's rights and wages.

Although I accept its eventual retirement, muliculturalism has been a disaster that has probably ruined us. I just cant accept that people entering this country have no meaningful obligation and duty to assimilate but can rather gather in ethic ghettos, breeding crime and violence and destroying once safe, close and happy communities.
An outrage.
 

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Hypothetically, White Australia could've prevented racially-motivated acts of violence like Cronulla riots. I can see there may be some benefits to the policy, but there would also be impacts.

Personally I like multiculturalism cos it got me lots of different food :D
 
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White Australia was a good policy for the time and place. It simply became outdated by the decline of the Empire and the reality of globalization. But while it existed, it allowed this nation to flourish thru generous worker's rights and wages.

Although I accept its eventual retirement, muliculturalism has been a disaster that has probably ruined us. I just cant accept that people entering this country have no meaningful obligation and duty to assimilate but can rather gather in ethic ghettos, breeding crime and violence and destroying once safe, close and happy communities.

An outrage.
you're a fucking idiot.
 

goliwog

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i find it a bit hard to believe that a history teacher would have such a bad grasp of the english language

a product of your ancestry?
Point taken,
 

goliwog

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White Australia was a good policy for the time and place. It simply became outdated by the decline of the Empire and the reality of globalization. But while it existed, it allowed this nation to flourish thru generous worker's rights and wages.

Although I accept its eventual retirement, muliculturalism has been a disaster that has probably ruined us. I just cant accept that people entering this country have no meaningful obligation and duty to assimilate but can rather gather in ethic ghettos, breeding crime and violence and destroying once safe, close and happy communities.
An outrage.
I think I agree that white australia was in some ways a good policy for its time and place , but i dont think multiculutalism is an altogether bad thing. Multiculturalism has its good points
 

Fish Tank

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I think I agree that white australia was in some ways a good policy for its time and place , but i dont think multiculutalism is an altogether bad thing. Multiculturalism has its good points
The question is, which good points are better - White Australia's or Multiculturalism's?
 

goliwog

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The question is, which good points are better - White Australia's or Multiculturalism's?
off the top of my head i would say

1901 : white australia
2009: Multiculturalism
 

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