50 Years Downunder: a migrant’s reflection on culture, diversity and missed opportunities

26 Jul

50 years ago today, I disembarked the SS Australis with my parents and sister, and around 2,250 other excited and slightly apprehensive migrants from the UK and Europe.

We had spent 6 weeks onboard the SS Australis, sailing from Bremerhaven in Germany, via Cape Town and Fremantle, to our new home in Sydney. And like all migrants (then and now) we were leaving behind friends, family, and everything we knew in search of new beginnings and the hope for a brighter future. For my parents (both in their late 20s at the time), the voyage was a unique blend of anticipation and uncertainty; the vast oceans we crossed mirroring the uncharted path that awaited us in Australia.

We arrived in 1973, the year the first Labor government in 24 years put an end to the Immigration Restriction Act, with immigration minister, Al Grassby, declaring the “White Australia Policy” dead. ‘Give me a shovel and I’ll bury it’, he famously said. Great decision Al!

But colonial attitudes certainly prevailed onboard the SS Australis with the ship’s school filling our curious young minds with stories and information on “white” Australia – the early explorers, the arrival of the First Fleet, how to spell Woolloomooloo, the meaning behind the Australian flag, and the flora and fauna unique to Australia. Unbelievably (or possibly not) there was no mention of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples who have lived on this continent for more than 60,000 years! We didn’t learn about Aboriginal culture or language, Indigenous settlements and trade routes, or the dispossession of Aboriginal people from their land. What a missed opportunity to educate a future generation of Australians about our true history (an opportunity that is still largely missed in our educational system today).

Once we disembarked in Woolloomooloo, we were taken to the Endeavour Migrant Hostel in Coogee South, which would become our home for the next 2-3 months while my parents found work and a secured a more permanent place to live. For me, the Endeavour Migrant Hostel was so much more than a temporary home - it was a microcosm of the world itself. The hostel's halls echoed with the languages of numerous countries, each corner resonating with laughter, stories, and cultural exchanges. Residents wore traditional garments, prepared native dishes, and shared the customs and traditions of their homelands, creating a vibrant atmosphere that embraced diversity. I’m sure my respect for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds was born from the time we spent in the Endeavour Migrant Hostel.

While I spent the first 8 years of my life in both Canada and Germany, my first three years of schooling was in Germany. When I arrived in Australia, German was my preferred language (and the language we spoke at home). I remember excitedly breaking into German in the school playground and would laugh off the taunts and teasing from my new Aussie friends. My sister and I were also teased about our weird lunches (pumpernickel bread, liverwurst and sauerkraut were my favourites even as a child) and we were reminded more than once of Germany’s involvement in the war.

In recent weeks I’ve been reflecting on what it means to be a migrant in Australia today. Of course, my experience as a fair haired, fair skinned and blue-eyed migrant in Australia (and now with an Australian accent), my experience is very different to those who continue to be deemed as ‘other’ in our society. PoC migrants in particular face not only ridicule and xenophobia, but also physical violence and threats for safety in their own homes (see linked articles below).

The growing cultural diversity since my arrival in the early 70s has certainly led to increased exposure and understanding of different traditions, languages, and customs. This exposure, in turn, has helped break down stereotypes and foster a sense of curiosity and acceptance among many (I’d like to think most) Australians. However, pockets of resistance and ignorance can still be found, and to my surprise you don’t have to look very far to find them. There remains an urgent need to combat hate speech and racist extremism in this country – towards migrants certainly, but also towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Increasing the representation of diverse faces and voices in politics and policies is essential and goes beyond mere tokenism or celebrating diversity for diversity’s sake. Rather, it is a crucial step towards ensuring that our institutions genuinely mirror the rich tapestry of our society, including importantly our First Nations voices. Embracing diversity enables us to harness the collective strengths and talents of our population, fostering an environment where we can extract the very best from our society.

Further reading here:

My own writing published in the University of New South Wales Law Journal Student Series: Has Covid-19 Exposed the Impacts of Australia’s Neoliberal Immigration Policies? A Critical Review of Australia’s Ambivalence Towards Temporary Migrant Inclusion and Protection

ABC: Racism remains rife towards Chinese-Australians, more than two years into the COVID-19 pandemic

United Nations: Australia: People of African descent living under siege of racism, say UN experts

The Conversation: Racism is still an everyday experience for non-white Australians. Where is the plan to stop this?

NY Times: Why Has Australia Fallen Out of Love With Immigration?

The Guardian: Almost half of Australians believe immigration should be reduced, poll finds