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A Comparison of Multiculturalism in Australia

Updated August 12, 2022
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A Comparison of Multiculturalism in Australia essay

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The texts Redfern Now by Rachel Perkins and Xena-phobia by Jane Greenwood have a primary theme of racial discrimination and tension, the author of Xena-phobia and the director of Redfern Now both explore this idea in a similar way to each other through the concept of how discrimination in today’s society is discouraged.

The concept of multiculturalism is a difficult issue to talk about even in a private setting, although in the texts Redfern Now and Xena-phobia they both openly discuss the issue of racism and discrimination in different situations, from people inside and outside of the issue. In Xena-phobia Meng Yu – an Asian student, is faced with racial discrimination in her school from a group of girls calling her names and using negative stereotypes to put her down, saying things like “She’s probably gone to find a snake for lunch”, in the short story Meng Yu explains to Skye the things she is dealing with saying “it’s their comments that make me sad.

It’s really hard…no-one ever calls you names like ‘slope’ or ‘chink’ or makes fun of you” Similarly In early Australia there was a policy which seemed very discriminative mainly towards Asian migrants this was called the white Australia policy. The white Australia policy was an act put in place in on the 12th of September 1901 by Alfred Deakin, this act was named the ‘Immigration Restriction Act’.

The act restricted all non-Europeans from coming into the country. The policy was abolished in 1973 under Whitlam’s government and yet even though something like the white Australia policy has been put to an end and discouraged, people still continue to have a negative view on people who are different from them.

The 1967 referendum and aboriginal rights On the 22 of may 1967 the under holts leadership, a referendum was called. The referendum was made to make life easier for Australia’s indigenous community, 90.77% of Australians voted yes and this forever changed the lives of the aboriginals in Australia.

In contrast, Redfern now reflects how even in modern Australia there isn’t a complete understanding and acceptance, this is similarly shown in Xena-phobia regarding discrimination towards Asians. Paragraph 4 Joel and Skye are successful in standing up for their beliefs. In today’s society, the opinions and views of everyone have the ability to be understood, just because we are given freedom of speech does not mean that it is not difficult to be heard and accepted.

The author of Xena-Phobia and the director of Redfern Now both suggest that in today’s society no matter what circumstance you are in, you have the chance to be considered and understood. Joel from the show Redfern Now is given a chance to do well for himself with a prestigious education at Clifton Grammar (Queensland, Australia), the school offers the opportunity for indigenous students to have a scholarship at the school, Joel was accepted and was granted this scholarship only then to be belittled by a majority of his peers and teachers.

A custom at Clifton that they sing the Australian national anthem every day, and he believed that in his culture the national anthem “isn’t their song” so he refused to stand and sing a song that what he believes demeans his culture. Thus his proud aboriginal background now holds him back from his fellow students and this opportunity he has worked hard for, he knows that he needs to stand up for how he feels Despite everything he’s worked for.

Similarly Skye, from Xena-phobia sees inequity right in front of her, she knows that the mental harm and abuse that Meng Yu is faced with for the majority of her time at school is simply not okay, so she becomes Meng Yu’s protector and fights for Meng Yu’s rights, when she and others were too scared to “no-one seems to do anything about it”.

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A Comparison of Multiculturalism in Australia. (2019, Apr 13). Retrieved from https://sunnypapers.com/year-ten-english-comparative-essay-bristow/