Multiethnic Australia: Its History and Future
McFarland Co., Publishers
Jefferson, North Carolina and London, 2006

This book reveals a vibrant multicultural nation now trying to come to terms with its identity and location.

After once striving to keep its population white and predominantly British, Australia changed course. Since 1947 it has peacefully absorbed six million immigrants from some 240 countries, places and ethnic regions, with growing numbers coming from Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The book blends past and present to show why the change happened, the conflicts it caused and the benefits it brought.

Multiethnic Australia gives a portrait of the society, including its politics and cultures, through the eyes of an observer from Berkeley, California. She finds in Australia innovative policies and services for its people that her own country lacks. But these assets are little known abroad, she argues, because a deep division among Australians has kept them from projecting this image. Some still see their country as a British satellite and wish they could stem the tide of non-Western immigrants. Others view Australia as part of the Asia Pacific region, consider the nation's multiethnic mix a plus, and see the British and Irish heritage of the majority as an important part of their country's culture but not the whole story.

The last chapters, covering 1995-2005, place Australia in a global context. They bring in events such as the Bali bombings, the arrival and treatment of boat refugees from Iraq and Afghanistan, and the brief but widely publicized beach riot in Sydney.

The link above to the Prologue gives a short overview of what the book covers. This includes the historical development of the country's "fair go" ethos and how it helped the immigrants who arrived after World War II.