Almost half of the number of people who can call themselves Australians are born overseas or have both parents born overseas. However, these new Australians, despite their immense contribution to their adopted home still face the uphill task of being accepted.

For most of Australia’s history since European settlement, migrants from Europe and specifically the United Kingdom have been the dominant arrival group. This trend continued well into the mid-late 1900s. In recent decades however Asia has become the main source region for migrants, particularly from Southern Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan) and Chinese Asia (China, Mongolia, Hong Kong and Taiwan) according to the DIBP report, “The Place of Migrants in Contemporary Australia”.

In terms of their contribution, the report says that migrants and their children contribute significantly to the Australian economy. Its data shows that the children of migrants achieve high level qualifications when compared to the general population. Many migrants have high employment and education rates and strong English language skills.

However, in terms of attitudes, the report state that surveys have found that although Australians are generally accepting and welcoming of other cultures, there are sectors of the population for which less tolerance exists and in which problems are evident.

The report cited surveys showing that while nearly 87 per cent of persons interviewed appear to support the concept of multiculturalism as valuable, over 40 per cent indicated an intolerance of different cultural customs being practiced in Australia and over 12 per cent identified as being prejudiced against other cultures.

As a result, those relatively new to Australia do face racism. The report states that on the issue of experiences of racism, survey results indicate that in excess of 27 per cent of Australians reported having been discriminated against due to their ethnic origins ie having been called names or insulted because of their ethnicity or treated disrespectfully or as being untrustworthy.

The report concludes that findings such as these provide indications that although there is wide recognition and acceptance of migrants, and the associated diversity that comes with them, in contemporary Australian society, there remain challenges which warrant continuing attention.