Australia: Challenges in Multiculturalism

Australian migration has always been one of the most important issues that the country is facing. In fact, the matter has been quite a hot topic in the last few months, especially during the elections last August. However, there is actually more to it than simply numbers and cuts.

As it is, aside from bringing more people into Australia, migration also has other significant effects to the land down under. One of these is the many changes that the Australian culture has undergone because of the different people that are arriving in the country yearly. And this multiculturalism has become a significant part of Australia's national identity, being known as one of the countries with the most diverse heritages.

The onset of multiculturalism in Australia can be traced back well into the early history of the country. Early white settlers brought in British culture to the continent. However, because of the necessity to adapt to the environment, these settlers have also adopted and made use of native Aboriginal knowledge. This has led to the significant presence of Aboriginal elements in the modern Australian lifestyle.

On the other hand, the country's growth in the late 19th and early 20th centuries have attracted a lot of people from other nations to move into Australia. Many of these people brought along their own cultural heritages with them and contributed greatly to Australia's own. And with the growth of migration continuing well into the present, many expect that this trend will likely continue for a long time.

Another interesting effect that immigration and multiculturalism has on Australia is that it helps in developing the country's relation with other nations. As many of the immigrants that are arriving here have strong ties with their home countries, their presence here contributes a lot to fostering the development of healthy relations between Australia and their native lands. This is one of the biggest reasons why a lot of groups have continuously encouraged travel to the country.

However, while Australia is often considered as a prime example of multiculturalism at work, it is actually far from being ideal. In fact, there are actually a lot of things that needs to be sorted out first in order to say that multiculturalism is indeed a success in the country. In particular, according to some groups, multiculturalism also has a negative effect in that it erodes Australia's own unique culture. Though this one is yet to be shown, they are worried that this will lead to a loss of identity for Australians.

On the other hand, there are groups who fear that because of the idea of multiculturalism, the country has become lax in terms of security. They argue that this can easily let unscrupulous individuals, like terrorists, into the country. However, the government said that, despite them encouraging multiculturalism, they are still keeping a tight eye on the country's security.

Nevertheless, many still believe that multiculturalism is, and will always be, a part of Australian identity. They are also very optimistic that this will help in the country's development.

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