Should Immigrants Adopt the Practices of Australia?

Earlier this month, former Australian Prime Minister John Howard spoke at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship, the ARC forum, a new conservative conference in London. He commented on Australian multiculturalism stating that immigrants should adopt the values and practices of their host country. To me, that sounds fairly reasonable, as a person who’s lived overseas and had to adapt to Asian customs and so on, but of course, many commentators took offence to Mr Howard’s comments, and treated them as very controversial. Australian journalist Joe Hildebrand, for example, stated that Mr Howard is wrong.

Joe basically argues that Australia doesn’t have a single set of values as Mr Howard seems to indicate, so it is impossible for immigrants to adapt to that fiction. I somewhat agree with Joe on this, however, the same argument could be applied to any country. I lived in China. It’s a huge country with many different cultures and customs. However, wherever you go, they still identify as Chinese (well, mostly). They find some sort of unity in their diversity. Just because they have many different customs and practices, depending on where you go, doesn’t mean I didn’t have to adapt to their ways. Of course I did! It’s the same in Australia.

Every other country would expect us to adapt to their ways, even very multicultural countries like the United States. Tipping, for example, is very common in the US. Should we not tip because the US doesn’t have a single set of values and practices? Of course not! You should try to fit in as much as possible. That’s what brings peace and harmony. If I move to Saudi Arabia, of course, I’m going to try to fit in and respect their practices and customs such as not drinking alcohol, or dressing modestly. If I don’t want to do that, of if I’m not willing to do that, well, I don’t have to go to Saudi Arabia, do I? The same with Australia. If people don’t like our freedoms and tolerance towards others, and so on, well they don’t have to come here. Nobody’s forcing anybody. However, based on recent record immigration figures, many people do want to come here, so there’s something they see in Australia. There’s something they like about us, so I think it’s our right to have some sort of expectation that people behave appropriately here following our values and practices.

And despite what Joe says, we do have common practices, for example, queuing, lining up. More and more of us might be needing to line up at Centrelink of late, but you don’t push in in Australia. Although in other countries, that does happen, and has happened to me. Our right to protest. We don’t always agree in Australia, so we accept that sometimes our citizens must protest, even if it’s something that we don’t personally support. You certainly don’t have that freedom in many countries. Respecting people’s religion without intimidation or threats of violence. That certainly doesn’t happen in every country. So there are some things that we all hold dear here in Australia, and I think as John Howard said, we should expect people who come here to abide by those practices. I don’t think that’s controversial, and it’s true of every country. If you don’t like a particular cultural practice of a particular country, you’re free not to go there.

And other people agree with me. Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs, tweeted a statement in response to the recent antisemitism in Australia. She wrote, “There is no place for violence, no place for antisemitism and no place for Islamophobia in Australia. People come to Australia because they want to live in a country that is peaceful, tolerant and respectful. We all must protect that.” So even our Foreign Affairs Minister accepts that there are some things that we hold dear in Australia – peace, tolerance, and respect. Of course we do!

Even the Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts, made a comment on television regarding the recent antisemitism. He said, “It is horrifying that in Australia, people come from all around the world to experience the freedoms of a democratic society, that people would feel fear about attending a place of worship or practising their religion.” So even he agrees that there is something in Australia that we should all hold dear – our freedoms – and people who come here should respect that.

Perhaps John Howard was right after all.

JOHN HOWARD SAYS HE ‘ALWAYS HAD TROUBLE’ WITH THE CONCEPT OF MULTICULTURALISM
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/nov/02/john-howard-multiculturalism-comments-alliance-for-responsible-citizenship-conference-london

Q+A PANEL MEMBERS CALL FOR VIOLENT PROTESTS HERE TO END
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-14/israel-gaza-war-violent-protests-end-q-and-a/103096502

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Allégro by Emmit Fenn