mosaic or melting pot in Australia?

[Richard1098]

Originally Posted by Celtic_08

Yes I agree that this sort of thing happening in Western Sydney would be plausible if the economy was in a similar state to what much of Europe is. You can feel a certain tension when you go there that doesn't really exist anywhere else in the country.

It might be just my perception, but I find Sydney the only city in Aus that does have a bit of a pressure cooker aspect to its psyche. Its not a racial or cultural thing, just a feeling that people generally feel more under the pump than in other cities.

I suspect how countries run their migration programs also plays a role in determining how things might turn out, which is why I'm in favour of our focus on skilled migrants. Those people are much more likely to be able to participate in the economy of the country, which in itself helps break down barriers between them and the wider community.

[olgabolga]

Originally Posted by Celtic_08

For the most part, yes, Australia is one massive melting pot. Of course there are certain parts of the country where certain ethnicities or ancestries are more prevalent (see the thread regarding rural towns with a foreign heritage for a good guide on this) but culturally there is no difference whatsoever between an Irish Australian, an English Australian, a Scottish Australian, German Australian, a Dutch Australian or a Swiss Australian - maybe with the exception of religion.

The only places that are "mosaics" or "salad bowls" are the areas of the major cities where there are high concentrations of recent immigrants, and this is most noticeable in Western Sydney, although there are ethnic enclaves in most capital cities. These enclaves are much less noticeable than even in the USA, where you will still find strong Irish, Italian and German neighbourhoods in many towns and cities, the residents of whom are third or fourth generation sometimes!

In Australia by the time you get to the second generation the ethnic communities become largely assimilated.

You don't find strong "German" neighborhoods really anywhere in the US, and traditional "little Italy's" and "German quarters" are no longer the domain for any specific ethnicity