By Jasmine Yuen, Australian Christian Lobby Victorian Director
One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson’s recent speech at the National Press Club has sparked predictable controversy, with critics accusing her of opposing a multiracial Australia.
As a migrant myself, I believe many of those criticisms miss the point entirely.
The debate is not primarily about race. It is about culture.
Australia today is unquestionably a multiracial society.
The real question is whether Australia can remain culturally cohesive while continuing to welcome people from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FOUNDATIONS OF MODERN AUSTRALIA
When Senator Hanson speaks about a “monoculture”, she is not talking about race.
She is referring to the Western civilisation and Judeo-Christian heritage upon which modern Australia was founded, shaped and built.
These foundations gave rise to the institutions, freedoms, values and social norms that have made Australia one of the most successful, stable and prosperous nations in the world.
Whether one embraces multiculturalism or holds strong anti-colonial views, it is impossible to deny that modern Australia as a nation-state was built upon British institutions, Western legal traditions, parliamentary democracy and Judeo-Christian moral principles.
UNDERMINING AUSTRALIA’S FOUNDATIONS WILL CHANGE THE NATION FOREVER
If those foundations are gradually eroded or abandoned, Australia will inevitably become something different.
It may still be the Great Southern Land, but it will no longer be the Australia generations have known, cherished, and migrated here for.
I was born overseas and came to Australia in my late teens.
I call this country home because Australia offered something distinct: a culture founded upon Judeo-Christian values, a stable society, strong institutions and freedoms admired around the world.
These are the blessings I pray my children and grandchildren will continue to enjoy.
MIGRANTS DO NOT NEED TO ABANDON THEIR HERITAGE TO BE AUSTRALIAN
A nation is more than a geographical location.
It is a shared identity, history, language, culture and set of values.
That does not mean migrants must abandon their own heritage.
Australians from Greek, Italian, Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese, Lebanese, African and countless other backgrounds can preserve their traditions, celebrate their festivals and maintain their languages within families and communities.
Ethnic diversity does not require the abandonment of a common national culture.
In fact, the two can coexist.
WHAT MATTERS IS A SHARED COMMITMENT TO AUSTRALIA
What matters is that Australians, regardless of background, share a commitment to Australia’s civic culture, institutions, national identity and the English language as our common means of communication.
Migration succeeds when newcomers embrace their new home while enriching it with aspects of their own heritage.
It becomes problematic when people migrate expecting Australia to accommodate the social norms, values and political conflicts of the countries they left behind.
If someone wishes to live exactly as they would have in their homeland, one might reasonably ask what purpose migration serves.
SUCCESSFUL NATIONS REQUIRE MORE THAN DIVERSITY
Supporters of multiculturalism often present cultural diversity as an unquestionable good.
Yet successful societies require more than diversity.
They require unity, social cohesion, shared values and a common sense of belonging.
Singapore and Malaysia provide useful examples.
Both are clearly multiracial societies.
THE EXAMPLE OF SINGAPORE AND MALAYSIA
Chinese, Malays, Indians and other ethnic groups maintain distinct cultural identities while also identifying as Singaporean or Malaysian.
Citizens preserve their heritage, but they also embrace common national symbols, national languages and national identities.
Schoolchildren learn the national anthem.
Citizens respect the national flag.
There is a strong expectation that people contribute to a shared national vision.
MULTICULTURALISM BASED ON GROUP IDENTITY LEADS TO FRAGMENTATION
Ethnic identity in Singapore and Malaysia exists alongside a strong national identity.
This differs significantly from the version of multiculturalism increasingly promoted throughout many Western nations.
Rather than encouraging integration and social cohesion, contemporary multiculturalism often places group identity ahead of national identity.
People are encouraged to see themselves primarily through the lens of race, ethnicity, religion or other identity categories.
The result is often fragmentation rather than unity.
THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF IDENTITY POLITICS AND CRITICAL THEORIES
Multiculturalism today has been heavily influenced by identity politics and critical theories that portray Western civilisation primarily as a source of oppression.
Under this framework, cultural groups are encouraged to compete for recognition, power and victimhood.
Historical grievances are continually revisited and amplified, while citizens become increasingly divided into competing identity groups.
The consequence is a society that becomes less united and more polarised.
IDENTITY POLITICS WORKS AGAINST A SHARED NATIONAL STORY
Rather than fostering a shared national story, identity politics encourages people to view one another through the lens of race, ethnicity and historical conflict.
Over time, this erodes social trust, deepens divisions and fuels discrimination.
Those who value Australia’s Western and Judeo-Christian heritage are often portrayed as opposing diversity, discriminatory or even racist.
In reality, many people, including myself, are concerned about losing the cultural foundations that have made Australia a successful and stable nation.
If those foundations disappear, future generations of Australians will inherit a country that bears little resemblance to the Australia that attracted migrants from around the world for generations.
AIM IS TO PRESERVE CULTURAL TRADITIONS WHILE EMBRACING A COMMON IDENTITY AND CULTURE
Australia can remain a successful multiracial society without embracing a form of multiculturalism that weakens national identity and erodes our Judeo-Christian heritage.
People from diverse backgrounds can preserve their cultural traditions while embracing a common Australian identity and culture.
These goals are not contradictory.
They are essential to a healthy, cohesive and united nation.
A NATION THAT LOSES CONFIDENCE IN ITS IDENTITY WILL STRUGGLE TO REMAIN UNITED
The real challenge is ensuring that Australia’s foundational values, institutions, language and cultural inheritance are preserved and passed on to future generations.
A nation that loses confidence in its own identity will eventually struggle to remain united.
As an Australian with a migrant background, I am committed to preserving and passing on the Western and Judeo-Christian heritage upon which this country was built.
I believe native-born and migrant Australians alike share a responsibility to do the same — not only for the sake of our national unity, but for our children, our grandchildren and the future of our nation.
Because a nation without a common culture cannot stand!
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