Chinese Immigrant Workers in Australia: From Segregation to Integration

Abstract

The historical record of Chinese immigration to Australia began with the Daoyi Zhilüe (A Brief Record of Exotic Isles) by Wang Dayuan, a famous Chinese navigator in the Yuan Dynasty. Archaeological artifacts such as the Jade Shouxing Statue prove that there is a close connection between the culture of Yi ethnic group in southeastern China and the ancient cultures in Oceania. Under the influence of Australia's various immigration policies, the population and communities of Chinese society have undergone many complex changes, with key characteristics in the Chinese community through the various stages of changes. A large-scale immigration of Chinese into Australia began with the Chinese laborers in the mid-19th century. The Australian gold rush in the 1850s brought a large number of Chinese to Australia, and they integrated well with the white immigrants. The "White Australia Policy" from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century led to a significant decline in the population of Chinese immigrants to Australia. After the abolition of the "White Australia Policy" and changes in Australia's immigration policy, combined with China's reform and opening up, Chinese immigration to Australia has set off a new upsurge, and the Chinese have integrated into Australia to become the third largest ethnic group.