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Multiculturalism in the 1970s

Joe Caputo.

Joe Caputo analyses the development of multiculturalism in the 1970s

Created:

unknown

Date Added:

17 February 2009

Source:

source not available

Format:

mov (Quicktime);

File size:

7.7 MB

Length:

02min59sec

Transcript

Caputo:

00:10

... the newspaper for immigration and I don’t think it was multicultural, head of immigration and minister for immigration in the early ‘70s during the Whitlam Government. And of course, through Al Grassby, a lot of things happened as well because he was going around the country promoting diversity and multiculturalism which was a breath of fresh air, you know, coming from a minister, you know, a federal minister, saying, “Look this is great that we have – we have diversity and ..” And he wasn’t talking about assimilation – you know, migrants assimilating but he was talking about involvement, participation, that sort of stuff. And so that was encouraging, sort of all the activists who were involved in the field to sort of – moving toward the other areas.

01:08

Then even with the – 1975, you know, with the ousting of the Labor Government, the Whitlam Government a lot of activists thought that this was – they were really doomed for multiculturalism and all our causes and stuff. But Fraser was a bit of a surprise. I mean, in the sense that he actually sort of – with the Galbally starting his inquiry he actually advanced the cause of multiculturalism you know, in terms of because it was during the Fraser years but then we had the introduction of SBS and – and then the SBS spot in terms of radio, but also the television and that consolidated if you like, the issues of multiculturalism and –within the community.

02:03

Because until then, I mean the ABC had never made any – not taken any step as a public broadcaster to insure that it reflected the changing nature of the Australian society. But with SBS there was then that something, a bit more, not in terms of radio, people could listen to their own news and stuff on a daily basis. But also then with television, you know, with everyone including Australians could then see, if you like, something – that’s not just coming out of United States and with the private broadcasters or England with the national broadcasters.

02:46

So all of that I think that created then the backdrop or the premises for the changes that have occurred in the ‘80s and until now.

02:59

End transcript