Evansville White Supremacy 1914 Wiki: A Look Back at Australian History

The passage of the Immigration Restriction Act of 1901 marked the beginning of the White Australia Policy as a federal government policy in Australia. This policy aimed to restrict immigration from non-European ethnic origins, primarily targeting Asians and Pacific Islanders.

The act was drafted by Alfred Deakin, who later became Australia's second prime minister, under the leadership of Edmund Barton. The policy was designed to create a 'white/British' ideal focused on Anglo-Celtic peoples.

In the late 19th century, labor unions pushed to stop Chinese immigrants from working in industries such as furniture and market gardening. The colonial authorities also imposed restrictions on Chinese arrivals, including poll taxes and tonnage restrictions.

Competition between European and Chinese miners in the gold fields and labor union opposition to the importation of Pacific Islanders into Queensland's sugar plantations reinforced demands to eliminate or minimize low-wage immigration from Asia and the Pacific Islands.

The White Australia policy was initially due to international pressure and token modifications designed to maintain a white Australia. However, governments progressively dismantled these policies between 1975 and 1983, when the Whitlam government removed the last racial elements of Australia's immigration laws.

The policy also affected immigrants from Germany, Italy, and other European countries, especially during wartime. Prior to federation in 1901, Australian colonies passed many anti-Chinese immigration laws using poll taxes. After federation, discrimination was based on the Dictation Test, which gave immigration officials power to racially discriminate without mentioning race.

The White Australia policy was a set of racist policies that aimed to forbid people of non-European ethnic origins from immigrating to Australia. It is an important part of Australian history and serves as a reminder of the country's complex and often problematic relationship with immigration and racial diversity.

Evansville white supremacy 1914 wiki