The introduction of multiculturalism in Canada and Australia, 1960s-1970s

This article compares the emergence of a policy of multiculturalism in Canada and Australia between the 1960s and 1970sIt charts the rise of the policy in the two countries through the adoption of a philosophy of multiculturalism as the basis of their national identitiesThere is a distinction between philosophy and policy: a multicultural policy emerged out of a philosophy of multiculturalismFurthermore, a philosophy of multiculturalism replaced the 'new nationalism' as the foundation of the national identities of both English-speaking Canada and AustraliaThe abandonment of the White Canada and White Australia policies and the adoption of non-discriminatory immigration policies in both countries were also of importance in the emergence of a policy of multiculturalismThere are many similarities in the Canadian and Australian experiencesHowever, the major differences are explained by the presence of the French-Canadians in Canada and the early non-British migration that Canada received in the late-nineteenth century compared with Australia.