Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's attitudes towards Australian multiculturalism, cultural diversity, 'race' and racism, 2015-16

A perception exists that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are uneasy with cultural diversity. Such unease has been attributed to problematic positioning of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people within multicultural policy, and the requirement that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people declare an overriding and primary commitment to the Australian nation-state. Furthermore, the lack of a formal treaty, absence of constitutional recognition and continuing experiences of racism mean that the encounter with the multicultural nation-state is colonialist. We present nationwide survey data collected between July and August 2015 and in November 2016 revealing that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are largely supportive of diversity, which is one of the central tenets of multiculturalism. In most respects, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander respondents' attitudes towards cultural diversity and views on 'old racism' are similar to those of non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, despite their higher reported experiences of racism. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are more likely to acknowledge racism and Anglo privilege, and have more negative views on interracial marriage, especially with white Australians. While there is evidence of some support for cultural diversity among the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander respondents, the data reveal that, as a group, they are not as supportive as non-Indigenous Australians, demonstrating some levels of unease with cultural diversity.
Introduction Australian multiculturalism is a relatively recent national policy framework introduced by the Whitlam Labor government in the early 1970s in response to the needs of increasing migrant cohorts, particularly [...]