Asian Studies Program
La Trobe University
Victoria 3086
AUSTRALIA Tel: +61 3 9479 1315 Fax: +61 3 9479 1880 Email:cha@latrobe.edu.au
Asian Studies Program
Chinese Australia
Racial discrimination against the Chinese
in the late 19th and early 20th centuries
Unit title:
Racial discrimination against the Chinese in the late nineteenth
and early twentieth centuries
Year level:
Middle secondary
Key learning areas:
Studies of society and environment,
Curriculum emphasis:
From: Studies in Asia: A Statement
for Australian Schools:
- Challenging stereotypes
- Developing concepts of Asia
Duration:
Two - three 50 minute lessons
Description:
Students examine the stereotypes of Chinese immigrants to
Australia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They
evaluate the validity of these stereotypes and investigate
various pieces of legislation that discriminated against the
Chinese.
Teacher background material:
The following links provide an introduction and overview of
the topics covered in this unit:
- Brief
History of the Chinese in Australia on the Chinese Heritage
of Australian Federation website.
- 'Racism - No Way!'
website is an excellent resource. It includes a timeline of
the key events in Australia's development as a culturally
diverse nation and also Library, Games, News and Classroom
Activities.
Student outcomes:
Students will:
- identify and explain the stereotypical view of Chinese in
the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries
- describe the racist legislation directed at the Chinese
at this time
- explain why such legislation would not be tolerated in today's
society.
Materials required:
Computer/s with internet access. Alternatively could use a
cached version of the site or print the relevant pages and
copy onto overheads or handouts.
Procedure: 1. Introduction: What is racism? What is a stereotype?
Visit the 'Racism
- No Way!' website. Click on the Glossary at the bottom
of the page to help you answer the questions - What is racism?
What is a stereotype?
Read the material in the websites below to find out how European
Australians viewed Chinese in Australia in the late nineteenth
and early twentieth centuries. Make a labelled diagram depicting
the stereotypical Chinese person according to this view. How
accurate was this stereotype?
- 'Chinese
in Ballarat' on the education section of the Sovereign
Hill website.
- 'Opium
issue in Australia' on the Harvest of Endurance Scroll
website.
- 'Attitudes
to Chinese' on the Harvest of Endurance Scroll website.
Now try to make a similar diagram depicting a typical twenty-first
century Australian.
- How difficult was this? Why?
- Do you know any people who are like your 'typical Australian'
in your diagram?
- Do you know any people who are not like this?
Class discussion: What problems can stereotyping cause? How
are stereotypes used positively?
2. Racist legislation in the nineteenth and early twentieth
centuries.
Read the material on the web links below.
- Describe the anti-Chinese legislation in relation to the
furniture trade, the banana industry, immigration and poll
taxes.
- Which laws were directed specifically against Chinese and
which were directed at any non-white?
- Did these laws have the desired effect?
Could any laws like those you have read about above, be passed
in Australia today? Why / why not?
- 'Racial
discrimination' on the Australian Human Rights and Equal
Opportunity Commission website.
When was the 'Dictation Test' abolished?
- 'Timeline
- 1950s' on the Immigration Museum website.
Extension activities: 1. Statistical analysis: Chinese immigration today
Look at the handout 'Australian Bureau of Statistics figures'
- How many Chinese people immigrated to Australia in 2000?
- Australia's population at the end of 2000 was 19,157,000.
What percentage of Australia's population was born in China?
Summary of websites used in this lesson:
Chinese Heritage of Australian Federation website - http - Brief History of the Chinese in Australia
- education/history.htm
- Historical backgrounds - education/about.htm
