Recently Albanese’s Minister for Immigration Tony Burke announced that he was opposed to any policy of ‘assimilation.’
He seemed to be saying that he wanted new Australian immigrants to hang on to their old culture instead of becoming culturally Australia.
He said he thought ‘integration’ might be a better word.
So, is there any real difference between those two words?
And does it matter?
‘Assimilation’ first appears in English in 1605 and comes from French and Latin source words.
Behind it is the verb ‘to assimilate’ which means ‘to become like, or similar to.’
Apparently, Tony Burke is terrified by the idea that migrants coming to Australia might want to become like us, or similar to us.
So, what about the alternative word?
‘Integration’ is a little later (1620) and comes from the verb ‘to integrate’ which means ‘to become part of the whole.’
It looks to my eyes that there is little or no real difference between the two words.
Both remind me of poet Les Murray’s image of ‘the common pot’—to which everyone contributes, and which feeds everyone.
In Les’ image every migrant that comes changes the Australian culture a bit (we had no pizzas until the Italians arrived!) and the resulting enriched Australian culture is shared by everyone who is an Australian.
Tony Burke seems opposed to the idea that we all share this nation and this culture.
Anthony Albanese certainly doesn’t want us all to share—that’s why he keeps claiming that ‘diversity’ is what matters.
He doesn’t want us to have a ‘common pot’ that we all share—he seems to want each group to have their own little pot which they don’t share with anyone else.
By the way, Les Murray’s great image of the ‘common pot’ is found in his book The Boys Who Stole the Funeral (which I think is his masterpiece).
Tonight I will join John Stanley on 2GB, 4BC, 2CC and the Nine Radio Network for 'The Word Clinic' -- right after the 10pm news. What makes this fun for me to do is hearing from you -- with comments or questions about words and language either on the talkback line or via text.
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