Don’t Go Back to Where You Came From (Tim Soutphommasane, NewSouth)

With the recent popularity of shows such as Dumb, Drunk and Racist and Go Back to Where You Came From, Tim Soutphommasane’s book is a timely study of multiculturalism in Australia. Soutphommasane relates a history of Australian immigration from both political and social perspectives, dissecting government policy and community response. He also places Australia’s understanding of multiculturalism within an international context, and argues that it is wrong to associate Australia’s issues with the problems facing European countries such as France and Germany, since these countries have approached immigration in very different ways to Australia. Don’t Go Back to Where You Came From presents strong research in an intelligent and accessible manner, investigating population growth, asylum seekers and ethnic under-representation in government and media—with Neighbours and Today Tonight garnering dishonourable mentions opposite the culturally diverse SBS. From the philosophy of multiculturalism to present-day community successes spliced with cultural-intolerance horror stories, this book is an excellent study of an often controversial issue. It will appeal to academic audiences but should also cross over to a general readership.

Portia Lindsay is a former bookseller who now works at the NSW Writers’ Centre

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

Category: Reviews