Vietnamese Boat People Case Study

How did the Vietnamese boat people affect Australia?

Before the change of migration policies in Australia, it was very difficult to get into Australia unless you were a white European. Even skilled migrants from Asia had dilemmas migrating to Australia. Eventually, these policies changed due to the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Before, there were less than 2000 Vietnamese in Australia, but these figures significantly changed after ten years. During the 1970s, more than half of the Vietnam population relocated due to fear and desperation from the war. Over 90,000 of these refugees came to Australia after the Vietnam War, looking for hope for a new beginning. Most of them stayed in Australia, leaving a permanent impression on Australian and making a great contribution to society. They have brought over their culture, food, new knowledge and their will to do hard work.

Did the Vietnamese contribute to Australia in anyway?

The Vietnamese migration has been a huge factor in shaping Australian society. Individuals such as Tan Le, Anh Do, Khoa

Before they left, families sold all over their belongings for gold because they all wanted to start a new life. Since a flight was not a smart choice during war, they decided to flee by boat. Many travelled by a fishing boat shown in source (picture). These boats tend to be overloaded with people and valuables, which made the journey to Australia very dangerous. Deaths were caused by drowning due to storms and rough seas and being attacked by pirates who murdered the Vietnamese or sold them into slavery and prostitution. An estimate of 250 000 to 500 000 Vietnamese died in their attempt to flee from Vietnam. It took them four weeks to arrive to Darwin, but many families sacrificed each other in hope for at least one family member to