http://www.migrationinformation.org/Feature/display.cfm?id=377
Christine Inglis
"For most of Australia's history, assimilation has been the official Australian government policy guiding the integration of immigrants. In the 1970s, it was replaced by a multiculturalism policy that emphasizes the rights of immigrants to social justice and equality as well as immigrants' obligation to accept key Australian institutions and the importance of tolerance and equality of women.
However, conservative criticisms of multiculturalism have focused on the policy's acceptance of cultural diversity and interpreted it as a threat to traditional 'Australian' values and national identity. The riots highlight the extensive sympathy for these criticisms within the mainstream population, including among young people who have grown up knowing only the policy of multiculturalism."
