호주 이민사회와 그 역할

SPEECH BY CONSUL GENERAL PARK on OCCASION OF

INAUGURAL MEETING OF KOREAN AUSTRALIAN CITIZENSHIP ASSOCIATION

MONDAY, 19^TH MARCH 2007

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Ladies and Gentlemen,

Distinguished Guests,

 

It is my honor to make a congratulatory speech today at the launch of the Korean Australian Citizenship Association. The purpose of the Citizen’s Association is, I understand, to promote the benefits of Australian citizenship to members and to provide a voice for Korean Australians in the political arena.

 

Today will be an important day in the history of Korean immigration to Australia which is relatively recent.  In the 1950s after the Korean War, and during 1960s, small numbers of Koreans immigrated to Australia.  However, it was during the 1970s that Korean immigration began in large numbers with the trend continuing in the 1980s and 1990s.  Since then, the Korean community is estimated to have grown to over 100,000 members.

 

Korean immigration is being regarded, I hope, as one of the success stories of Australia’s immigration policy.  Korean migrants are on the whole hard working, harmonious and contribute greatly to Australia’s multicultural society by enriching the culture of Australia. 

 

Koreans, however, also want to be fully incorporated into the Australian community.  They are no longer content to live here as just residents and guests but to be real members of Australia, with all of the responsibility this implies.  They want to become fully-fledged citizens.

 

Koreans also understand that citizenship carries many responsibilities as well as rights.  They understand that citizenship gives them the right to have a say in the political life of the country.  They understand they will have a voice in the political arena and the right to a fair share of political representation. The level of political representation is currently very low.  There are no Korean members of state or federal parliament.  There are only a few members at the local government level. Therefore the Citizen’s Association will be working to redress this by encouraging Korean Australian citizens to become more active in politics.    

 

Many members of the Korean community have Australian citizenship, the numbers of which we do not know.  Also, the numbers of Korean nationals applying for Australian citizenship continues to grow.  From 2000 - 2006, a total of 5,033 Koreans were granted citizenship.  This demonstrates that Koreans are actively embracing their future in Australia, while still mindful of their heritage and their past.

 

I thus commend the members of the Korean Community for establishing this Korean Australian Citizenship Association. This is only the first step. Now, the Association faces a challenge to broaden the influence of the Korean community in Australia and increase its voice and influence in the wider Australian community.  I am sure the Association will serve an important role in the Korean community and positively contribute to Korean-Australian community relations.

 

Before concluding, I would like to introduce a part of my speech which was made on the occasion of Lunar New Year Korean Festival at Campsie Library. Here it goes.

 

Australia can truly be considered a Microcosm of the world.” It is home to over 150 different nationalities.

 

The relationship of Australia to the world is similar to the palm to the body of humans in the acupuncture. According to Oriental Medicine, all of the nerves running through each part of the body can be detected in the palm. (actually its fingers)

 

All of the energy lines of the body accumulate in each finger like a bunch of electrical codes. In finger acupuncture, needles are applied to the fingers rather than the actual parts of the body we intend to touch. As each nerve on the finger is linked to a certain organ of the body, the needle transmits energy to the corresponding body part, thereby releasing any blockages.

 

Australia is like a palm where all races are gathered like electrical cords attached to the world. Australia can be a battleground of the world’s various cultures. But it can also be a healing ground for cultural clash. If we harmonize here by learning to cooperate with other cultures, our home countries will harmonize.

 

Truly Australia has the potential to be a power house of cultural harmonization contributing to world peace. In other words, Australia, as a microcosm, is like a laboratory where nations can learn to resolve their differences peacefully.

 

Today, I strongly believe that Koreans will contribute greatly to this harmonization.

 

Thank you.