A mixed-race mixed-nationality family in a xenophobic world

A couple of weeks ago, the Australian Home Affairs Minister announced several changes to Australia’s migration programme. The goal of the changes being to reduce net overseas migration (NOM) from 300,000 to 225,000 annually by 2028. The most significant update was a ban on international students bringing their families with them to Australia, effective today.

In the days before the Government’s announcement, the leader of the right-wing populist party One Nation, infamous for discriminatory commentary and racist political stunts, announced her own party’s policy, which would drastically cut NOM to 130,000 per year. Another member of One Nation went on to suggest that the party’s policy could go so far as to cut visa numbers for partners and dependents of Australian citizens. Visas for family members of those on temporary skilled visas would also be eliminated. Whether such a policy could even be legally implemented is questionable, but it is nevertheless concerning given One Nation’s recent surge in popularity.

About a week after these announcements, the Australian Government released its latest Intergenerational Report, which predicts that births will outpace deaths in the country by the 2060s. The Treasurer even commented that the government expects fertility rates to fall “further and faster…” The Report itself noted that Australia has thus far maintained a relatively young population thanks to NOM.

Why, then, are politicians in a race to cut NOM, separate families, and deter both the highly skilled and brilliant-minded?

Plainly, citizens and permanent residents have the right to bring their family members, skilled migration is important to address gaps, universities need international students, and multiculturalism can enrich a country. Australia already is, fundamentally, a multicultural nation. However, migrants are often thrust forward as economic scapegoats, blamed for job shortages, housing crises and strained public resources. Some in the public eye also, without statistical evidence, proffer allegations of increased violent crime in migrant populations. Politicians tend to deflect blame and, rather than acknowledge the failures of their own economic and housing policies, choose an easy target with which to stir the masses.

It’s a similar story in Japan. From April 2027, the requirements placed on applicants for permanent residency will become much more stringent. Political parties preaching nationalism are also increasing in popularity. While I can appreciate the introduction of language requirements (it is necessary to speak the language at least at a basic level to be a contributing member of society), the overall sentiment of cracking down on migration in circumstances where deaths have already outpaced births gives off a whiff of xenophobia. This is particularly so given that applicants for permanent residence are, by and large, individuals who have already lived in Japan for a significant period and are well accustomed to the Japanese way of life.

Japan is a unique case, being an island nation that was closed to the rest of the world for centuries. It has a rich culture and heritage, and very specific social norms. It is also a monoculture, with only 3% of the population being foreign residents, and a mere 2% of births being to one Japanese parent and one parent of another nationality (children referred to as “hafu”, whether affectionately or derogatorily). This is in stark contrast to Australia, where 51% of Australians were either born overseas or have at least one parent who was. Regardless of these differences, both countries have become more restrictive in recent times.

It will be necessary to take action to preserve Japanese culture as the population ages rapidly, but such action does not need to be in the form of more stringent migration policies. Education, celebration, and intergenerational transmission can do that job. In relation to Japanese society, manners, language, and social norms can all be taught.

For Australia, a country founded through colonisation and the genocide of First Nations people, it seems rich for modern-day politicians to preach about “the Australian way” as if their recent ancestors did not come to Australia from other countries themselves. To me, Australian culture is multiculturalism. There is nothing uniquely Australian that cannot be enjoyed or adhered to by others simply due to race or nationality. I am an Australian citizen, and I love my home country, but you can’t tell me that the families of higher education students are going to come and ruin café culture or undermine the concept of “mateship.” Is the notion of giving everyone a “fair go” not entirely consistent with welcoming others?

The human brain may well categorise information through cognitive biases. But it is also equipped with the logic and reasoning required to identify and challenge those biases. We are all one species. We all bleed red. Why are we so obsessed with skin colour, rights magically acquired by the lottery of birth country, and fear of difference?

My Japanese friend had applied to study for a master’s degree in Perth, commencing next year. She planned to work part-time while studying and bring her young family with her. She and her family speak English. They are financially stable. She is well educated and was accepted into a postgraduate course. They are not criminals. But now, she cannot take her family and therefore cannot study in Australia. Instead, her university fees and skills will be enjoyed by another country. It is truly Australia's loss.

I am Australian. My husband is Japanese. Our son will be both, with a Malaysian birth certificate. I worry about a future where anti-immigration politics prevails and, as a family, we are not welcome anywhere. What happens if my husband can’t get an Australian visa? If I can’t get a Japanese visa? Will our son be subject to discrimination wherever he goes?

In 2026, I am disappointed that the world seems to be becoming more xenophobic. It is possible to preserve culture while encouraging diversity. Countries with ageing populations need the skills of younger people from countries with rapidly growing populations. Family units should not be arbitrarily separated. However, these truths are not being properly accounted for in current migration policies. Somewhere along the way, humanity began losing to fear.