Osmond Chiu writes for the Lowy Institute: Many countries in the region already have more public holidays to recognise diverse cultural and religious populations.
Australia is without a doubt an increasingly diverse and pluralistic country. The recent 2021 Census found that a majority of the population are now migrants or the children of migrants. Around one in five Australians speak a language other than English at home. And one quarter of us have an overseas non-European cultural background.
While Australians like to talk about how we are a successful multicultural country, this can often feel superficial, primarily focused on dance, dress and dining. Our institutions still feel very much monocultural, whether it be politics, business, the arts or the media. If Australia does not want to be seen internationally as remnants of British colonialism on the edge of Asia, that requires things to change.
