The Asians are already here

Two generations from now, with immigration running at 190,000 or so a year (the number planned for 2013-14) of which the bulk will be for skilled migrants or family reunions, Australia's racial mix may have changed substantially indeed.

Back in the 1970s, as I dimly recall, there were still old men wearing hats who would yell at the the relatively fresh Italian and Greek immigrants for not speaking English properly. A more recent complaint is that the new arrivals are pushing up house prices but those prices have stagnated until the past year or so, that complaint has not been heard for some time, and few people now wear hats.

In all I suspect that anyone who wants to start a political campaign to keep Australia for the angelos has left their campaign far too late, and now won't gain much traction. As I seem to have become part of the trend, I can't join in.

"Australia should be for the Australians," I tell my kids.

"Yes, Apa," they say.