Language Turnabout

Time alters many things but it is a surprise to find that Aus tralia’s famous “dictation test” in any language was originally introduced in order to elimin ate discrimination against Asians.

According to Professor Levi: “The high esteem which came with Japan’s victory (against the Russians), contributed to a change in the wording of the Immigration Restriction Act to make it less obnoxious to the Japanese. In 1905, by a special act, the language test for im migrants in a European lan guage was changed to a test in ‘any prescribed language’ thus eliminating discrimination against Asians”.

This may have been the original intention but the latter day application was far otherwise. The language test was the last resort in keeping unwanted immigrants out, and the language selected for the test, the one the migrant was least likely to know. (In early May, 1958, it was announced the test would be dropped).