Mark Wang narrates a historical anecdote from World War II, detailing how his father met U.S. General Douglas MacArthur and subsequently fell in love with a local Australian woman. This story emphasizes the intertwined histories of Australia, China, and the United States since the arrival of the first Chinese in Australia in the 1800s. The narrative also touches on the challenges faced by Chinese immigrants, from discriminatory policies like the White Australia Policy to their significant contributions to Australia's multicultural society today, comprising roughly 5.5% of the population.
While Australia has been inhabited by Aboriginal peoples for at least 65,000 years, the first European settlers arrived in 1788, with the first Chinese following just 30 years later.
Chinese immigration ebbed and flowed corresponding to various crises that blighted the continent, from the Vietnam War, Tiananmen Square massacre, and recent crackdown on freedoms in Hong Kong.
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