Overview

Not Quite White focuses on early Lebanese immigration to Australia, a group of immigrants and their descendants, who, with a few exceptions, have been largely ignored in the recording of Australian history.

While this book considers the experience of one immigrant group within the context of a particular locality and time, it is also about Australia as a ‘new' nation seeking to privilege a white, Christian majority. The Lebanese Australian story contributes a new understanding of the implementation of the White Australia Policy because although Lebanese do not feature predominately in historical studies of the White Australia Policy, in fact, when it came to its administration, they presented a significant challenge.

The structure of the book is outlined below:

Chapter one considers basic questions such as: who were the immigrants; where did they come from; how many came; when and why did they come to Australia and, in particular,to Queensland?

Chapters two, three and four are primarily based on archival research and consider the impact of exclusionary legislation such as the Queensland Aliens Act, and the Immigration Restriction Act.

In chapter five, the generally accepted portrayal of Lebanese immigrants throughout the world as indefatigable traders is scrutinised in the Australian context; and chapter six examines the mainstream response to the involvement of the early Lebanese immigrants in commercial enterprises such as hawking and shopkeeping.

The final two chapters focus on the settlement experience of Lebanese using Queensland as a case study. Through the use of interviews and questionnaires, these chapters give ‘voice' is to the immigrants and their descendants.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
Foreword
Introduction
Early Lebanese Migration to Australia
Asiatic Aliens in Colonial Australia
Lebanese in a Federated Australia: Straddling the Colour Line
Lebanese in a White Australia
Lebanese Occupational Pathways: Making the Best of Limited Options
Operating on the Periphery: Lebanese Traders in Australia
Geographic Settlement of Lebanese in Australia
Becoming Australian?
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index

Reviews

Dr Monsour's study, by investigating the often difficult to locate government archives, has revealed the bureaucratic maze which peaceful and industrious people who were different, had to negotiate in order to gain citizenship ...the story of the acceptance (of) ..Syrian/Lebanese individuals... by the Anglo-Celtic host society, which was in many cases a harrowing one, has been kept silent. In recounting this struggle Anne Monsour has rendered a signal service to our understanding of how the original exclusivist and racist provisions of the ‘White Australia Policy' were gradually dismantled. This case study is undoubtedly a major statement concerning Australia's development into becoming an enlightened colour-blind parliamentary democracy.

Reverend Dr John A. Moses
Professorial Associate
St Mark's National Theological Centre, Canberra