Citizens examines the plight of those Chinese who remained in Australia after the 'White Australia' policy was put in place. Regulations designed to disqualify Chinese from citizenship, ownership of land or businesses, reunion with their families or service in the armed forces encouraged many Chinese to return to China. Then when Australia, like much of the world, refused to recognise the Communist regime, China responded by lowering a 'bamboo curtain' which effectively severed contact between overseas Chinese and their homeland. Chinese Australians remained under suspicion in their adoptive land. It was only in the 1970s, when Australia recognised China and swept away the last vestiges of discriminatory policies, that the Chinese could finally belong
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Title from resource description page (viewed November 3, 2014)
