On the Wrong Side of the Law (War): Italian Civilian Internment in Australia during World War Two

During World War Two, more than three thousands Italian nationals living in Australians were interned as 'enemy aliens' as a preventative security measure, to placate growing public hysteria and boost community morale during wartime. Hundreds of military age Italian men in all Australian states were interned even some who were naturalized British subjects. In most cases, incarceration was primarily based on ethnicity, rather than political beliefs or danger to Australia, and the state in which they resided. Archival documents, oral histories of the last few surviving internees and other significant materials will showcase a number of case studies that give a glimpse into the lives of those who were on the wrong side of the law because of a war that didn't concern their lives in a new country. Their migrant journeys of resilience and survival amid adversity and ethnic discrimination could be those of any outsiders during periods of national crisis. This paper presents case studies as examples of how unwarranted incarceration impacted on the lives of Italian migrants and their families during World War Two in Australia. (By: Mia Spizzica, Postgraduate Research Student, The Australian Centre)

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Italian
• Migrant
• WW2
• Australia
• Enemy Aliens
• Civil Liberties
• War
• Ethnic Discrimination