Commentary | Jun Fu, Jian Xu, Wanning Sun, and Jia Tina Du, Engagement of Chinese Australians in the 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice Referendum
Highly engaged Chinese Australian community
Research on political engagement of migrants in Australia often highlights prevalent challenges such as language barriers and skepticism towards the political system, suggesting a lower level of participation of migrants in formal politics (Multicultural Council Australia, 2022; Settlement Council Australia, 2018). However, Chinese Australians’ engagement in the recent referendum presents a different narrative.
Take Melbourne as an example, where there are about 47,000 Chinese migrants, the Chinese community actively gathered offline and online to debate and discuss the vote. For example, on September 22, 2023, the Chinese Australian Multicultural Association and RMIT Chinese Australian Studies Forum co-hosted a public debate on the referendum. The event attracted a remarkable turnout of Chinese Australians from diverse backgrounds and showed a broad spectrum of opinions of the Chinese community on the referendum and the broader landscape of Australian democracy (SBS news, 2023a). Some people believe that giving voice to Indigenous people by revising the constitution is against the underlining social principle of equality for everyone which may create social division. They were also worried about the uncertainty this revision of constitution may cause due to the “lack of details” about the proposed institutional change (Graham, 2024). While others are positive about the effect of this change in constitution on national reconciliation, improving lives of the Indigenous people, and building a more inclusive and diversified multicultural society in Australia. The debate and discussion continued in a WeChat group set up by the organizers after the event. This online group joined by over a hundred Chinese Australians within a week, and functioned as a space for members to share information and also exchange opinions about The Voice referendum.
In an effort to address concerns and dispel doubts expressed by some Chinese Australians online and offline, a group of yes campaigners who have met each other at the public debate held at the RMIT campus organized an information session at the Box Hill Town Hall on Oct 9, 2023. This event attracted an overwhelming 100+ registrations. Distinguished speakers, including Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Dr Carina Garland, Federal Member for Chisholm, and Professor Sherman Young, RMIT University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Education shared their insights about the referendum with the audience. Following their speeches, a panel comprising artists, medical professionals, academics, and community leaders from the Chinese Australian community engaged with the audience, discussing the referendum and addressing their queries and concerns about the proposed constitutional change.
Chinese Australians also played an active role in the offline engagement surrounding the referendum. Within the WeChat group initiated by the organizers of the debate held at RMIT University, numerous Chinese Australians dedicated their time to support voting booths across various states. In Sydney, one enthusiastic volunteer diligently canvassed at her local voting booth almost every day in the referendum's final weeks. She proudly showcased her car adorned with a heart-shaped arrangement of dozens of YES bumper stickers on the engine hood, sharing a video dubbed in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese saying the single plea: "Please vote yes for our better future." Within our WeChat group, she detailed her daily experiences at the voting booth, the strategies employed by fellow volunteers in their canvassing, and sadly, instances of racist and discriminatory behavior witnessed or experienced from voters.
The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), Australia’s most diverse broadcaster, also highlighted the emergence of 'Democracy Dumplings,' a novel occurrence during this referendum within numerous Chinese Australian communities at voting booths. Reminiscent of the “democracy sausage,” these communities sold homemade dumplings to raise funds and participate in the referendum. This innovative form of engagement embodies the passion of Chinese Australian communities for political involvement. It also exemplifies the potential of diverse cultural communities in fostering a dynamic and robust democracy in Australia.
Acknowledging the importance of the offline debate, information session and volunteering activities through which Chinese migrants could gather together physically and the sense of belongingness and community is consolidated. We also found the Chinese digital media platforms, such as WeChat, the Red and Douyin, played very important roles in facilitating active discussions, debates, and the resolution of queries and apprehensions surrounding the referendum among Chinese diasporas. For example, on WeChat, an opinion leader living in rural Australian shared multiple videos in her channel articulating reasons for voting 'No' with her top video garnering 5,900 forwards, over 1,000 likes, and 481 comments. The arguments presented in her video largely rely on prevalent misinformation about Indigenous groups and the referendum, portraying Aboriginal people as beneficiaries of the welfare system without contribution and framing The Voice as a privilege for them that could potentially disrupt the Australian Parliament. Another impactful video advocating for a 'No' vote, posted by a vlogger in Melbourne was forwarded 20,400 times and garnered 3,900 likes on WeChat. One of the key arguments of his video was that The Voice is against the basic value of social equality, and it may constitute the fourth power in the Australian Parliament, both of which are common misunderstanding of the proposed change in constitution held by those who argue for voting no in public discussions.
On the 'Yes' side, a volunteer of the Chinese Community Council of Australia made a video on RED debunking the arguments made in the video by the abovementioned vlogger in Melbourne attracted 11,773 views, 304 likes, and 324 comments. He also posted Foreign Minister Penny Wong's video message to the Chinese Australian community on his RED channel. The video received 10,987 views and 183 comments, sparking in-depth discussions related to the referendum. Additionally, a video debunking argument presented in a viral 'No' vote video on the official channel of the Chinese Community Council of Australia amassed 12,300 views on WeChat and circulated widely across discussion groups.
As The Voice referendum approaching the voting deadline, volunteers from the Chinese Australian community launched a petition for community leaders to express their support for the Indigenous Voice in collaboration with the Chinese Community Council Australia. In just one week, the petition gathered 96 signatures from leaders in the Chinese community which include community leaders, university professors, professionals, politicians, CEOs, TV presenters, and former Australian of the Year. The digital poster for the petition is captioned, “We are voting Yes, and we hope you will too.” It features profile pictures of the 96 community leaders from the Chinese Australian community and calls for broader support from the Chinese community for the Voice, emphasizing its significance for recognition, reconciliation and a better future. The digital poster in both English and Chinese were published on the website of Chinese Community Council of Australian (Victoria chapter) on Oct 9, 2023, and was widely disseminated in Chinese Australian communities on different Chinese and English social media platforms afterwards.
The engagement of Chinese Australians in the Yes campaign has had a positive impact on the voting outcome. An analysis of the voting results in 15 suburbs with a high proportion of residents of Chinese ancestry in NSW, VIC, and QLD revealed that the proportion of Yes votes in 14 of them were above the national average. Notably, in Chisholm—a southeastern Melbourne suburb where 39% of residents identify as having Chinese ancestry—the Yes vote reached 59%, significantly higher than the national average of 39.9% (Raue, 2023).
Difficulties for effective political engagement of Chinese Australians
While the fervent political participation of Chinese Australians promises significant contributions to a robust democracy, certain challenges may impede the realization of this potential, diverting their passion for political engagement from meaningful involvement. Here are several potential avenues for addressing these challenges:
Break the Information Silos
While the term 'echo chamber' is not new, witnessing the information silos among Yes and No voters on Chinese digital platforms, was eye-opening. The widespread popularity of certain 'No' vote advocacy videos surprised us, observing their extensive dissemination on WeChat. Remarkably, these videos generated overwhelmingly supportive comments aligning with the author's viewpoint, with limited meaningful exchanges presenting different perspectives on the referendum. Similarly, numerous videos and articles favoring a 'Yes' vote, produced by our volunteers, circulated among Chinese Australians.
Beyond the dedicated WeChat groups that were established by community leaders for referendum discussions and interaction in the comment sections of some RED videos posted by our volunteers, there existed insufficient opportunities for encountering diverse opinions or accessing varied referendum-related information. Identifying these information silos, devising effective strategies to dismantle them, and fostering meaningful and respectful conversations are pivotal in enabling informed decision-making within democratic participation. In this sense, finding ways to bridge these divides and cultivate platforms for open dialogue, where individuals can encounter diverse viewpoints and access comprehensive information, is crucial in empowering individuals to make informed choices during democratic processes.
Combat Misinformation and Disinformation
Similar to the extensive dissemination of misinformation about the referendum in English speaking communities, this misinformation is equally harmful in Chinese Australian communities. Several viral videos on Chinese social media propagated misinformation about The Voice referendum characterized by unrooted allegation of hidden agendas and deception, as well as fear-mongering, perpetuating misconceptions such as its alleged risks to the Australian legal and political systems, its perceived lack of details, and misleading claims about potential privileges for Indigenous communities, higher tax rates, and unfounded assertions about land claims by Indigenous people on properties owned by Chinese Australians.
While English media outlets like The Guardian addressed and dismissed this misinformation (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/oct/12/indigenous-voice-to-parliament-referendum-misinformation-fact-checked), the challenge persisted within the Chinese Australian communities due to language barriers and their reliance on Chinese social media for information access. Despite concerted efforts of our volunteers to disseminate corrective videos on WeChat following the prevalent negative sentiment towards the referendum, the impact of this misinformation had already taken root, and our intervention might have missed the opportune timing.
Moving forward, it is imperative to gain a deeper understanding of how Chinese Australians access political information. Developing tools to monitor public opinion within platforms utilized by Chinese Australians can aid in identifying channels and crucial time points for effectively communicating accurate and quality information about local and national issues. By understanding their information consumption habits and optimizing communication strategies accordingly, we can better counter misinformation and foster an environment conducive to informed decision-making within these communities.
Promote Citizenship Education
Throughout our volunteer work, we have observed a concerning lack of essential knowledge about Australian democratic institutions and critical thinking skills among some Chinese Australians online. An illustrative example is the prevalent belief propagated by No campaigners on Chinese social media that The Voice would add a fourth power to Australia's existing political institutions. This misconception underscores a fundamental gap in understanding the Australian democratic system, a critical aspect of citizenship education.
This misbelief also illustrates the discrepancy in levels of education, knowledge, and skills for civic and citizenship participation within the Chinese Australian community, which mirrors the broader voting trends influenced by education levels and geographical locations among Australian citizens. Addressing this disparity calls for implementing citizenship education initiatives within Chinese Australian communities, both in digital spaces and offline, to actively engage individuals in civics and citizenship activities. Providing platforms that enable them to voice their opinions and initiate changes within their local communities through democratic processes is crucial.
Such citizenship education efforts serve as a foundation for fostering informed and effective democratic participation among Chinese Australians in the future. By empowering them with the necessary knowledge, skills, and avenues for active participation, we pave the way for meaningful citizenship learning and the cultivation of a more engaged and empowered citizenry.
Conclusion
Political socialization of migrants and their citizenship participation are crucial for the healthy operation of democracy in a multicultural Australia. Although the level of participation of some migrant communities in formal politics such as voting can be low, it does not mean they are indifferent about social and political issues in Australia or have low aspiration for their role in Australian politics. Our reflection of the engagement of the Chinese Australian community in The Voice referendum demonstrates that migrants do care and are eager to participate in Australia politics. They follow information updates and public discussions about different socio-political issues, and play an active role in shaping political discourses around certain issues within their ethnic community.
Based on this observation, we would like to argue for the need to acknowledge the value of civics and political practices emerging from these communities in enriching the conventional civics and citizenship practices uphold by the mainstream society. Instead of seeing them stereotypically as indifferent and politically disengaged, more research is needed to understand the nature of social and political participation within ethnic minority communities and to explore the possibilities of making the conventional framework about political participation more accommodative and inclusive. Our reflection also highlights the key role played by community leaders as the information bridge between the mainstream society and as the constructor of online and offline spaces for Chinese Australians’ deliberation of public issues. The reflection of our volunteering experience as yes campaigners and observation of participation of Chinese Australians in The Voice referendum illustrate the need for civics and citizenship education which can equip Australians of migrant background with necessary knowledge and skills for informed and active citizenship practice. Given that digital media have become the main channel for people’s accession of political information, more research is needed to understand their social media use and their engagement with ethnic media. This knowledge will inform the design and implementation of relevant initiatives to enhance their media and digital literacies, enable them to step out of their media silos, and engage with online information critically.
References:
Graham, T. (2024). Exploring a post-truth referendum: Australia’s Voice to Parliament and the management of attention on social media. Media International Australia, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/1329878X241267756
Handley, E., & Cheng, J. (2023, May 30). ‘We can no longer be ignored’: Why the Yes and No campaigns are courting multicultural votes ahead of the Voice referendum. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-31/multicultural-views-indigenous-voice-joint-resolution/102304956
Raue, B. (2023, October 17). The Indian-Australian vote for Yes. The Tally Room. https://www.tallyroom.com.au/53530.
Migration Council Australia. (2022). Facilitating the social and economic participation of refugee and vulnerable migrant women in settlement.
SBS News. (2023a). 【2023年公投解读】Yes与No双方正面辩论 华裔公民如何投出负责任一票？ | SBS Chinese).
SBS News. (2023b). Over 100 migrant and cultural organisations back Yes campaign for Voice referendum. https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/over-100-migrant-and-cultural-organisations-support-yes-campaign-for-voice-to-parliament-referendum/sq8p0r2yq
Settlement Council of Australia. (2018). Civic Participation: Settlement Council of Australia Discussion Paper. https://www.scoa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/SCoA-Policy-Focus_Civic-Participation.pdf
Jun Eric Fu is a senior research fellow at the Faculty of Education, University of Melbourne.
Jian Xu is a A/Prof at the Faculty of Arts and Education, Deakin University.
Wanning Sun is a Professor of Media and Communication Studies at the University of Technology Sydney.
Jia Tina Du is a Professor of Information Sciences at Charles Sturt University, New South Wales, Australia.
To cite this essay, please use the bibliographic entry provided below:
Jun Fu, Jian Xu, Wanning Sun, and Jia Tina Du, “Engagement of Chinese Australians in the 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice Referendum,” criticalasianstudies.org Commentary Board, March 14, 2025; https://doi.org/10.52698/BOOU8337.