| Abstract: | People of German‐speaking background have been permanent residents in Australia and Canada for an extensive period of time and are perceived favourably in these multicultural contexts. This has not always been the case. The event of war has the potential to influence the formation of self‐images and stereotypes of ‘others’ and hence to affect the cohesion of ethnic communities. It follows that altered perceptions of ethnicity are likely to alter the ways governments behave towards ethnic minorities. This, in turn, brings a modification in ethnic relations policy. The focus of this article is to examine official attitudes to Germans resident in these countries and external to them during the second world war and in the immediate post‐war period. A particular concern is that of internment. To look comparatively should develop a deeper understanding of its use in two similar (but also different) commonwealth countries. |
