Community music, identity and belonging among Dutchies in Australia: Comparing assimilation to multiculturalism

Abstract

This article discusses variations in the experiences of Dutch identity and belonging to a music-making group in the Dutch migrant community in Melbourne, Australia. It answers the research question “Which variations of ‘Dutch identity’ are there for the participants and how does music-making relate to this?”. Feelings of identity and belonging are shaped by federal policies and micro-interactions. This article builds on the concepts related to migrant identity and ethnomusicology in the context of two distinct federal integration policies: the White Australia policy (which is characterised by an assimilation policy) and multiculturalism. The findings showed that community music has the potential to bridge generational, gender and class differences. Multiculturalism, enabling the participants to meet and sing in Dutch, empowered them to explore their dual identity as Dutch Australians, intersecting with disability, racial differences, age and education level. This study improves our understanding of the impact of diverse emigration and immigration resettlement policies that form part of the complexities of diverse generations and backgrounds of the Dutch-Australian diaspora.