1995 Global Cultural Diversity Conference Proceedings, Sydney
Public Policy and Diversity - Migration Patterns and Policy
The Other Side of Migration: Reconciling Exiles
Dr Jara David-Moserova
Secretary-General of the Czech Commission for UNESCO, Czech Republic
First of all let me express my deepest appreciation of the honour conferred upon me, for having this opportunity of addressing this distinguished audience. It is a great honour. I should like to thank the Australian Government, the New South Wales Government and the Australian Multicultural Foundation for giving me this opportunity, which I treasure.
Many speakers will no doubt say Australia is perhaps the ideal country for hosting this conference, as in many aspects its multicultural pattern is so varied and in most aspects this varied pattern is beneficial and enlightening. Australia very generously accepted many political exiles from eastern and central European countries, in several migration waves, and it is this particular group of exiles I feel justified to talk about, as I learned to know this group here in Australia, in New Zealand, in the United States and Canada. My deepest knowledge though originated here, in Australia, during my diplomatic mission.
Political exiles from central and eastern Europe no doubt represent only a small fraction of the world's migrant population, yet they are a discernible part of the migrant pattern and thus deserve to be understood.
The highest number of exiles leaves their countries when facing possible death, torture or famine, mostly when there is an armed conflict or a bloody revolution raging in their homeland. The refugees are fleeing to save their lives. There are many things that all exiles have in common, as for instance a wish to be accepted, to integrate as speedily as possible, a desire that their children might have the same chances in life as the native born.
Many migrants also have a certain tendency of retaining old prejudices, likes and dislikes, which they hand over to younger generation, while the very same prejudices might have already evaporated in their homelands. There are though some specific characteristics to be seen in the political exiles who fled from central and eastern Europe.
Our exiles, exiles from countries such as mine, left a country at peace, yet though there was peace, the lives of many of the refugees were threatened, if not by death then by imprisonment. From the former Czechoslovakia, there were two distinctive waves of immigration to other countries and continents. The first wave in 1948, after the communist coup in Czechoslovakia, which meant a total loss of freedom and democracy, the second wave after 1968, that is after the Soviet occupation of the country. The immigration waves from countries which shared the unhappy fate of mine followed a different time pattern of course, yet a common denominator can easily be found in other respects.
In 1948 and 1949 mostly young people took the courage to leave. Many of them were leaving under very dramatic circumstances, buried under coal on railway freight carriages, locked in suitcases, or walking across the border empty handed, under fire. That was of course only possible before the border was totally sealed off. The people who arrived in Australia and New Zealand mostly had little or no qualification and only few had a university degree, as all the universities were closed down in the Czech Republic during World War II by the Nazis. The only people with a degree were the officers who served in the British army, air force or navy in World War II. These brave man, who deserved the gratitude of their country, were persecuted most cruelly by the totalitarian regime.
Thus almost all the refugees that arrived in these distant places had to start literally from scratch. It is necessary to stress though, that most of them left their home country with the firm belief that they were only leaving for a few years. Most of them thought the nonsensical regime imported into central and eastern Europe from the Soviet Union would collapse within a matter of five to six years, practically no one thought it might last longer. The migrants, mostly skilful and intelligent, found jobs, gained education, built homes, and gradually had to get used to the idea that the fateful decision they had taken was for life.
Only after the disastrous, tragic events that took place in Hungary, did the full realization dawn on the exiles. Hungary revolted and failed, no one came to its aid. The other Eastern Bloc countries couldn't expect any outside help either. Peace was too precious. By 1956 the division of the world seemed to be unshakeable and the Iron Curtain was growing stronger by the day. The wall was built.
In contrast to the first migrant group, the refugees that were seeking asylum in 1968, after the invasion of Czechoslovakia, believed firmly that they were making an irreversible decision for life, that if they left, they would most likely never again see their home country, their place of birth, the family they left behind, their friends. This is an extremely hard decision to take and a frightful burden to bear.
The very weight of this burden of "never more" prevented many from fleeing. For this second group of exiles the escape itself was easier in most cases, also, nearly all the refugees were qualified in a good trade or had a university diploma to help them along. Not to talk of the fact that they enjoyed the assistance of their countrymen from 1949, who by then were fine and true Australians and who earned in Australia as a ethnic group a good reputation.
What did all the refugees have in common: they felt robbed of their home country and had a feeling of rejection. When they left their country they closed the door behind them and the door was locked. Many of them couldn't even write to friends at home for fear they might compromise them. There was practically no communication between the communist consulate and the Czechs or Slovaks, both the embassy and consulate had instructions not to associate with the exiles and the exiles wouldn't even go near the embassy. The sad psychological effect the whole situation had on the exiles was to be expected.
As a psychological defence, many of our refugees tried as hard as they could to forget they were ever Czech, many didn't even try to teach their children their native tongue, and they certainly didn't instil in them any pride in their parent's origin. Paradoxically, though they retained their old traditional customs and clung to the cultural heritage, which they shared not only with other Czechs in ethnic associations but also with native Australians, though indirectly, the migrant parents suppressed in their children all feelings towards the country of their forebears.
It is necessary to stress that Czech migrants always integrated well, whether in America, Canada, New Zealand or Australia. But the effect of the closed door, the utter impossibility of ever visiting the old home, made integration even more desirable.
To be ashamed of one's roots is a misfortune, a lack of pride in one's roots creates a vacuum. I believe that a human being is not whole unless it understands and respects its origin. Yet this very deficiency brought some positive effects. When an individual looses a limb, the other becomes stronger. Thus the Australians and New Zealanders of Czech origin became the most dedicated and proud Australians, New Zealanders, Canadians of Americans. On this continent they made every effort to use whatever experience and skills they had towards the enrichment of Australian life. They made a significant contribution towards Australian music, fine arts, architecture, sports, mainly down hill skiing, towards the development of choreography, to science and education.
No doubt the same could be stated about Poles, Hungarians and others. During the long four decades of the totalitarian regime in the so-called Socialist Block, the rift between the exiles and those who stayed behind, grew. Whenever rare meetings of Czechs living in Czechoslovakia and Czechs living in exile took place, they were mostly rather strained, no matter how much both sides looked forward to the meeting. There is a logic in this. The refugees, once they made the decision for life, had to stand by it. If they ever had any doubts, they had to find arguments for themselves to justify the irreversible decision taken. The same of course goes for the Czechs who stayed at home, in the Czech Republic, they also had to stand by their decision and if in doubt had to find arguments that would justify their decision.
Thus the attitudes and mental argumentation of the two groups started diverging. On top of that, the unnatural way of life, the lack of freedom, the reign of totalitarianism lasted so long, that the people who stayed behind, started to accept what they deemed unacceptable during the first years, without properly realizing it. The slow demoralising effect, the prison or zoo effect, was deadly.
As years went by, with the exception of few, everyone had to make some compromises, some minor concessions. If you live in a prison, you follow the rules of the prison, as you have no other choice. Yet the dormant spirit of resistance was kept alive, both by the dissidents living in Czechoslovakia and by the exiles, and that proved to be of enormous value once the dividing wall between East and West came down.
The transition from captivity to freedom was very sudden, intoxicating for most, confusing for many. Sudden light is blinding. Yet the sudden bright light showed clearly, how important it was some people left and how important it was that some stayed behind. The barriers between the exiles and the homing pigeons suddenly ceased to exist. But there was a new dilemma, the dilemma which the exiles had to face. Do they want to return to their home country now that it is free at long last? Can a tree be transplanted twice? In most cases the answer is "no".
The Australians, New Zealanders, Americans and Canadians of Czech origin became too attached to the country that offered them safety and freedom, too deeply rooted in their new homes. But they travel to the old home for visits, to reunions of friends, to conferences, and their experience of a functioning democracy is of great value mainly for the young, who still have to learn what democracy is about.
For years, decent honest people in Czechoslovakia deemed any compromises towards the totalitarian power as tainting. They now have to learn that a well-intentioned compromise is an indispensable part of democratic life. The Czechs are quick learners, and so are no doubt the citizens of other countries with a democratic past upon which totality was imposed. Our countries are so far doing well. The time of reconciliation has come. The people at home will no longer envy the refugees their courage and the freedom attained, the migrants will no longer believe that all those who stayed at home were traitors.
There is one more thing I should like to stress. I am well aware that on our planet there are, unfortunately, millions of refugees that lived under much worse circumstances than we ever did and who live under dire conditions in their place of refuge. Let me assure you though, that all political migrants and all citizens who ever considered emigration for political reasons, have the deepest sympathies and understanding for all refugees, no matter from which country or continent. And that, I believe, is an important asset in itself.
This is a multicoloured world and human beings should live in mutual understanding and respect. The greatest value of all is human dignity. Living with others one learns that everything is relative; not only time, but also truth, beauty, and human dignity. One should respect this relativity of values if we are to live at peace with each other and fulfil the hopes of this year of tolerance. The only universal value, common to all, the only absolute value is love.
As much as I dislike big words, let me conclude: may love and tolerance prevail in this troubled world of ours.
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