VIETNAMESE MIGRATION TO AUSTRALIA (1975-1990): A WORLD-SYSTEMS THEORY PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

This study examines Vietnamese migration to Australia from 1975 to 1990 through Immanuel Wallerstein’s World-systems theory, arguing that it reflects a core-periphery dynamic within the global capitalist system. Following the liberation of South Vietnam in 1975, over 55,000 Vietnamese refugees were resettled in Australia, contributing to a Vietnamese-origin population of 155,000 by 1996, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics (1997) and UNHCR (2000) reports. Australia, a core state with a robust economy, benefited from this labor influx and enhanced its geopolitical standing, while Vietnam, a peripheral state devastated by war and economic decline, lost human resources. The findings situate this migration beyond humanitarian narratives, highlighting its role in reinforcing global inequalities. This perspective enriches historical migration studies and suggests broader applications to other refugee flows, underscoring the economic-political structures shaping global mobility