For many years, migration has been intensively politicised in Australia. Political parties have different stands about migration and the government has raised its transparency to such a high level that the public is aware of developments and policy directions in migration for the present and future years. It was realized that well-educated migrants with skills and experience are able to accomplish better employment prospects and settlement outcomes. Skilled migration has therefore been emphasized. This thesis consists of a literature review on some of the motivations that support the objectives of migration over past years, outcomes brought by migration and overview of the migration program and main categories under skilled migration. As skilled migration has been placed with more emphasis since the 1990s and a larger quota has been allocated to facilitate younger migrants with the skills and expertise that are of use to Australia, it has become necessary to assess the economic impact brought by some of these skilled migrants. Coinciding with the emphasis of skilled migration, the trend of settler arrivals has changed so that Asians have increased their presence in Australia and the focus of this thesis is narrowed down to assess the economic impact of Asian groups. A description of general Asian culture and characteristics is also included in the literature review. Although Asians in Australia maintain their own cultures and some common characteristics, I have chosen the two biggest groups, namely Chinese and Vietnamese, to explore and identify their differences and economic contributions. Apart from ethnicity factor, other elements specifically educational attainment, occupational achievements, labour force status in which they have participated, age, English language proficiency, years of arrival and hours worked are tested for significance in enabling Chinese and Vietnamese migrants to earn income. This study also examines whether higher qualifications would increase the prospects of employability. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

My dissertation, Family Across the Seas: Asian Diasporas in the Americas, explores literary depictions of Asian immigration history in contemporary women’s literature and creates conversations between Caribbean literature, Asian American literature, and Latinx literature. This dissertation compares multigenerational literary works that portray extended depictions of Asian Latin American and Asian Latinx immigrant experiences. My dissertation draws on literary works from Caribbean literature (Mayra Montero’s Como un mensajero tuyo), Latinx literature (Cristina García’s Monkey Hunting; Angie Cruz’s Let It Rain Coffee), and Asian American literature (Elaine Castillo’s America Is Not the Heart; Karen Tei Yamashita’s Brazil-Marú and Circle K Cycles). Through a close reading of multigenerational literature on Asian (Latin) American immigrant experiences, my dissertation examines how literature becomes an ideological tool for writers to depict the experiences of Asians and the Asian diasporas in the Americas and their negotiations of identity and belonging. This dissertation highlights the overlapping and intertwined histories of the Spanish and U.S. empires, the transoceanic crossings of people of Asian ancestry, and the racialization of Asians in the Americas. In my dissertation, I extend the geographical scope of “America” to “the Americas,” which include the Caribbean, Latin America, and the United States. By doing so, I acknowledge the historical connection between Asia and the Americas. Using Junyoung Verónica Kim’s Asia–Latin America as a method, the dissertation centers on the Global South and literary representations of Asian immigration experiences in the Americas. This dissertation engages with history and existing works on the Asian presence through the analysis of the multigenerational literature. / Spanish