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Homework Help: Social Studies: World Issues: Capital Punishment & Immigrants
by Anika Waldin
Many immigrants arrived in Australia to seek fortune at the time of the goldrush. These included Irish, English, Italians and a large of Chinese and Asians. Society was biased back then, as people didn't know any different.
As most of the Australian population previous to the goldrush was from Britain, it was a shock to see people with different religion, values, language and skin colour.
Conspiracy arised and false accusations were made and perhaps one of them was a 'Chow' Sin Cho Chi.
Sin was a convicted murderer in April 1892 whilst awaiting a verdict and his execution he made home at Fremantle prison. He had been accused for murdering a man near MillStream Station. Also three other Chinese were hung on the 29th of April along with Sin, they were Chew Fong, Lyee Nyee and Yong Quock, all found guilty of murdering their countrymen whilst working as servants at Murchison Station.
As difference in religious backgrounds, other than a form of Christianity was simply unknown to the British seeing no expression on Sin's face when he was hung, simply puzzled them. Death does not frighten followers of confucious. Like today most people were disgusted at a murderer, so at the execution witnesses snarled and barked at Sin expressing his savagery.
Two 'Chows' at a time were hung, it is uncertain as to the order as sources differ. It was recorded that the longest muscle contraction was fourteen minutes, which was quite instant for its era. For some unknown reason the sheriff had requested to have all the bodies? Many obviously did not quite with Sin's name, which partially means extreme kindness!
Along with many of Asian origin were the Japanese, who surprised British with clever gold planning strategies. Among them was Iwakichi Oki who convicted of the wilful murder of Jas. Henry SHAW in West Murray. He also was in Fremantle prison whilst awaiting his hanging on the 22/10/1908, which was decided in Perth Criminal Court.
All immigrants were looked upon as the bottom end of society, 'larrikins' some of them include the 'Dagoes' (Italians), 'Reffos' (Jewish refugees from Germany and Austria) and who could forget the 'Pommies'. This was in the eighteen fifties and onwards so Australia had been established for quite some time and Australia had gone from being a unknown land inhabited with British settlers, to becoming Australian. All knew British were known as 'Pommies' as Australia had adapted a culture and society all of its own.
To start with only male immigrants came to Australia, just to see what it was like. Then women and children, large communities were hundreds of miners tents flooded with foreigners. After gold died out many immigrants went back to their homeland but of the ones that stayed many became vegetable farmers and later became valued members of society.
When looking back in history one thing really sticks out that has changed many opinions on capital punishment, terrorism. 9/11, Bali bombing and the Australian Embassy bombing. Terrorism was a word many like myself had never even dreamt would enter that of our daily vocabulary and that of news reporters. Some have said the death penalty should only apply to those involved with major terrorist action and others day death provoke, please and possibly even make them seem godly to the extremists of today. A trip to a Bali nightclub claimed many lives, but is the death of the responsible really going to bring them back?
Homework Help: Social Studies: World Issues
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