It Just Happened

a haven from America’s social problems. This belief has been popularised by the selective treatment of these migrants in the mass media of both Australia and America. Magazines and newspapers still depict these people as escapees from America seeking refuge in the Lucky Country.~ Explanations of why Americans settle in Australia almost invariably refer to their success in escaping oppressive social conditions, and to their satisfaction with highly romanticised features of Australian life (the people are friendlier, the air cleaner, the children happier, the atmosphere better for family life, and so on). What passes as standard journalism is certainly poor sociology. Such explanations of American migration are superficial, sensationalist, erroneous, and misleading. They