Engaging Chinese Australians in the national conversation on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament is a vital part of fostering reconciliation, leading multicultural advocates say.

Jimmy Li, president of the Victorian chapter of the Chinese Community Council of Australia (CCCA), stressed the importance of the Voice at Australia's first multicultural information session on the topic in Melbourne in March.

“It is important for the Chinese-Australian community to understand the significance of the Voice referendum in the healing and conciliation process of our country,” Mr Li said.

The seminar was designed to engage the Chinese community in a future-shaping public discourse, he said, to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. 

“[The] Chinese-Australian community is an integral part of this country." 

CCCA is the peak national body representing the views of 1.2 million Chinese diaspora in Australia. Its mission is to bridge communication between Chinese Australians, the government and fellow Australians.

Mr Li hoped Chinese-Australian community members would feel better informed on the Voice after the session — which featured Shireen Morris, a lawyer working with Indigenous leader Noel Pearson for 12 years on Indigenous constitutional recognition, and Thomas Mayo, a national Indigenous officer who advocated for the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

Dr Morris, who is of Fijian and Indian heritage, explained what a referendum is and the rules of double majority — concepts that may be unfamiliar to recent migrants.

She said she “really loves” the image Mr Pearson portrayed in an Age article, where he wrote: "We will embark on a new era of unity based on recognition of the three stories of Australia – Indigenous foundations, British institutions and multicultural migration."

Australia has a population of more than 26.3 million, with First Nations people approaching 1 million and multicultural Australians more than 7 million, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics data in April. 

Dr Morris said Australia is the sum of its three stories — the ancient Indigenous, which is written into the continent; the inherent British institutions, which came from 1788, were planted in Australia through the Constitution and created our democracy; and the multicultural achievement.

Noting her racial background, she said migrants and descendants of migrants can feel isolated when it comes to nation-building conversations such as the Voice campaign.

“We can sometimes feel that there is no place for us … that this is not about us … that we are not really allowed to be involved,” Dr Morris said.

Research shows that Chinese Australians’ participation in the political process is not high. A Lowy Institute survey found less than half (44 per cent) of the Chinese Australian population signed an online petition in the past five years, while 38 per cent shared their political opinions on social media on a daily or weekly basis.

Dr Morris said the success or failure of the Voice referendum is everyone’s responsibility and the Constitution will affect every Australian citizen, regardless of skin colour.

“It is very important for Chinese Australians to feel that this [the Voice referendum] is their issue,” she said.

When it comes to Australian politics, Chinese people face language barriers. What’s more, they lack prior exposure to the rough and tumble of Australian political debate.

Since the first recorded Chinese migrant Mak Sai Ying’s arrival in the colony of New South Wales in 1818, Chinese immigrants have suffered inequality and unfair treatment, according to the Human Rights Commission. First Nations people and the Chinese-Australian community endured the White Australia Policy era, too.

But Australia has progressed to be an inclusive nation, where three-quarters of the Chinese-Australian population feel a great or moderate sense of belonging, as the 2023 Lowy Institute poll shows.

The poll also reported that more than two-thirds (67 per cent) of Chinese Australians felt a connection to their local communities.

Mr Li said community organisations could boost understanding of the Voice.

“It’s the role of the community organisations to help diverse multicultural communities to better understand the Voice referendum.” 

Migrant populations rely on their ethnic community organisations to participate in different political agendas and make informed decisions when casting their votes.

In the wake of the Voice to Parliament alteration bill, the Federation of Ethnic Communities Council of Australia sought a resolution of cooperation with other multicultural community groups, to strengthen people’s involvement in the Voice referendum.

Eighty-five organisations signed the resolution including Jewish, Vietnamese, Indian, Greek, Filipino, Pacific Islander, Brazilian and Italian groups.