Journal of Economics, Management and Trade 24(5): 1-11, 2019; Article no.JEMT.51072 ISSN: 2456-9216 (Past name: British Journal of Economics, Management & Trade, Past ISSN: 2278-098X) Iranian Elderly in Sydney, Australia: A Reflection on Life Freidoon A. Khavarpour1*, Atena Hafshajani2 and Kathleen Clapham1 1Australian Health Service Research Institute, Building 234 iC Enterprise 1 Innovation Campus, University of Wollongong, New South Wales, 2522, Australia. 2North Rocks Medical Services, North Rocks, New South Wales, Australia. Authors’ contributions This work was carried out in collaboration among all authors. Author FAK designed the study, managed the literature search, performed the statistical analysis, wrote the protocol and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. Authors AH and KC managed the analyses of the study. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Article Information DOI: 10.9734/JEMT/2019/v24i530177 Editor(s): (1) Dr. Mustapha Saidi Atanda, Senior Lecturer, Department of Economics, Faculty of Social Sciences and Current Chairman, Committee on Small and Medium Scale Research, Lead City University, Nigeria. Reviewers: (1) Alan Garfield, University of Dubuque, USA. (2) Liamunga Mwiya Imasiku, University of Zambia, Zambia. Complete Peer review History: http://www.sdiarticle3.com/review-history/51072 Received 10 June 2019 Original Research Article Accepted 25 August 2019 Published 31 August 2019 ABSTRACT The growth in the number and proportion of older adults is unprecedented in the history of Australia. Two factors, longer life spans and ageing baby boomers, have combined to increase this portion of population of Australian aged in recent decades. Using qualitative approach, 20 Iranian migrants, aged 65 and over, were selected and interviewed through a 10 months period, in 2016 and 2017. Conducted in various locations, participants were asked to reflect upon their social and economic experience in Australia. Most were positive about their lives in Australia, considered themselves as Australian citizen, believed Australians have ‘great deal of respect’ for the elderly, are very “warm” and “respectful” towards their elder generation, utilised various government services, and aimed to facilitate the process of “Australisation” of their children. The result indicates that the life of these elderlies can be enhanced by supporting various social and economic services and, by providing ongoing English language classes, a better quality of life for this segment of the population will be ranched. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ *Corresponding author: E-mail: [email protected]; Khavarpour et al.; JEMT, 24(5): 1-11, 2019; Article no.JEMT.51072 Keywords: Older people; social issues; settlement; language; qualitative research. 1. INTRODUCTION help for the expansion of the market, bringing new skills and creating condition for the increase Migration is more than just leaving a place and in employment and decrease the extent of settling in another destination. It has tremendous unemployment cues in the volatile service consequences for those who engage in the economy, as in Australia [12]. Socially, they process and leave their familiar surroundings and improve the social fabric of various community establish themselves in unfamiliar territory. settings by engaging in various formal and Migrants also have an economic impact on the informal sports, arts, education, youth activities, activities of the settled communities. The and religious organizations [1]. Their settlement receiving county provides the newcomers with in the new country in general are not draining the various skilled and unskilled jobs, although might economic conditions or remedy and rectify the be in less desirable jobs, and improves the host financial difficulties facing the host country and country with skilled workers with reduced cost most of all they do not impose on social fabric of [1]. In fact, migrants show a strong resilience and life of the country they reside, as it has been adaptive behaviour to new challenges they face suggested in some daily media outlets [13]. in their early life [2]. They try to take advantage of any opportunities offered them, at least at their The effect of migration on individuals, in this case earlier settlement [3], in order to establish Iranian elderly, depends on variety of factors themselves in the new land. But, despite their associated with this process. Factors such as ability to adapt to new circumstances there are level of acculturation [14], economic conditions psychological and mental health issues faced by [15], age [16], unfamiliarity with the country’s the newcomers in the new country [4]. In case of language [17] behaviors and norms [1], level of Iranian migrants, adjusting to life in Australia and education [18], social background [19] are some becoming “Ostraliaei” (Australian citizen) is an of the features facing the new comers in the host ongoing process throughout their lives. Beyond country. initial issue of identity [5], migrants had bigger task of adapting to a different language [6,7], Many migrants and recently new arrivals as new social norms, adaptive behaviors [8] and refugees, have better skills and know how to most important of all finding suitable employment modify their behaviour and adjust themselves to to be able to feed their family [9]. Lack of the new setting [20]. However, for older familiarity with the new social system [9,2] and in generation, using different coping mechanism some cases experiencing racism and such as balancing their inherited culture, discrimination at workplace [10], lack of enrolling in community-based establishments accommodation facilities [2] made the life much and learning the ways and means of coping with more difficult for the new migrants, as they tried the new social and cultural norm of the new to establish themselves in the new land. Building country were means by which they gradually desperately needed relationship with the tried to adjust themselves to the way of life in a Australian community [8] and establishing new settled community [2]. supportive groups among their countrymen [2] were some of the hard tasks facing the 2.1 Iranian Migration and Its newcomers in the early years of arrival. Consequences In general, this research study aimed to investigate the social, economic experiences of Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 in Iran, the elderly Iranian migrants in Sydney, Australia. there has been a steady of movements by the To facilitate this process, twenty elderly [both Iranians to migrate and settle in various males and females] of 65 years and over were countries, mostly Europe and United States but interviewed and were asked to reflect on their also in other continents such as Australia and social and economic life in Australia and what Africa [21]. Prior to the revolution, Iranian mechanism they used to encounter and deal with migrants had some choice in selecting their place these adversaries. of future residency. However, the period following the scalation of migration, and in recent 2. BACKGROUND years refugees, these migrants have had far less choice in the selectin of the country of destination Migrants and to some extent refugees have a or the time of departure. Such a luxury has been substantial impact on the economy and social life denied more profoundly due to a refusal by many of their new country [11]. Economically, they countries to accept migrants, particularly 2 Khavarpour et al.; JEMT, 24(5): 1-11, 2019; Article no.JEMT.51072 refugees, from any country, particularly people incident in the late 2014, put the Iranians from the middle east [22]. indirectly on the political agenda in Australia. The chronical incident started with the preparator While most migrants from Iran in the early 1980’s Man Haron Monis, an Iranian born and raised to were educated and had several types of job adulthood in Iran, who migrated to Australia in skills, they still lacked proficiency in English 2001, took ten customers and eight employees in language and therefore unable to appreciate the a Lindt Café in Martin Place in Sydney and cultural setting and social behaviour and requested talk with the Australian Prime Minster therefore experienced difficulty in developing [25]. Australian media, television, newspaper, social capital [23] in form of linking between declined to identify him as an Iranian throughout themselves and the Australian community at the affairs and afterwards. Even though Prime large. These inadequacies became barrier to Minster refused to talk to the preparator, but the their ability to find work, based on their personal drama was finally ended with two deaths and skills, participate in educational trainings and score of injuries [26]. The incident created a cultural activities, common in Australian setting. great deal of anxiety among the Iranian But they substituted these shortcomings with population, particularly the “old timers” as they extra efforts to help their children to achieve and felt they felt guilty for what has happened and felt to have a better opportunity to succeed in life in lost their innocence among the Australian the new country. They mostly cherished the new population. life, accepted and admired the political system, and appreciated freedom, justice and enjoyed The 2016 Australian Bureau of Statistics data the equality, security and wellbeing presented to indicates a rise of the Iranian population in them in Australia.