You know the moment. Someone at the barbecue says migrants are causing the housing crisis. Someone says refugees bring crime. Someone says, "I'm not racist, but …" and suddenly everyone is very interested in the potato salad.

This book is for that moment.

Adam Khaze, refugee, migration lawyer and proud Australian, takes on the most persistent myths about migration – not just to prove them wrong, but also to understand why they feel true to some of us.

Drawing on his own family's story, he traces how fear turns minorities into scapegoats. From there, he takes on the immigration myths Australians hear most: about housing, jobs, crime, family and culture. He also digs into the dark history of race science, showing how prejudice gets more dangerous when dressed up as reason, and makes the case that migration has shaped Australia for the better.

Written with warmth and clarity, Migrants Ate My Real Estate offers something better than outrage or statistics: a way to answer fear and misinformation that's firm without being preachy, and honest without losing people. It's a book for anyone who has ever wanted a better answer than silence.