‘The Tyranny of Appearance’: Chinese Australian Identities and the Politics of Difference

Abstract

This essay uses cultural studies approaches to interrogate issues of race and identity facing the descendants of early Chinese migrants to Australia, who are second, third and fourth generation Chinese Australians. Drawing on close analysis of oral history interviews and personal narratives, it investigates how Chinese Australians negotiate their identities in response to encounters of ‘difference’ and ‘Otherness’ within mainstream Australian society. In so doing, it seeks to draw attention to exclusionary mechanisms operating within mainstream Australian society that continue to obstruct the complete acceptance of Chinese Australians as Australians despite rights of birth and citizenship, generational longevity and strong national and cultural identities grounded in Australia. At the same time, it demonstrates how ‘Chinese’ (and ‘Asian’) identities become externally imposed on Chinese Australians, whether they like it or not, despite their attempts to fashion collective and individual identities that resonate personally for them.