Asian Australians Research Articles

Perceptions of South Asian Australians Towards Genetic Testing for Cardiovascular Disease

Perceptions of South Asian Australians Towards Genetic Testing for Cardiovascular Disease

Hidden numbers, hidden people: Family violence among South Asian Australians

International research suggests that migrants face additional challenges that may heighten their risk of experiencing family violence (FV). South Asians are one of Australia’s fastest growing immigrant populations—yet relatively little is known about their experiences of FV. This study sought to address this research gap by ascertaining what could be gleaned about FV experiences of Australian South Asians the Australian Bureau of Statistic’s 2016 Personal Safety Survey (PSS). While prior versions of the PSS have been deemed non-representative of minority cultural groups, it remains the largest FV victimisation dataset in Australia, and undoubtedly would include information about South Asian Australians. Specifically this study examined the lifetime prevalence and 10-year incidence of most recent FV among South Asian-born (SAB) immigrants and compared these figures to Australian-born (AB) individuals. SAB Australians included in the PSS reported lower lifetime prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) and a lower 10-year incidence of at least one type of FV (IPV and/or non-partner FV) than AB Australians. The sampling approach of the PSS was shown to have substantial methodological limitations that reduced the utility of these findings. Specifically, the sampling of South Asian immigrants in Australia was not demographically representative nor was the sample size sufficient for meaningful analysis. The implications of these limitations and recommendations to address them in future population-level FV surveys are explored.

Pandemic Racism in Australia: A Systematic Review

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to diverse manifestations of racism in Australia, from everyday attacks against Asian Australians to discriminatory policies towards temporary migrants. Since the start of the pandemic, considerable knowledge on pandemic-related racism has been produced. This knowledge has yet to be consolidated, leaving questions about the nature, forms, impacts and trajectories of racism during the pandemic. This paper presents a systematic review and synthesis of research on racism during the pandemic, with an emphasis on pandemic-specific racism. We searched the databases Scopus, MEDLINE and PsycINFO for research published between January 2020 and July 2022. Eighteen research studies were included in the review, along with reports of routine data collection by five organisations. The research reviewed collected data mainly around the pandemic’s ‘second wave’ in Australia (June-October 2020), focusing largely on Asian Australians and temporary migrants nationally and in Victoria. Widely studied forms of COVID-racism were verbal abuse, physical attacks, exclusion and Othering, and institutional racism involving governments, media and employers. We examined the pandemic’s health and socio-economic impacts, and variations in experiences of racism over time between ethnic groups. As Australia emerges from the pandemic, we consider the review’s implications for pandemic response, anti-racism practice and policy, and future research.

Police-reported family violence: are there differences amongst South Asian Australians and Australian-born Australians?

Numerous qualitative studies report South Asian migrants use police as a last resort for family violence (FV), however no quantitative evidence exists in Australia. This study examines police-reported FV recorded by Victorian police between September 2019 and February 2020 (N = 32,450) and compares reports made by South Asian-born (SAB) Australians to Australian-born (AB) Australians. Demographics, incidence and revictimisation rates, severity, frequency of risk and vulnerability factors (e.g. isolation & visa dependency) reported by the two groups were examined. More females were affected family members (AFMs) for both groups; however, SAB males were more likely to report non-partner FV. SAB AFMs reported a lower incidence rate and occurrence of revictimisation than AB AFMs. There were no significant differences in the level of severity (based on charges at time of incident); however, significantly higher number of risk factors were present for SABs reporting intimate partner violence. Mixed results emerged in the frequency of factors.

Asian Australian’s Experiences and Reporting of Racism During the COVID-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT Between 13 November 2020 and 11 February 2021, an online national survey of 2,003 Asian Australians measured the type and frequency of their experiences of racism during the COVID-19 context. The survey also aimed to understand the reporting behaviours of targets and witnesses of racism and identify barriers to reporting racism. The survey found that 40 per cent of participants experienced racism during the COVID-19 pandemic, most commonly in public settings such as in shops, on the street, public spaces, and work. A similar 39 per cent of participants witnessed racism. Despite these high rates, Asian Australians overwhelmingly did not report incidents of racism. Lack of trust in statutory agencies and their response to racism reports was a frequent barrier experienced. Feelings of hopelessness, shame or disempowerment and lack of knowledge of reporting tools and human rights were other barriers to reporting. Lifting the confidence of people to report racism remains an urgent task. These findings provide direction for developing targeted anti-racism strategies, reporting tools and support services for targets and witnesses of racism.

A Multi-Step Precision Pathway for Predicting Allograft Survival in Heterogeneous Cohorts of Kidney Transplant Recipients.

Accurate prediction of allograft survival after kidney transplantation allows early identification of at-risk recipients for adverse outcomes and initiation of preventive interventions to optimize post-transplant care. Many prediction algorithms do not model cohort heterogeneity and may lead to inaccurate assessment of longer-term graft outcomes among minority groups. Using data from a national Australian kidney transplant cohort (2008-2017) as the derivation set, we developed P-Cube, a multi-step precision prediction pathway model for predicting overall graft survival in three ethnic subgroups: European Australians, Asian Australians and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. The concordance index for the European Australians, Asian Australians, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples subpopulations were 0.99 (0.98-0.99), 0.93 (0.92-0.94) and 0.92 (0.91-0.93), respectively. Similar findings were observed when validating P-cube using an external dataset [Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipient Registry (2006-2020)]. Six sub-categories of recipients with distinct risk factor profiles were identified. Some factors such as blood group compatibility were considered important across the entire transplant population. Other factors such as human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR mismatches were unique to older recipients. The P-cube model identifies allograft survival specific risk factors within a heterogenous population and offers personalized survival predictions in a diverse cohort.

COVID-racism on social media and its impact on young Asians in Australia

ABSTRACT COVID-19 has fueled discrimination against people of Asian descent across the world, and anti-Asian sentiment has become pervasive across social media platforms. However, little research has been conducted to understand Asians’ experiences of COVID-related racism outside the USA. Drawing insights from cultivation theory and minority stress theory, this study examines how young Asians’ use of social media in Australia affects their experiences of individual and vicarious racial discrimination on social media, and how racial discrimination experienced on social media is associated with their concerns about real-world racism and well-being. A survey of 413 social media users aged 16–30 who self-identified as Asians or Asian Australians shows that active use of social media relating to COVID-19 increases their likelihood of experiencing both individual and vicarious racial discrimination on social media. Racism experienced on social media contributes to their concerns about real-world racism, which leads to negative emotions and low life satisfaction.

Political representation of Asian Australians in liberal nationalist multiculturalism

ABSTRACT This article examines the political representation of Asian minorities in Australia. Utilising the case studies of the 2018 Victorian State Election and the 2019 Federal Election, it analyses how Asian candidates’ migratory, ethnic and politico-economic backgrounds shaped their pathways to politics. Based on publicly available data on Asian-heritage politicians and interviews with Asian Australians involving in party politics, the study finds both underlying challenges and emerging opportunities that Asian candidates continue to experience within Australia’s liberal nationalist multiculturalism. The study finds that institutional barriers, cultural fitness and Australia’s relations with Asian neighbours are key factors that contribute to the changing nature of Asian Australian political representation. Finally, it argues that while Australia’s migration programs have invited the skilled youth from Asia, the country’s historical White Australia policy and modern suspicion of ‘silent invasion’ still present challenges for Asian candidates in politics.

Asian Australian Experiences of Racism During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Victoria: a Preliminary Analysis

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, reports of racism and racial discrimination towards those of an Asian cultural background have increased in culturally diverse countries around the world. The current study sought to gain clarity about Asian Australian experiences of racism by conducting inferential and descriptive analysis of cross-sectional survey data collected from the Australian state of Victoria (n = 436). Building on previous studies which have identified a range of modalities and consequences of COVID-19-related racism, participants were prompted to consider their experiences of racism in the year prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 as well as their experiences during the pandemic on four measures—Direct Experiences of Racism, Vicarious Experiences of Racism (online and in-person), Everyday Racism and Hypervigilance. For the target group (participants with an East or Southeast Asian cultural background resident in Victoria), analysis showed an increase in experiences across three of the four measures, with small to moderate effect sizes, Everyday Racism (r = 0.22), Vicarious Experiences of Racism (r = 0.19) and Hypervigilance (r = 0.43). Analysis demonstrated that the target group experienced a significant increase in online experiences of racism (r = 0.28). These findings shed light on the contradictory findings of previous research on pandemic-related racism in Australia. We show that the pandemic impacted Victorians likely to be perceived as of Chinese background more than other Asian Australians.

COVID-19-related racial discrimination on Asian Australians: An evaluation of symptoms of psychological distress, social support, and acculturation.

COVID-19-related racial discrimination on Asian Australians: An evaluation of symptoms of psychological distress, social support, and acculturation.

AsianCrit and Autoethnography: A Future-Focussed Fugue of Critical Collaborative Inquiry

Despite the considerable influence of the “Asian Century” on Australian Government policy and the purported centrality of Asia to Australian national identity, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has simultaneously highlighted and intensified the deleterious impacts of anti-Asian racism. Specifically, Orientalist discourses and a “fear of invasion” that underpin the differential racialized treatment of the Asian diaspora in Australia have manifested in both old and new racisms that have had significant impacts on the mental and physical wellbeing of Asian Australians. In response to this crisis, this autoethnographic paper acknowledges the growing methodological complexity of Critical Race Theory and advances a novel, future-focussed Asian Australian social justice agenda in solidarity with other racialized minorities by interrogating the collaborative potential of Asian Critical Race Theory (AsianCrit) and Autoethnography through an investigation of their respective theoretical and methodological intersections.

Asian Australians’ Experiences of Online Racism during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Between 13 November 2020 and 11 February 2021, an online national survey of 2003 Asian Australians was conducted to measure the type and frequency of self-identified Asian Australians’ experiences of racism during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey also aimed to gauge the relationships between racist experiences and targets’ mental health, wellbeing and sense of belonging. In this paper, we report findings on the type and frequency of online racist experiences and their associations with mental health, wellbeing and belonging. The survey found that 40 per cent of participants experienced racism during the COVID-19 pandemic. Within that group, 66 per cent experienced racism online. The demographic pattern of those most likely to experience online racism were younger age groups, males, those born in Australia, English speakers at home, non-Christians, and migrants who have been in Australia less than 20 years. Analysis also found a strong correlation between Asian Australians’ experiences of online racism and poor mental health, wellbeing and belonging. The relationship between experiencing racism, non-belonging and morbidity were more pronounced for those who experienced online racism compared to those who experienced racism in other offline contexts. This points to the corrosive nature of online racism on social cohesion, health and belonging.

Getting the Joke: Self -Deprecating Humor in Anh Do’s The Happiest Refugee

Self-deprecating humor, the comedic act of making oneself the butt of the joke, is a staple of the Australian comedy industry and part of Australia’s national self-concept. Vietnamese Australian Anh Do is one of Australia’s most famous migrant comedians and performs self-deprecating humor while drawing on sometimes traumatic experiences from his personal life as part of his stand-up comedy sets. This essay examines how Do’s style of self-deprecating comedy extends from his stand-up comedy to his national bestselling memoir The Happiest Refugee (2010). The author argues that Do’s self-deprecating humor smuggles trauma to Australian audiences through laughs, and she explores the ambiguity in Do’s ability to occupy opposing identities of the “Other” and the “Aussie kid|bogan” simultaneously. Additionally, the author discusses how Do’s use of humor in his life narrative negotiates model-minority expectations leveled against Asian Australians to turn, in a subtle way, what appears to be a joke on him into a joke about the audience.

What social media platforms can and should do to build young Asian Australians’ resilience against online racism

What social media platforms can and should do to build young Asian Australians’ resilience against online racism

Sexual citizenship and Asian immigrants in post-marriage equality Australia

ABSTRACT To date, few studies on sexual citizenship have explored how gender, sexuality, and ethnicity intersect to influence individuals’ migration and post-migration experiences in post-marriage equality Australia. This article argues that a more expansive concept of sexual citizenship is required when exploring the lived experiences of Asian immigrants in contemporary Australia because racialised contexts present various barriers to social inclusion. We posit sexual citizenship as an intersectional, multi-dimensional, and multi-scalar notion that encompasses transgender citizenship. We explore sociocultural stereotypes and sexual racism to highlight the intersectionality between SOGIESC and ethnicity in cross-cultural international migration. We further argue that, as SOGIESC is an integral dimension of immigrants’ lives and cannot be analytically separated from migratory processes and experiences, the concept of sexual citizenship remains central to migration studies. Furthermore, that sexual citizenship research would benefit from further critical engagement with issues of race, gender, sexuality, and immigration status of Asian Australians.

The discourse of the edge: marginal advantage, positioning and linguistic entrepreneurship

AbstractThis contribution discusses some links between the linguistics and the economics of the spirit of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurialism. Whether it is individuals or various social groupings, or even entire societies, a review of policies promoting self-investment in language ability links to a neoliberal economic and political ethos of competition, advantage, meritocracy, innovation and risk-taking; and thereby instantiates an essentially exchange and profit based understanding of communication. The depth and persistence of policy attaching personal and commodified gain to language merges with moral character judgements. I discuss four Asian studies of linguistic entrepreneurship, extracting common elements and differences, and then discuss the project of Asian engagement and language study in Australia. Applying the lens of linguistic entrepreneurship to Australia’s promotion of Asian languages reveals an entire project of national re-formation to foster integration into Asian regional economic and geopolitical arrangements. Much of this national project has been premised on reformulating core purposes of language study around the advantaging of individuals and the nation within an ethos of market competition. Australia’s ambition of national integration into Asia has achieved national consensus, reversing a long history of repudiation of the nation’s Asian geography, yet there are still persisting ideas of orientalism. This is particularly exposed in relation to how Asian Australians’ language skills are treated. Minority language maintenance of Asian languages has been construed as problematic, while Anglo-Australian learners’ acquisition of key trade languages of Asia is celebrated and admired. One result of this is that a considerable part of Australia’s Asia literacy project is in tension with its avowed aim of multiculturalism, which would value all language skills, those of maintenance as much as those of new learning.

Asian Australian Identities: Embodiments and Inhabitations

ABSTRACT Theories of embodiment recognise the critical politics of emplacement associated with the body, as well as its situatednesses in, and as, sites of performance. What happens when such locations shift due to crossings in terms of bloodlines, caste, class, family, gender, nation, race, region, religion, ability and sexuality, among others? How do embodiments that cross perimetres of categories inhabit their place and being, both in the Bourdieusian sense of habitus as well as that of phenomenologists like Merleau-Ponty? Following from these questions, we examine and explore the ways in which Asian Australian land/mind/body scapes and embodiments are made meaningful in changing contexts of communities and crossings, how habitations over space, time and history challenge our ideas of being and body. The theme of embodiments and inhabitations reflects on past practices that have shaped, and continue to shape, the lives of Asian Australians, and to interrogate these practices while also moving beyond them to generate new knowledge. Our analyses push the boundaries of notions of home, rootedness, belonging and place, and past and present: we re-invent, instead of simply responding to the limited ways in which Asian Australians have been hitherto conceptualised and their experiences understood in dominant discourses.

Divide and Conquer: Gendered Division Within the Process of Internalised Racism

ABSTRACT Utilising a socio-psychological understanding of the concept of internalised racism (IR), this article examines the racialised romantic/sexual preferences for White Western men amongst Asian Australians subjects. By psychoanalytically analysing the notion of White nation-building and its inherent gendered dynamics, the article examines how the White patriarchal national will aims to secure its dominance over national space. In doing so, it necessarily engages in two simultaneous strategic plays of power. First, it must secure access to the racialised female element – a symbolic penetration of the motherland’s other. Second, as corollary and catalyst, the national will engenders an emasculation of the racialised male element – a symbolic castration of the phallic signifier of the counter-will. By examining how both these dynamics are internalised by racialised subjects, this article demonstrates how IR ultimately works to fracture a racialised community from within.

Dreaming Diversity: Second Generation Australians and the Reimagining of Multicultural Australia

Dreaming Diversity: Second Generation Australians and the Reimagining of Multicultural Australia

Exploring cultural differences in the use of emotion regulation strategies in posttraumatic stress disorder

ABSTRACT Background: Emotion regulation difficulties are central to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While cultural differences exist in the ways in which individuals regulate their emotions, researchers have not examined cultural differences in emotion regulation in PTSD.Objective: This study explored emotion regulation in individuals from European and East Asian cultures with and without PTSD. Method: Emotion regulation measures were administered to Caucasian Australian (n = 31) and East Asian Australian (n = 38) trauma survivors with and without PTSD. Results: Caucasian Australians with PTSD scored significantly higher on measures of worry, expressive suppression, thought suppression, rumination, experiential avoidance, and general emotion dysregulation compared to Caucasian Australians without PTSD. Similarly, East Asian Australians with PTSD scored significantly higher on measures of rumination and experiential avoidance than East Asian Australians without PTSD. However, worry, expressive suppression, thought suppression and general emotion dysregulation did not differentiate between East Asian Australians with and without PTSD. Conclusion: These findings suggest that there may be cultural differences in emotion regulation difficulties in PTSD and highlight the need for further research in this area.