Griffith In Asia

Australia’s population has been characterised by constant change for many decades, yet anxiety over a rising Asia and racism are continued factors. This has been made even more evident recently with the escalation in racial abuse towards Australians of Asian heritage due to COVID-19. Professor David Walker, Deakin University and Professor Jing Han, Western Sydney University look at how our past still fuels anxiety and racism today. Professor David Walker draws on his latest book Stranded Nation: White Australia in an Asian Region which looks at Australia from 1920 – 1970 and addresses how Australia sought to convince both itself and its neighbours that it belonged within the Asian region. While Professor Jing Han shares her thoughts on modern Australia’s anxiety and how her translation work on the unexpected hit ‘If You Are the One’ has led to an unprecedented cultural impact and influence on Australian audiences in understanding the ordinary lives of Chinese people.