I am pleased to share with you, that my essay “The Sound of Own Voices” was recently published by Writers Victoria’s The Victorian Writer magazine (December 2018-January 2019). You can find the full article here, including all the references.
This was part of Pencilled In bursaries and commissions for Asian Australian writers that were announced back in June 2018. When it was announced two months later that my essay was chosen, I was over the moon, because Pencilled In is a unique literary journal showcasing art by Asian Australian artists.
My own research focus is on identity, especially the constructed nature of identity and how it can impact on individuals and communities. To me, identity involves not only how one is defined by others, but also how one defines oneself. I am of the view that we should embrace our commonalities and celebrate our differences, and the conclusion of my essay is a good summary of this view:
“…Asian Australians are unique precisely because we are Australians. As perhaps the most multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-lingual nation in the world, we can do better than labelling those around us with colours. Unlike many of my fellow Asian-Australian writers who were native English speakers, I am constantly seeing different types of Asian, Australian and Asian-Australian identities being formed, standardised and widely circulated in both English and Chinese worlds, by those who insist their voices deserve to be heard because they are speaking on behalf of those whom they consider to be without a voice. All sorts of walls are being constructed everyday, but we can choose to build bridges.”
Please, take a look at my essay and let me know what you think.
Voices under the Sun 陽光下的聲音 