Growing up Asian in Australia

"Growing up Asian in Australia" is an anthology of personal accounts, essays, short stories and poetry edited by Alice Pung. The discourse of "Asians" in Australia is similar to that in America and usually includes people of East Asian "oriental" background such as Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese or Koreans. However in this anthology the term "Asian" extends to people from Indian and Pakistani backgrounds, which is more in line with the British use of the term "Asian".

Contributors include established authors such as Shaun Tan, Simone Lazaroo, Vanessa Woods, television personalities such as Annette Shun Wah, Kylie Kwong, Dr Cindy Pan and emerging writers and poets of Asian descent. There are over 50 contributors.

The book was launched on May 24, 2008 at the Bangarra Mezzanine, Pier 4/5, Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay as part of the Sydney Writers' Festival.

ummary and chapters

Pung has edited the anthology into twelve sections acccording to Australian themes:
1. Strine
"Strine" is Australian colloqualism for "Australian." This section includes stories about language learning.
2. Pioneers
"Pioneers" in Australia usually refers to the first settlers, the English who took over Aboriginal land. "Pioneer" stories are usually associated with the works of Banjo Patterson and Henry Lawson. In this collection, the "pioneers" are Asian accounts of what it was like to first come to Australia.
3. Battlers
The "Aussie Battler" is a stereotype of a hard working, working class family. Working class supporters of the conservative Prime-Minister John Howard were known as "Howard's Battlers". In this section of the anthology includes stories about hard working Asians on farms, in restaurants and in supermarkets. This section includes an account by television personality Annette Shun Wah of her early life as a third generation Asian-Australian.
4. Mates

5. The Folks

6. The Clan

7. Legends

8. The Hots

9. UnAustralian?

10. Tall Poppies
This section profiles high-profile Asian-Australians.
11. Leaving Home

12. Home coming
This chapter includes a piece by television cook Kylie Kwong about her return to ancestral hometown in China.

External links

* [http://www.boomerangbooks.com/content/book-news/book-news-archive/growing-up-asian-in-australia---interview-with-ali.shtml "Growing up Asian in Australia". Interview with Alice Pung by Matthia Dempsey]
* [http://www.abc.net.au/rn/bookshow/stories/2008/2273571.htm "Growing up Asian in Australia" Interview with editor Alice Pung and contributor Shalini Akhil", "ABC Book Show"]