Tag: Culture
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Fusion foods: a Bite Out of History
Asian Australian relationships with our cultural foods are varied and complex. While many recipes and practices can be traced back generations – true products of a unique culture, tradition, and history – others have arisen out of a long and complicated relationship with the West. Just like the plethora of modern Asian-fusion restaurants in the…
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From West to East: Reading with an Asian lens
By Charlene Behal When I was younger, I was an avid reader. Literacy was my favourite subject in primary school, and English my favourite in high school. Writing and reading quickly became my passions, even before I was conscious of it. As a sheltered Asian kid, my experiences were limited but I always sought stories…
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Decision Division: A View of Intergenerational Voting in Asian Australian Communities
“The job of every generation is to discover the flaws of the one that came before it. That’s part of growing up, figuring out all the ways your parents and their friends are broken.” The quote from American-Australian writer Justine Larbalestier’s Zombies vs Unicorns,was printed in 2010 – just over ten years ago. At the…
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Racism has a colour, and it’s white.
Something is festering in Australia. Its roots are deep and pervasive. The trail of destruction and harm it brings to our society and communities. It consumes people, even driving people to death.
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‘Tan and Lovely?’ – the intersection of colourism as an Asian-Australian
When people I meet find out that I’m half Indian, they often say, ‘Oh but you don’t look Indian!’, as if it’s a compliment, and that I deserve to be congratulated for having light skin. The one thing that I have had to face growing up at the intersection of having mixed Asian heritage is…
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Rama-Done Well
As the first week of Ramadan finishes, I am filled with joy and gratitude that I am blessed to see another holy month, inshallah (God-willing). This past week, I gave a speech at an interfaith event where Muslim students broke their fasts with non-Muslim students. That night, a successful and supportive open dialogue was born.…
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From Mikamo to Tyra Banks: A History of the Double Eyelid Surgery 
For many East Asians with monolid eyes, the prospect of double eyelid surgery looms over us. We are bombarded with images of doe-eyed girls, confronted with shelves stocked full of double-eyelid tape and glue, and, occasionally, presented with the surgery as the ultimate birthday or graduation gift. Regardless of whether we choose to undergo the…
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Asian Australian Project submission to the Australian Human Rights Commission
Developing an National Anti-Racism Framework The Asian Australian Project are proud to contribute our submission to the Australian Human Right’s Commission’s ‘National Anti-Racism Framework” AAP’s submission was prepared by our incredible team of volunteers, and focused on the lived and anecdotal experiences of Asian Australians. Through consultation with community members, family, friends, colleagues, and peers…
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‘A Woman’s Choice’ – Dispelling the Myths of the Hijab
Women’s bodily autonomy has always been policed by those who do not understand or have a say in the matter. Combine that with islamophobia and you have a situation where women’s bodily autonomy is been criticised to the extent where laws are been passed to make it illegal to wear face and head coverings. World…
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2021: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly? – The Baddest and Ugliest
As we move out of 2021 and into 2022, we want to reflect on everything that has happened. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. It’s been a tulmotous year for Asian Australians, and more broadly for Asians worldwide. Lina Ali unpacks the Baddest and Ugliest, and what this year has meant for Asians, and…
asianaustralianproject.com 