What are the limitations of the term Asian-Australian in marketing literature?
I realize that I’ve rarely, if at all, referred to myself during interviews or public discussions as an ‘Asian-Australian’ writer. Why? I wonder if it indicates insubstantial identification on my part with my locus of origin, the Eurasian community of Singapore. I migrated with my family to Australia in 1964 at the age of three and made only a few trips back in adulthood. In fact, I have at least two other reasons for not using the term ‘Asian-Australian’ in media interviews and the like. Firstly, though convenient, this term risks reducing so many very diverse cultures to one apparently homogenous grouping. (Despite this, I’m going to have my cake and eat it too-I’ll use the term Asian-Australian in this article for convenience.) My second reason for not using the term in publicity and press releases about my own work perhaps relates more directly to issues of marketing. Based on earlier experiences, I worry that categorizations such as Asian-Australian, Eurasian-Australian, Chinese-A
