Navigating Boundaries: The Asian Diaspora in the Torres Strait edited by Anna Shnukel, Yuriko Nagata and Guy Ramsay

Book Description

Secondhand. Good condition. Wear to book corners and edges. Marks on foredges, particularly top foredge.

Navigating Boundaries belongs to a new generation of Asian-Australian historical studies. The essays presented here draw on an extensive, widely dispersed body of information, including much unpublished material, to narrate stories of Asian diaspora communities in Torres Strait, North Queensland.

Early chapters give an overview of Torres Strait Islander-Asian-European interaction, documenting the experiences of people from the five major Asian communities in the Torres Strait: Chinese, Filipino, Indonesian, Japanese and Sri Lankan.

Later chapters examine early authorities in the Torres Strait, including the former Government Resident, Hon. John Douglas (who admired Torres Strait and Pacific Islanders but strongly supported the White Australia Policy), and the Protector of Aboriginals (who sought to prevent contact between Asian and Indigenous people).

Other chapters examine the contributions Asian communities made to Torres Strait culture, from ethnic identity, clothing, and cuisine to religion and funeral and burial practices, with a strong focus on the rich musical culture of Torres Strait Islanders.

In the final chapter, a variety of local voices narrate stories of Torres Strait people of Asian ancestry, providing deeply personal insight into the Asian experience in Torres Strait. In this way, Navigating Boundaries brings together a range of voices to examine the history and socio-cultural dynamics of the major Asian communities in Torres Strait and, in so doing, sheds light on the multiculturalism of mainland Australia. (back cover)