Combining a historical approach of Chineseness and a contemporary perspective on the social construction of Chineseness, this book provides comparative insights to understand the contingent complexities of ethnic and social formations in both China and among the Chinese diaspora in Southeast Asia. This book focuses on the experiences and practices of these people, who as mobile agents are free to embrace or reject being defined as Chinese by moving across borders and reinterpreting their own histories. By historicizing the notion of Chineseness at local, regional, and global levels, the book examines intersections of authenticity, authority, culture, identity, media, power, and international relations that support or undermine different instances of Chineseness and its representations. It seeks to rescue the present from the past by presenting case studies of contingent encounters that produce the ideas, practices, and identities that become the categories nations need to justify their existence. The dynamic, fluid representations of Chineseness illustrate that it has never been an undifferentiated whole in both space and time. Through physical movements and inherited knowledge, agents of Chineseness have deployed various interpretive strategies to define and represent themselves vis-à-vis the local, regional, and global in their respective temporal experiences. This book will be relevant to students and scholars in Chinese studies and Asian studies more broadly, with a focus on identity politics, migration, popular culture, and international relations. “The Chinese overseas often saw themselves as caught between a rock and a hard place. The collection of essays here highlights the variety of experiences in Southeast Asia and China that suggest that the rock can become a huge boulder with sharp edges and the hard places can have deadly spikes. A must read for those who wonder whether Chineseness has ever been what it seems.” Wang Gungwu, University Professor, National University of Singapore. “By including reflections on constructions of Chineseness in both China itself and in various Southeast Asian sites, the book shows that being Chinese is by no means necessarily intertwined with China as a geopolitical concept, while at the same time highlighting the incongruities and tensions in the escapable relationship with China that diasporic Chinese subjects variously embody, expressed in a wide range of social phenomena such as language use, popular culture, architecture and family relations. The book is a very welcome addition to the necessary ongoing conversation on Chineseness in the 21st century.” Ien Ang, Distinguished Professor of Cultural Studies, Western Sydney University.

This is the first text to address British Chinese culture. It explores British Chinese cultural politics in terms of national and international debates on the Chinese diaspora, race, multiculture, identity and belonging, and transnational ‘Chineseness’. Collectively, the essays look at how notions of ‘British Chinese culture’ have been constructed and challenged in the visual arts, theatre and performance, and film, since the mid-1980s. They contest British Chinese invisibility, showing how practice is not only heterogeneous, but is forged through shifting historical and political contexts; continued racialization, the currency of Orientalist stereotypes and the possibility of their subversion; the policies of institutions and their funding strategies; and dynamic relationships with transnationalisms. The book brings a fresh perspective that makes both an empirical and theoretical contribution to the study of race and cultural production, whilst critically interrogating the very notion of British Chineseness.

This book is a significant gathering of ideas on the subject of modern Chinese literature and culture of the past several years. The essays represent a wide spectrum of new approaches and new areas of subject matter that are changing the landscape of knowledge of modern and contemporary Chinese culture: women's literature, theatre (performance), film, graphic arts, popular literature, as well as literature of the Chinese diaspora. These phenomena and the approaches to them manifest interconnected trajectories for new scholarship in the field: the rewriting of literary history, the emergence of visual culture, and the quotidian apocalypse - the displacement of revolutionary romanticism and realism as central paradigms for cultural expression by the perspective of private, everyday experience.

The book addresses the issues of China’s soft power in Southeast Asia during the rise of China. This soft power includes Chinese language education and popular culture. With regard to Chinese education, prior to the rise of China, Chinese schools were catered to mainly overseas Chinese children. Non-Chinese seldom received Chinese education. However, the rise of China and the export of Confucius Institutes (CIs) changed the landscape as CIs are meant for the non-Chinese population as well. China’s educational soft power penetrated the larger non-Chinese community, making Chinese soft power more effective. Chinese popular culture has also infiltrated the non-Chinese population. Various chapters in this book show that rising China’s soft power in Southeast Asia has grown quite significantly, particularly in terms of the Chinese language and Chinese popular culture. Nevertheless, its popularity still lags behind American soft power. The Chinese language is still not as popular as the English language. The same could also be said for Chinese popular culture. The growth of China’s soft power faces tremendous challenges in the Southeast Asian region. Its further growth would depend on China’s continuous economic power and cordial relations with the Southeast Asian countries.

Studies of racism against migrants have recently attempted to move away from the presumed dichotomy between 'white' and 'Others', yet the focus of much research remains predominantly trained on 'white' people racializing ‘Others’: whether Black, Asian or Muslim. Attending only to this 'white'/'Other' binary homogenises select groups of non-'white' including Asians. This approach also ignores racialisation and racism by Asians and among Asians. Consequently, there is a dearth of studies on issues of race in non-'white' settings. Through engaging the themes of co-ethnicity, intersectionality and postcoloniality, this book contributes to extant studies of migration in three ways through: (1) examining new geographical sites of racialisation and racism; (2) illuminating racialisation and racism beyond the 'white'/'Others' binary; and (3) introducing new dynamics in racialisation and racist discourses, including intersectional factors such as nationality, class, gender, language, religion, temporal framings and postcoloniality. Asian Migration and New Racism will be of interest to scholars and advanced students of Sociology, Social and Political Geography, Social Anthropology, History and Politics. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Ethnic and Racial Studies.

As in many other oil and gas dependent countries, Brunei Darussalam—a country with a small population but the second highest income per capita in Southeast Asia—has been diversifying its economy in three sectors: from oil and gas to other sectors of export/economic growth; from the dominance of public sector employment to a more balanced public and private sectors employment; and from heavy dependence on foreign labours to development of local talents. This book examines the current socio-economic development in the journey toward a diversified social economy, as targeted in Brunei Vision 2035. By examining the unique context of Brunei, this book fills in the gap on studies focusing on socio-economic diversification. It highlights the importance of the environment, digital technology and human capital in the diversification process. The book culminates with analyses on business, economy, employment and welfare in Brunei toward 2035, with a new face: a digitalized, sustainable and self-reliant society with a highly developed human capital and a flourishing private sector. "This is a very useful analysis of the challenges facing Brunei Darussalam as the country prepares itself for the 21st century. We are in an unprecedented period of human connectivity facilitated by an increasingly digitalised and high-tech world. The transition which the people, policy and business sectors have to undergo, and survive, is a fascinating learning journey for a small state. This book has succinctly highlighted the experiences we should pick up and apply where relevant for our respective countries going forward." -- Ambassador Ong Keng Yong, Executive Deputy Chairman, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; and the 11th Secretary-General of ASEAN "This forward-looking study of the Brunei economy is timely and topical. Appropriately, the authors identify 'diversification' as the country's key economic challenge, in preparation for the exhaustion of oil reserves and as the world progressively decarbonises. To this end they set out a comprehensive reform agenda focused on education, the labour market, social policy, the development of non-oil industries, environmental objectives and much else. This is a very useful and informative guide not only for the Brunei government and society, but also for neighbouring ASEAN member states." -- Professor Emeritus Hal Hill, Australian National University "This collection fills a considerable gap in our knowledge of the socio-economic circumstances and developmental trajectories of Brunei Darussalam. In particular, it serves as a major and much needed contribution to our understanding of the challenges of economic diversification in an oil- and gas-dependent sultanate." -- Professor Emeritus Victor T. King, University of Leeds "This book aims to identify and discuss the various issues about, challenges faced by, and opportunities from Brunei’s diversification of her oil-dependent economy in response to the changing economic landscape at the national, regional and global levels. The various chapters provide a comprehensive analysis of the different sectors of Brunei’s economy, and the authors’ clear discussion of their arguments and justifications that are substantiated with relevant data and graphical illustrations, and a wide range of primary and secondary materials. I would like to congratulate the authors for this excellent book and recommend it to those who are interested in knowing and understanding Brunei’s economy." -- Associate Professor Teofilo C. Daquila, National University of Singapore

What role do Chinese popular associations play in the expansion of civil society and democratization? Under Mao few associations were permitted to exist, while today over 200,000 associations are officially recognized. Are they important foundations of civil society, or vehicles for state corporatism and control? In this book leading China specialists examine an interesting range of associations, from business associations to trade unions, to urban homeowners associations, women's groups against domestic violence, and rural NGOs that develop anti-poverty programs. The contributors find different important trends underway in different parts of China's economy and society. Their findings are nuanced, insightful - and often not what might be expected.

This book presents new perspectives on Southeast Asia using cases from a range of ethnic groups, cultures and histories, written by scholars from different ethnicities, generations, disciplines and scientific traditions. It examines various research trajectories, engaging with epistemological debates on the ‘global’ and ‘local’, on ‘insiders’ and ‘outsiders’, and the role played by personal experiences in the collection and analysis of empirical data. The volume provides subjects for debate rarely addressed in formal approaches to data gathering and analysis. Rather than grappling with the usual methodological building blocks of research training, it focuses on neglected issues in the research experience including chance, error, coincidence, mishap, dead ends, silence, secrets, improvisation, remembering, digital challenges and shifting tracks. Fieldwork and the Self is relevant to academics and researchers from universities and international organisations who are engaged in teaching and learning in area studies and social science research methods. “A rich and compelling set of writings about fieldwork in, and beyond, Southeast Asia”. — Lyn Parker, Emeritus Professor, University of Western Australia “A must-read for all, especially emerging scholars on Southeast Asia, and a refreshing read for critical ‘old hands’ on the region”. — Abdul Rahman Embong, Emeritus Professor, Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia “An impressive collection of essays by two academics who have devoted their academic life to anthropological fieldwork in Southeast Asia”. — Shamsul A.B., Distinguished Professor and UNESCO Chair, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia “The contributors share an unquenchable and passionate curiosity for Southeast Asia. They have survived the uncertainties and disillusionment of their fieldwork and remained first-grade scholars”. — Marie-Sybille de Vienne, Professor, National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilisations, Paris “A penetrating reflection on current social science research on Southeast Asia”. — Hans-Dieter Evers, Professor Emeritus and Senior Fellow, University of Bonn

How Black women celebrate their natural hair and uproot racialized beauty standards Hair is not simply a biological feature; it’s a canvas for expression. Hair can be cut, colored, dyed, covered, gelled, waxed, plucked, lasered, dreadlocked, braided, and relaxed. Yet, its significance extends beyond mere aesthetics. Hair can carry profound moral, spiritual, and cultural connotations, serving as a reflection of one’s beliefs, heritage, and even political stance. In Natural, Chelsea Mary Elise Johnson delves into the complex world surrounding Black women’s hair, and offers a firsthand look into the kitchens, beauty shops, conventions, and blogs that make up the twenty-first century natural hair movement, the latest evolution in Black beauty politics. Johnson shares her own hair story and amplifies the voices of women across the globe who, after years of chemically relaxing their hair, return to a “natural” style. Johnson describes how many women initially transition to natural hair out of curiosity or as a wellness practice but come to view their choice as political upon confronting personal insecurities and social stigma, both within and outside of the Black community. She also investigates “natural hair entrepreneurs,” who use their knowledge to create lucrative and socially transformative haircare ventures. Distinct from a politics of respectability or Afrocentricity, Johnson’s argument is that today’s natural hair movement advances a politics of authenticity. She offers “going natural” as a practice of self-love and acceptance; a critique of exclusionary economic arrangements and an exploitative beauty industry; and an act of anti-racist political resistance. Natural powerfully illustrates how the natural hair movement is part of a larger social change among Black women to assert their own purchasing power, standards of beauty, and bodily autonomy.

"Highlighting the often-neglected queer presence in Chinese feminist movements, Digital Masquerade charts the formation of a new wave of rights feminism and queer activism in post-millennial China and the co-constitutive role of digital technology as assemblage and entanglement in the articulation of feminism, queerness, and rights"--