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Deconstructing the Racialisation Experience of Asian Australians: Process, Impact and Response

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Deconstructing the Racialisation Experience of Asian Australians: Process, Impact and Response Deconstructing the Racialisation Experience of Asian Australians: Process, Impact and Response by Maria Elisa J. Hollero BA Psychology Thesis submitted to the University of New South Wales in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Social Science and Policy Sydney, 2007 ©(MEJ Hollero, 2007) Originality Statement I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and to the best of my knowledge it contains no materials previously published or written by another person or substantial portions which have been submitted for the award of another degree or diploma at UNSW or any other institution, except where due acknowledgement is made in the thesis. Any contribution made to the thesis by others, with whom I have worked at UNSW or elsewhere, is explicitly acknowledged in the thesis. I also declare that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project’s design and conception or in style, presentation and linguistic expression is duly acknowledged. 7 February 2007 i Copyright and DAI Statement I hereby grant the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or in part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all proprietary rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350-word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstracts International. I have not used substantial portions of copyright material in my thesis. 7 February 2007 Authenticity Statement I certify that the Library deposit digital copy is a direct equivalent of the final officially approved version of my thesis. No emendation of content has occurred and if there are any minor variations in the formatting, they are the result of the conversion to digital format. 7 February 2007 ii Abstract The study uses racialisation as a lens to understand the racist experiences of ordinary Asian Australians. It examines the racialisation processes underlying these experiences and explores the strategies employed to respond to and mitigate the impact of being racialised. It addresses the need to develop the theoretical and methodological underpinnings of racialisation and anti-racism in light of the dearth of research work on these especially in Australia. Different elements from various theories were drawn to frame the empirical investigation since no single theory was adequate as anchor for this qualitative study. In-depth interviews and focus groups with 64 Asian Australians generated rich narratives that provided interesting insights on the personal, political, and spiritual dimensions of human experience that connect the lives of racialised subjects. Deconstructing stories of racialised subjects laid bare the essence of racist experiences by revealing insights into when and how race becomes a salient signifier of difference. Racialisation provides a productive way of understanding racist experiences since it allows for the unpacking of the multi-layered linked processes of racial categorisation, racial differentiation and problematisation, marginalisation and exclusion, inferiorisation and devaluation. These processes are ordinarily part of the experiences of minority people. They constitute what can be called ‘everyday racialisation’. The study uses stress-coping theory to examine the long-term and cumulative impact of being part of a racialised group. It shows how exposure to racism stressors has multifarious effects on the health and well-being of racialised subjects. The everyday racialisation of minority groups affects their socio-psychological functioning and limits the life chances and economic opportunities available to them. In addition, the study demonstrates how Asian Australians cope with the stress of their everyday racialisation by drawing from their personal repertoire of discursive, cognitive and behavioural strategies. These, in combination with outside support mechanisms, make up iii what can be termed ‘everyday anti-racism’ strategies. Racialisation provides valuable insights into when, how and why racialised subjects deploy these different strategies to negotiate, contest and bridge the constraints and boundaries imposed on them. The study offers an integrated model for understanding racialisation experience and lays the foundation for developing further the concepts of ‘everyday racialisation’ and ‘everyday anti- racism’. iv Acknowledgements Nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1: 37). He has made this journey possible. He has provided for all my needs. And for all these, I thank and praise Him. There is not enough space to mention the many people who have helped me through this journey. But special mention must be made of the invaluable contributions of the fellow Asian Australians who participated in this study. Thank you for sharing your stories of pain, triumph and hope. I am also grateful for the support that CASS, CPCA-Brisbane, and PACSI provided, without which it would not have been possible for me to meet the study participants whose experiences have enriched this study. I am also indebted to Dr Rogelia Pe-Pua, who not only acted as my thesis supervisor but also my mentor, friend and sounding board. Your patience, understanding, and professionalism truly helped me through this project. You know how much you are appreciated. Thank you for believing in me and encouraging me to pursue different opportunities for professional development and personal growth. I would like to acknowledge the scholarship grant from the ARC-funded Racism project that enabled me to undertake full time studies. I also wish to thank my associate supervisor Dr Kevin Dunn for his insightful comments and invaluable inputs to my thesis. I cherish the camaraderie of my colleagues at the School of Social Science and Policy. Thank you Purita, Lucy, and Jane for your friendship. I am also grateful to my friends—Nelia, Boy, Dolly, Rene, Elsa, Joe, Gg, Manny, Zeny and Rueben. Thank you for always being there to lift my spirits. I also appreciate the technical support I got from Nida and Jenny who transcribed the interviews, and Julie for proofreading this thesis. I would like to thank especially my husband, Rey for allowing me to pursue my dream of earning a PhD. Your love, unwavering support and constant encouragement have sustained me through the years. You have also sacrificed a lot for our family. For these, I am truly grateful. Finally, I dedicate this thesis to my children—Miguel, Anton and Ysabel, who in spite of their youth all displayed remarkable patience and deep understanding of my need to spend away time from the family in the many months that it took me to write this thesis. I hope this study can somehow contribute to making your future in Australia truly more full of hope. v Table of Contents Originality Statement i Copyright and DAI Statement ii Authenticity Statement ii Abstract iii Acknowledgements v Table of Contents vii List of Figures xi List of Tables xi List of Abbreviations xii Chapter 1 Searching for a Holy Grail 1 1.1 Research aims and questions 2 1.2 Key concepts 3 1.3 Research rationale 6 1.4 Structure of the thesis 8 Chapter 2 Racism and Anti-racism in Australia (A Contextual Review of the Literature) 11 2.1 Australia’s ‘racial’ history: A brief overview 11 2.2 Racism research in Australia 16 2.2.1 Targets of racism 18 2.2.2 Manifestations of racism 19 2.2.3 Experiences of racism 22 2.3 Anti-racism research in Australia 23 2.4 Asian Australians as part of the ‘other’ 26 Chapter 3 The Racialisation Problematic (Theoretical Framework) 29 3.1 Race, racism and racialisation 29 vi 3.1.1 The contentious issue of race and how racism is correspondingly defined 30 3.1.2 Origins of racialisation 35 3.1.3 Commonalities between racism and racialisation 39 3.1.4 Multiple, highly divergent views on racialisation 41 3.1.5 Racialisation as everyday race-making 45 3.2 Impact of racialisation 48 3.3 Anti-racism or response to racism/racialisation 50 3.3.1 Prejudice reduction 51 3.3.2 Repertoire of responses 56 3.3.3 Anti-racism discourse 57 3.3.4 Everyday anti-racism 60 3.3.5 Anti-racism practice or actions 63 3.4 The theoretical framework of the study 65 3.4.1 Racialisation process 65 3.4.2 Impact of racialisation 68 3.4.3 Anti-racism 68 Chapter 4 Researching as Part of the Racialised (The Study Methodology) 70 4.1 Qualitative approach 70 4.2 Participants 71 4.2.1 Sampling procedure 71 4.2.2 Profile of participants 73 4.3 Data collection and analysis 75 4.3.1 In-depth interviews 75 4.3.2 Key informant interviews 76 4.3.3 Focus groups 77 4.3.4 Data analysis and write-up 78 vii 4.4 Challenges and limitations 79 4.5 The researcher as part of the racialised 81 Chapter 5 Unpacking the Processes of Racialisation 84 5.1 Elucidating racism and racialisation 84 5.2 Social construction of ‘Asian’ 85 5.3 Context of racialisation experiences 88 5.4 Racialisation as racial categorisation, differentiation and problematisation 90 5.4.1 Ingroup-outgroup differentiation 90 5.4.2 Outgroup (Asian) problematisation 94 5.5 Racialisation as marginalisation and exclusion 95 5.5.1 Discrimination or unfair treatment 96 5.5.2 Exclusion through curtailment of rights 99 5.6 Racialisation as devaluation and dehumanisation 106 5.6.1 Devaluation 106 5.6.2 Dehumanisation
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