ABSTRACT

Many states in the Asia Pacific region are not built around a single homogenous people, but rather include many large, varied, different national groups. This book explores how states in the region attempt to develop commonality and a nation and the difficulties that arise. It discusses the consequences which ensue when competing narratives clash, and examines the nature of resistance to dominant narratives which arise. It considers the problems in a wide range of countries in the region including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

chapter |8 pages

Introduction

Un/settled narrations — Nationalism in the Asia-Pacific

part I|46 pages

Constructing commonality and the nation

chapter 1|19 pages

Rethinking the who, what and when

Why not Singaporean military heroes? 1

chapter 2|25 pages

The nation and its murals

A reading of figural images in Malaysia, 1957–1969

part II|112 pages

Competing narratives clash

chapter 3|27 pages

Between assimilation and multiculturalism

Social resilience and the governance of diversity in Singapore 1

chapter 4|27 pages

(Un)problematic multiculturalism

Challenges and opportunities for social cohesion in New Zealand

chapter 5|31 pages

Colonialism, Sinicization and ethnic minorities in Hong Kong

Social exclusion and barely citizenship 1

chapter 6|25 pages

Migrants, immigrants and multicultural society in South Korea

Multiculturalism and national identity

part III|43 pages

Resisting dominant narratives

chapter 7|20 pages

Managing conflict in Canberra

Race relations, national identity and narrating differences

chapter 8|21 pages

Renegotiating unity and diversity

Multiculturalism in post-Suharto Indonesia