Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book highlights the particular importance of the Asian region in enriching current theoretical approaches. It offers a brief summary of the unique geographic, cultural and historical contexts of the various countries, as each chapter draws out the ways in which these factors have influenced the development of mixed race identities, opportunities and challenges. The book explores the marginalization experienced by individuals of mixed descent, who, despite their native linguistic and cultural repertoires, are often treated as gaijin. It describes an attempt to tease out the connections, offering insights into mixed race at both individual and structural levels. The book explains mixed race in Indonesia, from very different perspectives. It also presents a historical overview of mixing in Indonesia, focusing on the 1930s to the present.