Mixed racial and ethnic identities are topics of increasing interest around the world, yet studies of mixed race in Asia are rare, despite its particular salience for Asian societies.

Mixed Race in Asia seeks to reorient the field to focus on Asia, looking specifically at mixed race in China, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and India. Through these varied case studies, this collection presents an insightful exploration of race, ethnicity, mixedness and belonging, both in the past and present. The thematic range of the chapters is broad, covering the complexity of lived mixed race experiences, the structural forces of particular colonial and post-colonial environments and political regimes, and historical influences on contemporary identities and cultural expressions of mixedness.

Adding significant richness and depth to existing theoretical frameworks, this enlightening volume develops markedly different understandings of, and recognizes nuances around, what it means to be mixed, practically, theoretically, linguistically and historically. It will appeal to undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as postdoctoral and other researchers interested in fields such as Race and Ethnicity, Sociology and Asian Studies.

About the Author

Zarine L. Rocha is the Managing Editor of Current Sociology and the Asian Journal of Social Science

Farida Fozdar is Associate Professor in Anthropology and Sociology, at The University of Western Australia

Reviews

Mixed Race in Asia represents an important advance in both our theorizing and documentation of the multiple and varied forms of 'mixing' in a non-Western context. While Asia - in all its diversity - cannot be understood without reference to its colonial histories, this volume illuminates the pressing need to learn about what mixed race and mixing mean today in societies grappling with social change.

Miri Song, Professor of Sociology, School of Social Policy, Sociology, & Social Research, University of Kent, UK

In the context of Asia where 'race' often holds considerable salience as a socio-political category, this volume turns the spotlight on the lived experiences of mixed race identities. Across a broad range of Asian societies from those that bear the marks of postcolonial plurality such as Singapore and Malaysia to those where nationhood is predicated on claims to racial homogeneity such as Japan and Korea, the authors provide us rare insight into both the pathologies and privileges of racial mixing.

Brenda S.A. Yeoh, National University of Singapore, Singapore

This is a breakthrough volume for mixed race studies. It opens up a new set of regional perspectives, to provide us with fascinating insights into aspects of mixedness in the Asian context. Rocha and Fozdar are to be congratulated on putting together a unique contribution to the field.

Rosalind Edwards, Professor of Sociology, University of Southampton, UK

Book Information
ISBN 9781138282674
Author Zarine L. Rocha
Format Hardback
Page Count 266
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 521g