Asia-New Zealand Research Cluster

Localising Asia in NZ

A Symposium Sponsored by the Asia New Zealand Research Cluster
Date: 30 - 31 January 2009

This event included presentations from a variety of people from both the arts and academia.

The symposium examined how Asian heritages and contemporary Asian modalities have become localised in New Zealand and in turn, how they challenge dominant and national representations, both within and beyond the bicultural framework.

It particularly addressed such aspects as history, place, identities, media and representation, exclusion and discrimination, inclusion, assimilation and ‘mainstreaming’, to consider how Asian cultures have become entangled within specific localities in New Zealand. This symposium aims to challenge constructs of a homogeneous Asia in New Zealand, not only with respect to different Asian identities, but also with how these have become engaged within different sites. We would like presenters to consider such themes as how Asian communities have become localised with respect to rural/urban sites; Northern/Southern localities; private/public spaces and gendered spaces.

Visit the following web page for an article about the symposium:
http://www.asianz.org.nz/our-work/knowledge-and-research/seminars-and-networking/localising-asia

Peter Chin, mayor of Dunedin, welcomed participants and opened the conference with some remarks on localising Asia in Dunedin.

Invited participants included: Ruth DeSouza (Centre for Asian and Migrant Research), Roseanne Liang (filmmaker), Lewis Mayo (Uni of Melbourne), Brian Moloughney (NZASIA President), Tarun Mohanbhai (performer), Alison Wong (writer, poet).

The conveners (Jacqui Leckie and Paola Voci) plan a publication as a result of this symposium.

For more information contact:

Dr Paola Voci: paola.voci@otago.ac.nz

The Symposium Programme is given below.
Download a copy of the programme (Word doc 48KB).

LOCALISING ASIA IN AOTEAROA/NZ

Venue:
T104 (Teaching Room 1.04)
Teaching Centre, College of Education, University of Otago
145 Union Street East
Dunedin

FRIDAY 30 JANUARY 2009

9:00am - 9:15am: Welcome - Mayor of Dunedin, Peter Chin

9.15am – 10.45am: Localising Asia in NZ: From the Past to the Present

- Lewis Mayo (University of Melbourne). ‘Prefects, Chiefs and Histories of Sand: Some Thoughts about Systems of Pre-eminence and the Asian-Pacific Pasts of the Manukau Harbour’

- Brian Moloughney (NZASIA President, Victoria University of Wellington) ‘Diaspora and the Dominion of the Dead’

- Ruth de Souza (Centre for Asian and Migrant Health Research, AUT University) ‘Migrant mothers localize Asia: From reproduction to innovation’

10.45am – 11.15am: Tea Break

11.15am – 1pm: Localising Asia in NZ: The Arts

- Sudhir Duppati (Otago Polytechnic) ‘Roots -Encountering new Boundaries- A visual artist perception’

- Alison Wong (writer/poet) ‘As the Earth Turns Silver’

- Roseanne Liang (filmmaker) ‘Mix 'n' Match: a personal perspective on cross-cultural love’

- Tarun Mohanbhai (actor) ‘That Indian Guy’

1pm – 2pm: Lunch

2pm – 3.30pm: Immigration and Identity within Asia in Aotearoa

- Andrew Butcher (Asia New Zealand Foundation ) and Paul Spoonley (University of Waikato), ‘Reporting Super-diversity: The Mass Media and Immigration in New Zealand’

- Huong Nguyen (Victoria University of Wellington) ‘Asian in NZ: Affirmative action (AA) and equal employment opportunity (EEO)’

- Gurtej Singh (Department of Corrections) and Verpal Singh (Sikh Council of New Zealand), ‘Preservation of cultural identity and its impact on shared citizenship’

3.30pm – 4pm: Tea Break

Book Launch: Sites: A Journal of Social Anthropology and Cultural Studies, Special Issue: ‘Asia and Aotearoa’, edited by Jacqueline Leckie (Department of Anthropology, Gender and Sociology).

4pm - 6 pm: Reflections of Asia within New Zealand

- Grant Hannis (Massey University in Wellington) ‘Early news-media representation of Chinese immigrants in New Zealand: The Otago Witness and the arrival of the Chinese gold-miners, 1865-1867’

- Muhammed Musa (University of Canterbury), ‘Ethnic Press and Chinese Transnationalism in New Zealand’

- Sita Venkateswar (Massey University), ‘Engaging with South Asia from Afar: reflections on pedagogy and politics in NZ

DINNER – venue and time to be advised

SATURDAY 31 JANUARY

9am – 10.30 am: Challenging Asian Identities in Aotearoa

- Manying-Ip (Auckland University) and Jacqueline Leckie (University of Otago), ‘Constructed Localised identities: Chinamen and Hindoos’

- Geoff Watson (Massey University), ‘Indians Show the Way’: Sport and the Indian Community in New Zealand’

- Hong-Jae Park (University of Canterbury), ‘Shedding light on ‘filial piety’: Practising respect and care for the elderly among Korean immigrants in Aotearoa New Zealand’

10.30am – 11am: Tea Break

11am - 1pm: Negotiating Asian Identities

- Paola Voci (University of Otago), ‘Isn’t it great? They all speak English! (Mis-)Representations of China and the Chinese on NZ TV’

- David Bell, (University of Otago), ‘Cultural Misrepresentation: presentations and misrepresentations of Chinese and Japanese arts in New Zealand’

- Hong Wang (University of Canterbury), ‘Buddha’s Light Shining on the Land of the Long White Cloud: Notes on Fo Guang Shan Monastery in Christchurch’

- Henry Johnson (Otago University) ‘Drumming up Japan: What Does it mean to be a Taiko Drummer in New Zealand’