While the world labelled us Asian in 2020, we are so much more than that.
Being Asian today in Australia is not easy.
The year of 2020 saw COVID-19 spread across the world, bringing along with it a rise in xenophobia catalysed by the pandemic. As we battled the virus and persevered through the ups and downs of life during the pandemic, we were forced to reconsider what it meant for us to be Asian.
This project would not have been possible without the support from Diversity Arts Australia and funding from the Asian Creative Grants.
As part of the artist collaborative, Sweet and Sour, I, together with four artists within the collective, designed a series of postcards. These postcards were sent them to individuals who identified as Asian from all over Australia.
Sweet and Sour asked each person to reflect on the year of 2020 with consideration to their Asian identity, and confront the xenophobia and racism that accompanied the arrival of the pandemic.
Each postcard is honest and genuine, and offers a wealth of insight into our intimate experiences. It is a powerful feeling when we realize we are not alone and many of our experiences are shared with others. We are international students, mixed-race individuals, second-generation immigrants and many of us belong to multiple cultural identities – while the world labelled us Asian in 2020, we are so much more than that.
