Explorations of migration, identity and creativity can take us into less comfortable territory - and in this second instalment of my conversation with Manchester-based researcher and educator Clare Courtney, we explore these themes while sometimes sitting with this discomfort.
Building on the counterpoints we uncovered in part one - including Clare's childhood in Hong Kong, mine growing up in the UK to Hong Kong immigrant parents - we move into more difficult terrain: how perceptions of \"Chineseness\" can range from the lighthearted, like the TikTok trend of Chinamaxxing, to serious questions of bias and systemic harms.
We unpack some of the stereotypes that shape how Chinese and East and Southeast Asian people are often seen - hardworking yet passive, in contrast to notions of originality and creativity. As the conversation unfolds, hear how such perceptions can bear out in work, in academia, and beyond.
We also explore the concept of liminality and the range of emotions and situations that can arise from occupying the in-between spaces. And Clare turns an unflinchingly honest eye on her own positionality, co-founding Heart and Parcel, asking herself difficult questions about privilege, whose experiences count, and whether good intentions equate to good outcomes.
Tune in for a candid, honest conversation that invites us to reflect alongside Clare on these challenging questions - as well as lightness and moments of shared laughter along the way. Thank you to Clare for her generosity in sharing her own experiences.
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