navigating boundaries

First published in 2004, the groundbreaking collection Navigating Boundaries is now free to access from ANU Press!

This edited book narrates the stories of the Asian diaspora communities of Torres Strait, north Queensland, and examines the contributions they made to Torres Strait culture.

The book is edited by Anna Shnukal, Guy Ramsay, and Yuriko Nagata. It features the work of Shnukal, Ramsay, Nagata, Paul Battersby, Reynaldo Ileto, Stanley Sparks, Jeremy Hodes, Regina Ganter, and Karl Neuenfeldt.

Access the book here: https://press.anu.edu.au/publications/navigating-boundaries

Excerpt from the Introduction: 

“No one, however, has attempted the nuanced and comprehensive examination of the five major Asian diasporic communities of Torres Strait — Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Indonesian and Sri Lankan — and their interrelationships, which is the subject of this volume.

Our book addresses this gap in scholarship, illustrating the richness of the Asian experience in Torres Strait and its influence on local social and cultural values, micro-economies and positionings from multiple viewpoints. It highlights the interconnections and contentions among the Asian groups and between them and local Indigenous and European people; more specifically, how ethnic community boundaries were — and continue to be — ‘navigated’ in Torres Strait.”