Chinese and Any Other Asian: Exploring East and South East Asian Identity in Britain

by Anna Sulan Masing

'Chinese' or 'Any other Asian'. The boxes that people of vastly varied East and South East Asian heritage have to tick when declaring their ethnicity on many forms in the UK.

This represents a shameful sweeping together of a diverse heritage and experience. East and South East Asian people have lived and worked in the UK for centuries, fought for the British Army in both world wars, have influenced British culture through food, writing, music and art in a multitude of ways. And yet this influence is often overlooked.

People of ESEA heritage experience unique forms of racism. Asian food is mocked as unhealthy and Asian restaurants as dirty. ESEA women are exoticised and sexualised, and assumed to be the nanny of their mixed-race children. The community was scapegoated for the Covid-19 pandemic.

Anna Sulan Masing addresses these issues in a comprehensive way. She explores what it means to be East and South East Asian in Britain today, and celebrates the varied experiences that make up ESEA identity. Powerful, moving and illuminating, this will be a must-read for anyone interested in the make-up of our multicultural society.

'Vital reading, but also vital in the truest sense - real, alive, full of humanity, interrogatory, empathetic, energising' Claire Kohda, author of WOMAN, EATING

Genres: Nonfiction

Audible Audio

Published February 6, 2025

Reviews

[Raakel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading about the East/Far East/South East Asian experience of race, belonging and culture identity in the UK. The book was an eye opener in many ways. I, for example, hadn’t realised there is a strong link between food and Othering/Racism, which is discussed in relation to durian fruit:

”I tell the story of the durian because it is easy to see how language used thoughtlessly can risk projecting racism, and through this rather obvious, and pungent, example we can see that it is not only with durian, or strong-smelling ingredients, that this happens.
Derogatory language around non-Western food is seen often, and it is incredibly hurtful and dehumanises.
Food is one of those threads that stays with you, even across multiple generations, as a way to reach back to a home you once knew, or know through the stories from the generations before you.
To hear the words of disgust about tastes that give you a sense of identity can strip you of a sense of home and can make your identity feel less than; that you yourself are disgusting.
We are told we are what we eat, and so these reactions feel personal.”

[Alex Xu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dnf 40%

[Jamie Cheung · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thought this would feel really relatable as an Asian Brit of pretty much the exact mix she’s talking about. But it was so pretentious and so often felt reaching for criticisms that were not important. It’s the kind of book that will turn away people who might have previously been more on side by making a problem out of so many things that are minor or nonexistent and not focusing on more relevant big problems.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

felt a tad pretentious at times (maybe that was just how it came across in the audiobook) but super interesting!! would recommend

[Jennifer Sutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspiring perspective that I will continue to think about as I work to be a better ally.