A deeply personal journey untangling what it means to exist at the intersection of cultures ‘In these troubling times, identity is of paramount importance. This book is a much-needed work.’ Lucy Sheen
‘A poignant insight into the British Chinese community. Thank you for giving us a voice and a seat at the table. A brilliant read.’ Helen Tse MBE, author of Sweet Mandarin
'An important new voice in our East and Southeast Asian community in Britain.’ David Yip
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It happened on an otherwise unremarkable day. As Daisy J. Hung waited in line, she was singled out – incorrectly – as a tourist. It was a fleeting moment, yet one that spoke to something far deeper. Though a citizen of the UK, Daisy is regularly mistaken for a tourist, asked where she’s really from or greeted with Ni hao on the assumption she speaks Mandarin. These experiences serve as a reminder that, no matter how she moves through the world, she is often seen as an outsider.
In I Am Not a Tourist, Daisy explores what it means to be British Chinese today, and the social, historical and political factors that have got us here. Fighting narrow and dehumanising stereotypes, of Chinese people excelling at school, or being devoid of original thought or leadership, or having authoritarian parents, she encourages readers to interrogate their assumptions and interpretations of ‘Chinese’ identity.
In the wake of the upsurge of anti-Asian racism, triggered by the racialisation of the COVID-19 pandemic as the ‘China virus’, ‘China plague’ and ‘Kung flu’, I Am Not a Tourist exposes the ongoing racism and inequalities that British Chinese communities face, and forms an urgent call for change.
'If you’re looking to expand your understanding of the community, this book is an essential addition to your reading list.’ Lord Sonny Leong CBE
‘The compelling complexities of the ‘British Chinese’ experience – an ethnic diaspora group so often reduced to twee exotic irrelevance (as much by ourselves as anyone else) – are vividly and thoroughly explored in Daisy J. Hung’s seminal game-changer of a book. Lovingly researched, passionately examined and shot through with very real personal reflections.’ Daniel York Loh
