Single Asian Females Alex Lee And Courtney Stewart Have A Laugh At Casual Racism

It's a sometimes-baffling contradiction that a country as multicultural and ethnically diverse as Australia should be so persistently hamstrung by racist attitudes. Of course, ours is a nation founded on stolen land, built on an all but obliterated Indigenous way of life; racial oppression is part of Australia's DNA. It's a past that many white Aussies still struggle to look in the eye, but since those bloody days of yore, our understanding and appreciation of the rich ethnic make-up of our land Down Under has surely evolved? Yes and no, as Alex Lee and Courtney Stewart explain. The pair star in Michelle Law's new comedy Single Asian Female, a sharply incisive domestic satire about the identity conundrum of Australians with a mixed cultural heritage and the casual discrimination they often face.

"The racism that I've personally experienced isn't being screamed at you by someone on the tram, although that has happened to me before," Lee shares. "A lot of it is what you might call micro-aggressions - things that people might not realise are offensive. For example, always being asked where you're from. 'What's your background? When did you get here?' People just can't let it rest. It's like they need to know that you're a legit Australian."

Arguably, Aussies should be more acutely conscious of racial insensitivity because of the glaring injustices committed by our forebears and the not-yet-reconciled consequences of that shameful history. And yet, despite these good intentions, it's still all-too-easy to fumble with political correctness. "Asians are like the 'good' kind of immigrants. We open bakeries and restaurants and drive cabs. We're good at school and don't get in trouble or protest things. But that generalisation is so sweeping and no better than saying all Muslims are terrorists. Asian people aren't immune to racist sentiment," Lee observes. Stewart adds, "Last time Pauline Hanson was in town she was really angry about 'the Asians' and, with everything that's happening in America right now, it's not out of the question that the winds will change and suddenly we'll be the target of that fear and shock, which people in power right now are capitalising on."

"The racism that I've personally experienced isn't being screamed at you by someone on the tram, although that has happened to me before."

For many ethnic minorities, the persistent presence of an unconscious bias, whether it be via unintentionally offensive racial slang, crass stereotypes, or as is the case for many women of colour, being viewed as exotic erotic trophies, is part and parcel of living in present day Australia. But that's not to say it has to be a part of this nation's future. "There's a lot of hope for our country because we have that ability to be flawed but at the same time have the willingness to change," Stewart insists. "I think it's up to people in our position, who are visible and understand this story, to be a catalyst for change, to become invested in those conversations.

"It's about opening up a dialogue, because as soon as someone feels their point of view is being derided or attacked - which is different to being challenged, I think - then you can't really have a conversation with that person. You've shut down those channels of communication. That person has to be receptive enough and open enough to allow your point of view in."

So, how do you unravel these knotty prejudices when they're woven so fundamentally into the fabric of the Australian psyche? Michelle Law's strategy is simple: make 'em laugh. Single Asian Female- the product of a three-year collaboration with La Boite Theatre Company - offers a comedic window onto the Chinese-Australian experience via the stories of three women at different stages in their lives. Pearl, played by Hsiao-Ling Tang, is a Chinese migrant and mother who runs a restaurant. Her Westernised, grown-up children, Zoe (Alex Lee) and Mei (Courtney Stewart), are caught in a hinterland between two worlds, weighing up whether to assimilate fully into Australian society or hold on to the culture of their parents.

For Lee and Stewart, engaging with this hot-button topic through comedy is key to bringing these issues out of the shadows. "Nobody likes being told what to do. When you use humour it takes away that aggression and those feelings of confrontation," Lee smiles. "Once you've made someone laugh you've given them a positive experience of that culture they may have been afraid of. You've released those endorphins and given them a good feeling while shining a light on their prejudice. You've challenged their beliefs without humiliating them."

"I think humour disarms people, and if they see something that they weren't expecting, that maybe shows how relatable these characters can be, then you immediately even the playing field," Stewart adds. "All the characters in this play are very believable, very real. They have heart, they have flaws and feelings and empathy. They're human beings. Revealing that truth, that we're all ultimately the same, is what theatre like this is all about."

La Boite Theatre Company presents Single Asian Female, 11 Feb — 4 Mar, at Roundhouse Theatre.