I Am Not a Tourist

Name: I Am Not a Tourist
Brand: Harper UK
Availability: InStock
Author: Daisy J. Hung
ISBN: 9780008603274

Author: Daisy J. Hung

Narrator: Katie Leung

Unabridged: 9 hr 13 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HQ

Published: 03/13/2025

Categories: Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Asian Nonfiction, Social Science, Race & Ethnic Relations, Emigration & Immigration, Political Science, Colonialism & Post-colonialism, Memoirs

Synopsis

‘An important new voice’ ‘A vital resource’ ‘Important and poignant…A brilliant read’ What does it mean to exist at the intersection of cultures? Though a citizen of the UK, Daisy J. Hung is regularly mistaken for a tourist, asked where she’s from or greeted with 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 , 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’,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’ *Audiobook narrated by Katie Leung ()

Reviews

Goodreads review by Hikari on March 22, 2025

This book is a hard one to rate and review. The author has clearly done lots of research, visited key places and spoken to a large number of people within the British Chinese community. And yet, this book fell flat for me and I'm trying to understand why. Part of the problem is the structure - each c......more

Goodreads review by Joe on May 06, 2025

This book provides a fascinating history of the arrival of the first Chinese immigrants to the UK, and the struggles and hardships they faced. Decades later, Chinese immigrants and British Chinese people continue to face struggles growing up in the UK – instances of racism, a lack of belonging, and......more

Goodreads review by Tania on May 26, 2025

I learned a lot about the British Chinese experience and Hung's insight in having experienced a much wider community as a Chinese American was a useful comparison at times although it also seemed to cloud her narrative at times. Having grown up in the UK where the Chinese community is much smaller t......more

Goodreads review by Astrid on June 16, 2025

I really enjoyed this book and found it both engaging and informative. It offered a fascinating look into the relationships and perspectives, and I especially appreciated the rich variety of interviews and personal stories. These firsthand accounts brought the subject matter to life and added a huma......more

Goodreads review by tiffo on May 05, 2025

Really well done. Daisy Hung laid out a lot for her readers - the long and difficult history of British Chinese people, with much reflection on ideas of identity and community - in such an approachable and readable way. The book has so much good stuff packed into it, but most importantly, it is as i......more

Quotes

‘I AM NOT A TOURIST is an insight into the British Chinese community, often coined the silent minority. ’ HELEN TSE MBE, author of ‘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 of a book. and shot through with very real personal reflections’ DANIEL YORK LOH, actor, writer and director ‘Daisy J. Hung unpacks bureaucratic contradictions with intellectual precision and human understanding. This book combines deeply personal narratives with detailed policy analysis to examine . that challenges oversimplified narratives about migration, nationality and belonging in contemporary Britain’ PEYVAND SADEGHIAN, actor and writer ‘Daisy J. Hung has the great gift as a writer to not only listen but to be able to weave into her narrative the core and intent of what she has heard, with . An in our East and Southeast Asian community in Britain’ DAVID YIP, actor ‘To have one’s unique experience included in a collection like this makes the diaspora experience feel like a collective journey – that for all our individuality we are a rich community of contributors to British life’ CHIPO CHUNG, actor and activist ‘ Growing up, I lacked any real nuanced reflections of people like me, of British and East Asian heritage. ’ LUCY SHEEN, actor, writer and filmmaker