Banana Bending

This is the first book ever to present a comparative reading of East Asian-Australian and East Asian-Canadian novels while addressing the literary and political cultures of Australia and Canada. Generally, the book examines the limits and possibilities for these diasporic literatures in multicultural societies and their placement in relation to national literatures. Issues discussed in the book include: citizenship/belonging, community, images of suburbia, tensions in gender/sexuality, and recycling traditional folklore for contemporary situations. The book offers new perspectives on Australian and Canadian life and society, addressing contemporary anxieties about citizenship, cohesion in multicultural communities, ideas of 'homeland,' and the cultural potential of the 'melting pot.' The author offers extensive background information so that those unfamiliar with either Australian or Canadian material can quickly acquaint themselves with the necessary contexts as well as delving further into their details. Its comparative approach offers a unique way to deal with issues of diasporic 'asian-ness' (a dynamic area of study) and national stereotypes. The book also provides a useful counter-point to recent discussions of Asian-American literature.