Unbundling National Identity: Global Migration and the Advent of Multicultural Societies in East Asia

The bundling of race and ethnicity with nation is common in state ideology and popular perceptions in Pacific Asia. These beliefs in racial homogeneity, deeply held by the societies that make up the region, are now being challenged by the international migration of workers, most of whom are themselves from Asia or have ethnic Asian origins. The advent of multicultural societies has already begun and, given both the globalization of migration and demographic trends in the higher income economies, it will increasingly become an issue for public policy in the coming decades. While central governments tend to continue to reify the race-nation ideology, local governments and citizen groups have in many instances become more positive in their responses to the issues of cultural diversity and social justice for foreign workers working and living in their communities.