Rich in photos, The Eurasian Face (by Kirsteen Zimmern, hardcover, 2010, Hong Kong, Blacksmith Books, 148 pages, HK$198) professes to reveal not only Eurasians, but how they see themselves.
The photographer believes that no one represents the trend towards diversity better than Eurasians, who blend Caucasian and Asian heritage. Not many years ago, being Eurasian might bring scorn, even shame, but now may deliver advantages in business or social situations.
Everyone “identifies” with Eurasian faces, and amid more-tolerant times, many Eurasians excel. Does the shrinking world yearn for a one-size-fits-all global image, making the Eurasians international ideals?
Presenting mostly full-page, black-and-white portraits with corresponding interviews from Hong Kong and Singapore, the book tells how 70 Eurasians (a tiny sample) view their places in the world. By its nature, this book needs to be bilingual, and it is – in English and Chinese.
Readers may sense something badly off-balance when looking at the huge photos next to exceedingly small text. Zimmern wishes to highlight her images, but without proper play for the supporting words, the book fades to merely a collection of faces. And mug-shots of unfamiliar people hold limited interest.
The folks in the book represent many occupations -- jewelry designer, musician, airline captain, rugby player, entrepreneur, hairdresser, retired policeman, homemaker and more. Many “held similar views and beliefs especially with regards to having ‘Chinese’ morals and ‘Western’ social habits,” Zimmern says. Most “were keen to enforce the idea that they felt equal amounts of each, and it also was striking that many subjects employed the same terms – such as ‘best of both worlds’…. There was an overwhelming desire to portray being Eurasian as a positive and enviable state of being.....”
As one person says, “We take what we like and disregard what we don't like from each culture.... All I can say is that being Eurasian is our identity and that we're happy and proud of it.”
A Hong Kong student named Jessica Ho graces the cover. “Generally, Chinese people think I'm Western and Western people think I'm Chinese,” Ho says. “I don't necessarily identify more with Eurasians. There are so many different types of Eurasians with different ethnic backgrounds. Being Eurasian does define a part of me, but I don't think people should be solely defined by race.”
Significantly, the interviews show that the stigma of mixed blood has faded. “If this book had been written even 30 years ago, the responses might well have been very different,” Zimmern says. “As it happens, differences can be seen between the interviews of those below the age of 20, those now in their 30s to 40s and those who are a bit older. The youngest subjects seemed almost baffled as to why I was attributing such weight to the idea of being Eurasian. The middle group was most likely to be militantly proud of their heritage and in the elder subjects there was often a defensive edge to their answers.... One elderly gentleman in his 80s went so far as to comment that growing up as a Eurasian in Hong Kong was ‘terrible’....”
Hong Kong-born with Chinese and Scottish ancestry, Zimmern has worked as a lawyer in Europe and Asia. She stays alert to the “tell-tale signs” that identify fellow Eurasians. “A slanted eye here, a high-bridged nose there. Straight hair, wavy hair. Olive skin, pale, freckled skin....
“Much of the glory in being Eurasian lies in being different, exotic even,” she says. “I can't count the number of times that someone, upon discovering that I’m Eurasian, has commented that I don't look Chinese. Why should I? I am not Chinese. I am not Caucasian. I am Eurasian.
“Although we revel in our uniqueness, we're still struck with anxiety over our identity and the human need to belong to an identifiable group. In part, this contradiction drove me to create the book.”
She dedicates it “to all the Eurasians out there.... We may be frustrated by the fact that we do not fit neatly into either cultural stereotype. But perhaps in being brought together in this book, each of us may feel a sense of relief – we do not need to slot neatly into either the Caucasian or Asian camp. We are a group in our own right.”
With more and more mixed marriages and Eurasian children, Zimmern reckons that The Eurasian Face will interest all mixed-race people and anyone striving to understand them. Realistically, most readers probably will be Eurasians too, with everyone else distracted by more-exciting bookshop offerings. Luckily for the publisher, the world has millions of Eurasians, so it's entirely possible The Eurasian Face may sell very well.
Approval rating: 59 per cent.
For more information: www.blacksmithbooks.com
(February 15, 2011)
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Kirsteen Zimmern stays alert to
'tell-tale signs' in the faces
of fellow Eurasians.
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