Republic of Wasia? This mixed race moment isn’t the boon you think it is

May 21, 2026 — 7:40pm

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Lately I’ve been seeing hotter, more successful versions of myself everywhere.

There was Hudson Williams, star of HBO’s queer hockey series Heated Rivalry, and Lola Tung, lead of teen romance The Summer I Turned Pretty. Then there’s Charles Melton in season two of Netflix’s Beef, pop star Olivia Rodrigo and indie darling Mitski. During the Milan Winter Olympics, free skier Eileen Gu and figure skater Alysa Liu dominated my social media feeds.

Yes, “Wasians” (portmanteau slang describing people who are half white, half Asian) are everywhere.

I’ve watched on with joy and fascination as this tide of Wasian pride has crested over popular culture. As a Wasian myself (although back in my day we called ourselves Eurasian, halfies or mixed), I’m genuinely happy to see people like myself celebrated.

But I’m also troubled by the narrative I see unfolding, one that only includes a certain type of biracial person – emphasis on the “W” in Wasian.

This narrative – a celebration of Wasian representation as a boon for diversity – evades the point: whiteness is what makes us more palatable; a Goldilocks-esque vision of not too Asian, not too white, but just right.

My mum, a Vietnamese refugee, met my dad, who has German and British ancestry, in Melbourne. They moved to Sydney shortly before I was born and raised me in a predominantly white inner-city suburb – a conscious decision towards “assimilation”, my mum recently told me.

Whiteness is what makes us more palatable; a Goldilocks-esque vision of not too Asian, not too white, but just right.

It’s common for mixed race people to discuss feeling like we’re caught between two worlds. I’ve certainly felt this – the pang of longing when listening to family........

© Brisbane Times