Ang, Ien 1954–

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ANG, Ien 1954–

PERSONAL: Born June 17, 1954, in Surabaja, Indonesia; daughter of Khoen Ie (a teacher) and Sioe Ing (Oey) Ang. Education: University of Amsterdam, B.A., 1977, M.Phil., 1982, Ph.D., 1990.

ADDRESSES: Office—Institute for Cultural Research, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith South DC, New South Wales 1797, Australia. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: School of Journalism, Utrecht, Netherlands, lecturer in mass communications, 1982–83; University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands, assistant professor of political science, 1984–87, assistant professor of communication and research associate, 1987–1991; Murdoch University, Perth, Australia, senior lecturer, 1991–1995, associate professor of communication studies, 1995–1996; University of Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1996, professor of cultural studies; director of Research Center in Intercommunal Studies, 1996–2000, director of Center for Cultural Research, 2000. Visiting professor, City University of Hong Kong, 2004.

MEMBER: International Communication Association, Council of the Australian Academy of the Humanities, Institute for Citizenship and Globalization, Deakin University (2002–2004), External Advisor, National Museum of Australia.

AWARDS, HONORS: Fulbright fellowship, Hunter College, City University of New York, 1986; research fellowship, East-West Center (Honolulu, HI), 1994; research fellowship, University of Iowa, 1998; scholarship from University of California—Santa Cruz, 1998; Isaac Manasseh Meyer fellowship, National University of Singapore, 2000; fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities, 2000; Benjamin Meaker Fellowship, University of Bristol, 2003; Centenary Medal, Australian Commonwealth Government, 2003.

WRITINGS:

Het Geval "Dallas," Sua (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 1982, translation by Della Couling published as Watching "Dallas": Soap Opera and the Melodramatic Imagination, Methuen (New York, NY), 1985.

Desperately Seeking the Audience, Routledge (London, England), 1990.

(Compiler) Living Room Wars: Rethinking Media Audiences for a Postmodern World, Routledge (New York, NY), 1996.

(Coeditor) Planet Diana: Cultural Studies and Global Mourning, University of Western Sydney Nepean, 1998.

(Coeditor) Trajectories: Inter-Asia Cultural Studies, Routledge (New York, NY), 1998.

(Coeditor) Alter/Asians: Asian-Australian Identities in Art, Media, and Popular Culture, Pluto Press (Sydney, Australia), 2000.

On Not Speaking Chinese: Living between Asia and the West, Routledge (New York, NY), 2002.

Member of editorial boards, Cultural Studies and New Formations.

Also coeditor of various volumes of Cultural Studies. Editor, Communal/Plural: Journal for Transnational and Cross-Cultural Studies, 1998–2001. Member of editorial advisory board for numerous journals, including Feminist Law Journal, Cultural Studies, and Hecate.

WORK IN PROGRESS: Developing three projects with Mandy Thomas: research investigating youth, public space in Parramatta, and inter-ethnic relations; a television documentary; and a project on Middle-Eastern and Asian youth and popular culture.

SIDELIGHTS: Ien Ang is considered by many as an expert on race, gender, and cross-cultural studies. Born in Indonesia, educated in the Netherlands, and since then a resident of Australia, her personal background lends itself to her work in multicultural research. Ang's research has touched on media globalization, cultural imperialism, national identity, and the formation of postmodern ethnicity. A particular area of interest for her is the position of Asian immigrants in Australia. Ang frequently speaks at public and academic forums on issues related to these topics. In her book On Not Speaking Chinese: Living between Asia and the West, she examines Chinese identity and communities in other lands, using her own experience as someone of Chinese descent who was educated in other countries. She is also the author of writings on the social impact of the media and popular culture.

In an interview with Maxine McKew in Bulletin, Ang explained that while she is of Chinese descent and speaks three languages, she does not speak Chinese. She noticed the consternation this caused her audience at one conference, and reflected on the fact that in a country where she could blend in physically with the population, she stood out because of her linguistic limitations. On the other hand, in the Western culture where she was raised and educated, she finds she stands out because of her Asian physical features. She concluded that while a harmonious, multicultural society is desirable, it is unlikely to be achieved. Nevertheless, it is crucial to promote tolerance. As part of her quest to help achieve that end, Ang has begun a project to examine how first-generation immigrant youth are defining their identities. Speaking to McKew, Ang stressed "the importance of looking beyond our own interests."