Shoes Off

Welcome home. With a Labor victory at the 2022 federal election, we join the family as they return home to Biloela. It’s a teary, frantic, and joyous reunion for them, but what does this mean for other families like the Nadeslinagams? Is Labor’s election win the victory that people think it is? In this episode we explore what our government is still doing to not have to accept asylum seekers into...

Everything is riding on the 2022 federal election. The LNP have held firm that the Nadesalingams would not be returning to Biloela, and no special visa would be granted to them, but the Labor Party has made an election promise to return them to Biloela if they are elected. How did this one family become an election talking point in 2022?  We find out if four years of campaigning to bring this...

Another deportation attempt is made, but this time, more people are following their story. Supporters drop what they are doing and dash to the airport to help. Campaigners jump the fence and get arrested. Nevertheless, the family are separated and forced onto a plane. But an urgent injunction is granted mid-flight, and forces the plane to land in Darwin. Rather than fly them back to Melbourne dete...

Early one Monday morning, having spent three and a half years building their life in Biloela, the Nadesalingams are forcibly removed from their homes, thrown into white vans, and flown to a detention centre in Melbourne. The family are told they can’t get access to a phone unless they sign documents saying they would leave the country. What do they do? Why was their visa application unsuccessful?...

It was conventional British colonial policy to look for minorities in colonised territories to use them where possible as the administrative class. Minorities, like the Tamils in Sri Lanka, tended to be more amenable to be used in this fashion because at times this strengthened their position in society. Following Sri Lanka’s independence from the British, the majority Sinhalese ethnic group take...

Nades says he couldn’t sleep when he arrived on Christmas Island. The beds felt like they were moving just like the boat he arrived on. Priya started to feel scared as other asylum seekers around her were being removed by SERCO guards with their belongings in black garbage bags in the dead of night.  Nades, Priya, and their two Australian-born daughters, Kopika and Tharnicaa, commonly referre...

The Nadesalingam family captured the hearts and minds of people across the world when they were ripped from their regional Australian community of Biloela, but there’s more to this than a heartwarming story. This series will explore the social fabric of Sri Lanka forcing Tamils to flee, the geopolitical and national forces at play when it comes to Australia’s immigration policy, the groundswell mo...

Our trusted newsreaders have always been there, from when Lady Di passed away, to when the world was forever changed on 9/11. But who is telling you the biggest stories of the day? And why is it important that we see representation in TV news? Website: https://www.shoesoff.net/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShoesOffAu/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shoesoffau/ Spotify: https://spoti.fi...

"Just get on with it" seems to be the mentality of a lot of refugee families, so we often don't get to hear their stories. In this episode, one daughter of refugee parents is determined (but a little scared) to share her parents' journey to Australia, and how they built a life here. Website: https://www.shoesoff.net/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShoesOffAu/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.c...

Derogatory or alienating racial comments and actions are something most people of colour have experienced in Australia. From "ni hao baby" to being glared at for slurping your pearl milk tea, it's often quite paralysing, and it's hard to know what to do in those situations. So why are these forms of harassment harmful? What does it say about Australian identity? And what can we do about it? Websit...

Are your parents awkward with hugs? Do you find yourself more comfortable greeting people at a distance, rather than a kiss on the cheek? It's fairly common for a lot of Asian parents to not express their affections physically. Why is this the case? What does it mean for us who grew up in a culture that is more physically affectionate? And what can we learn from each other? Website: https://www.sh...

Do you remember the books you had to read in school? Did you find yourself constantly having to put yourself in shoes far outside of your experience? Author Rebecca Lim remembers this all too well, and hoped things had changed since her daughter started school. Discovering the literature was much the same, she set out to write what she wished she had as a child. Website: https://www.shoesoff.net/...

Asian men as a group have it kind of rough when it comes to sex and relationships. They're often less desired than most other racial groups, and have been associated with a lot of emasculating stereotypes. How did we get here? How does it affect them? And how are things changing? Website: https://www.shoesoff.net/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShoesOffAu/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/...

The fetishisation of Asian females is a concept I think we're all at least aware of. But why is it even a thing? Where have these stereotypes of East Asian women come from? How do they affect East Asian women? And how can we move forward? Website: https://www.shoesoff.net/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShoesOffAu/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shoesoffau/ Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2pY0...

Yepp, we're back. It's been another big year, and there's no shortage of exciting things to talk about, so let's get into it. Website: https://www.shoesoff.net/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShoesOffAu/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shoesoffau/ Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2pY0JbH Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2Jz90tx Google Podcasts : https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc...

Caste discrimination is one of those things that you can only understand if you have lived it. Many South Asians have been on the receiving end of caste discrimination, but similarly, many South Asians in Australia have perpetuated oppressive caste dynamics without even knowing it. In this episode, we explore what Caste is, and the complexities of how it operates in the diaspora through the eyes o...

Some of our best comedians of colour often use their race as part of their jokes, and stand up comedy has this unique ability to talk about race in a way that’s less confronting than other methods. How does comedy do this? When can this be perhaps unhelpful? And what is the experience of Asian Australian comedians in the scene? Website: https://www.shoesoff.net/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/...

A lot of us who grew up here probably didn’t learn our mother tongue properly, and maybe we regret it as an adult. Well today I’m bringing you the story of one person’s journey of learning Chinese again without being forced to by his parents. Website: https://www.shoesoff.net/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShoesOffAu/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shoesoffau/ Spotify: https://spoti.fi/...

It’s often talked about how mixed race people are the race of the future. The numbers of mixed race people are growing as our world becomes more globalised, and today I want to explore how their experience can be quite different because they’re mixed race. So what influences how they encounter race? And how does our views of them impact their identity and experience? Website: https://www.shoesoff....

When we think of what good Asian food is, quite a specific image comes to mind. Perhaps a place that is poorly decorated, or where the wait staff just want you to order and get out, or a place with 100 (or more) items on the menu. Or maybe it’s a hole in the wall joint that’s a bit “dirty” but oh, so good. And when it comes to fancier Asian restaurants? Well, apart from Japanese food, we often thi...

Food is so much a part of our lives, and even more so for many Asians. Some are the biggest foodies out there, and although a love for food isn’t uniquely Asian, there are definitely elements of the culture around food, and the way some Asians eat that are pretty unique. This episode is not a cooking show, rather, we explore what is different in the way Chinese cultures, in particular, eat. Websit...

What does Australia look like without international students? What was once a hypothetical question is now the reality as Australia’s travel ban extends indefinitely due to COVID-19. But beyond statistics and numbers, what does it look like to this significant cohort of people and what does it say about us when the government specifically excludes them from welfare support in the middle of a globa...

Crazy Rich Asians. This 2018 blockbuster is, in the words of director Jon M Chu, “not a movie. It’s a movement.” So many of us diasporic Asians flocked to cinemas to watch this film. But why was it so important? Why does representation matter, and what is the state of representation on our screens here in Australia? Website: https://www.shoesoff.net/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShoesOffAu/...

2020 has been an…interesting year. Race has been at the forefront of a lot of news, discussion, and our own lives. And as Asian Australians there’s never been a better time to learn more about how race, and culture influences our experiences. And hey, Shoes Off season 3 has got your back. Website: https://www.shoesoff.net/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShoesOffAu/ Instagram : https://www.inst...

This week's show is from LEMON with a discussion about Mulan 2020 and COVID social bubbles. If you enjoy this chat, please follow the guys from Lemon: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lemonpodcastshow/ Instagram: http://bit.ly/2TPE0df Twitter: http://bit.ly/2TEpfLa Our Spotify Playlist: https://spoti.fi/2IMmpxJ Hosted by:Phillip Kuoch: https://bit.ly/PhilsIG Thomas Tan Tan: http://bit.ly/2TU4QCk...