排華運動下澳洲華人的「痛史」記憶、「華僑」想像與情感實踐

"Beyond “Victimization”: Historical Memory, Nationhood Imagination and Affective Practices by Chinese Australians in the Era of the Chinese Exclusion Movement"

本文以排華運動下的澳洲華人歷史為例，審思近代中國國族受難記憶模式，並提出以「情感實踐」重新理解境外華人國族主義者的歷史經驗與認同變遷。「排華運動」年代中，澳洲華人編寫與想像「華僑」的受難記憶，創新文化生活包括閱讀報刊、郊遊休憩和政治懇親會等，產生新的動能，想像自己是跨越不同時空的國民。20世紀初澳洲華人先以受難記憶的「痛史」敘事凝聚社群，透過消費文化和交誼活動等媒介，形塑屬於他們的記憶，也彰顯了他們要追尋的不只是「我是誰」的問題，更是「我們要變成什麼」的想像。澳洲華人的「華僑」想像和情感實踐，彰顯了他們既是國族主義者也是世界主義者，對他們來說，國族意識不只是一套由血緣和國籍法建構的概念，而是情感實踐的歷史過程。澳洲華人對於排華運動的歷史記憶與傳播，不僅傳遞國族受難記憶帶來的痛，同時也創造新的交誼文化強調跨界國民的歸屬感與幸福感，透過新的語彙與情境，希冀促成新的政治動能，爭取權利，朝向成為爭取享有平等與自由權利的國民。

"Given the history of the Chinese Australians under the Chinese Exclusion Movement as an example, this paper examines the patterns of national suffering memory in modern Chinese nationalism and proposes to reconceptualize the historical experiences and identity transformation of Chinese overseas nationalism through the perspective of “affective practices.” The Chinese in Australia initially adopted the ‘‘victimization’’ narrative to build their sense of community. This paper indicates that Chinese Australians had creatively constructed their imaginations of being Chinese overseas beyond “victimization” by compiling national memories of suffering, and by promoting new cultural life that included reading newspapers and periodicals, recreational excursions, and new styles of political meetings. Their dynamic process demonstrates that what they wanted to pursue was not just the question of “who am I” but the imagination of “what are we going to become.” The transformation of narratives from national suffering to personal happiness and belongings shows that the nationhood imagination of Chinese Australians is not a set of concepts constructed by blood and nationality laws, but a historical process of affective practices in which Chinese Australians fostered new political momentum to fight for their rights of equality and freedom."