Undoing Whiteness: The Dao of Anti-racist Diversity Practice

Abstract

As Australia propels towards a so-called ‘Asian Century', pro-diversity discourses have begun to permeate organizations and society. Yet despite this outward commitment to ethno-cultural diversity, mainstream diversity discourses and practices have been critiqued for subordinating social justice agendas and reinforcing the dominance of whiteness. This article analyses in-depth interviews with 18 Chinese Australian managers and local councillors engaged in various forms of diversity advocacy and practice. By reading their voices via the Chinese philosophy of Daoism, I offer an anti-racist praxis of diversity that bears the potential to disrupt white supremacy through the strength of softness and the power of non-action.