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Date(s)： 2025/01/03
Time： 10:00~12:00
Venue： Archives 3rd Conference Hall
Host： Prof. Lien Ling-ling ( Research fellow and Deputy Director, IMH, AS)
Speaker：Dr. Mei-fen Kuo (Lecturer, Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Language and Literature, Macquarie University)
Organizer： Women and Gender History Research Group
Abstract： This paper critically examines how women's fashion practices in Taiwan-Australia relations during the 1960s expose tensions in the formation of cultural identity. Through the analysis of interconnected case studies—the Queen of the Pacific beauty contests in Melbourne, Taiwan's emerging tourism industry, and its textile manufacturing sector—this research reveals how the qipao-adorned body simultaneously embodied and challenged colonial desires, class privileges, and racial boundaries. While the qipao projected cosmopolitan modernity, it primarily functioned as a marker of elite Chinese mobility and taste, reinforcing Taiwan's distinction from Communist China while perpetuating existing power structures. On the other hand, within Australia's Free China framework, these cultural diplomacy performances appeared to bridge cultural divides but instead reinforced racial boundaries and social stratification. This study reveals how Cold War cultural practices upheld intersecting hierarchies of race, class, and gender relation. It also highlights how fashion was strategically used to craft an identity for intercultural exchanges, creating enduring patterns of inclusion and exclusion that continue to influence contemporary cross-cultural relations. 講者介紹： Dr Mei-fen Kuo is a Lecturer in Contemporary Chinese Culture and History at the Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Language, and Literature, where she teaches and conducts research on modern Chinese history, focusing on diaspora identity and transnational mobility. Driven by a passion for uncovering hidden histories, she has contributed to several impactful projects that illuminate the evolving Chinese-Australian experience. In 2023, she was honored as a National Library Fellow for her scholarly contributions. Her current research delves into the Cold War era, exploring the intricate relationships between Taiwan, China, and the Chinese diaspora in Australia, offering new insights into global historical dynamics.