When the Pungs arrive in Victoria, they are completely out of place in Australian society. Through the writing of her memoir, Alice navigates the duality of her multicultural existence and ultimately argues for the creation and acceptance of a unique Asian Australian identity, one that reflects both her Eastern and Western roots. As the first Pung born on Australian soil, Alice is just as out of place in her own family as she is in Australian society, and she soon learns that she does not fit neatly into either culture. Unpolished Gem chronicles the long-term struggles and triumphs of the Pungs as they attempt to assimilate and conform to Australian life and culture, while also maintaining their ethnic Chinese identity. Kuan Pung and his pregnant wife, Kien, are determined to raise their growing family away from the violence and political instability of Southeast Asia and instead claim their own piece of the great Australian Dream-the belief that through hard work and dedication, anybody can own a home and be successful in Australia.
After escaping a state-sponsored genocide led by Pol Pot, Cambodia’s tyrannical leader, protagonist Alice Pung’s parents finally arrive in Victoria, Australia in 1980 after spending a year in a Thai refugee camp.
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