In this address/essay Ang poses the following questions: 'How can we recognise diversity as integral and intrinsic to the nation's history, and not just as a decorative afterthought? How can we develop a more diverse, shared, as well as open and living sense of heritage, something that all groups and communities contribute to, including those whose stories and voices are generally marginalised from the canonical national history?' In addressing these questions she draws on her own cultural heritage and her experiences of living in Indonesia and the Netherlands prior to immigrating to Australia.