Focussing on 'the dialectics of longing and belonging', this article examines the ways in which 'diasporic fictions' relate to their homelands. It compares texts and attitudes in three continents: North America, South Asia and Australia. Part I of the article deals with the Australia-Asia relationship and has two sections: 'Australian Attitudes to Asia' and 'Asian Accounts of Australia'. Part II discusses 'South Asian Canada'.