This 1988 episode of Home and Away sees the iconic long-running soap delving into the racial dynamics of late-’80s Australia. In this clip from Episode 224, Ruth Roo Stewart (Justine Clarke) introduces her new boyfriend, Chinese-Australian David Lee (Anthony Wong), to her friends in Summer Bay. An awkward encounter leads to David venting about the difficulties of being Asian in a community as monocultural as Summer Bay.

The layered dynamics of these scenes reflect the writers' interest in exploring racism at a time when Australia was becoming increasingly multicultural, through a mainstream show that was largely monocultural. Overt racism, micro-aggressive interactions and the evolution of popular racist epithets are laid out on the table with direct dialogue. This builds into a teaching moment for both Roo and the audience, aiming to capture the complexities of the era's racial tensions. From the way it affects interracial relationships to the emotional cost of being seen as other, the brief interactions convey timely concerns in contemporary Australia.

Anthony Wong would continue in the role until episode 228, when his character leaves Summer Bay and Roo to marry a Chinese woman.