How did the Chinese in Malaysia build their multi-cultural identity? (Dasom Lee, Youngduk Jang)

• Created 2022.06.03
• Writer관리자
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Abstract

 

This article analyzes the process of constructing the multi-cultural identity of the Chinese in Malaysia. The Chinese society in Malaysia has become a successful case of a settlement in a global and multi-ethnic village. They had gone through the colonial period and been exposed to several discriminatory policies of the Malaysian and Chinese governments. The colonial governments’ different racial discrimination policies and the Malaysian government's Bumiputra policy were two massive blows to the Chinese in Malaysia. Nevertheless, they have established their unique economic position to overcome a series of ordeals and adapted to Malaysian society by acquiring Malaysian nationality. After China's reform and opening-up policy, the Chinese community achieved tremendous economic wealth. Moreover, the creation of the Chinese political party penetrated deeply into Malaysian society, embellishing their socioeconomic status as a multicultural but distinguished one. The scale and intentions of the Overseas Chinese Economy in Malaysia have often been deliberately exaggerated for political purposes. However, in reality, the Chinese community of Malaysia holds a unique national identity, exerting a significant but distinguished influence on Malaysian society while preserving the national traditions and culture. In other words, living as Chinese in Malaysia, they are striving for economic unity and social development with the indigenous Malays while retaining their multi-cultural identity as Malaysian citizens.

 

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*This article is written in Korean.