CHINESE MALAYSIAN IDENTITY IN A MULTICULTURAL CONTEXT
Keywords:
Identity, Chinese Malaysians, Multiculturalism, LabelingAbstract
This study investigates the development of Chinese identity in Malaysia within the context of a multicultural state, focusing on the period from the major Chinese migration in the 19th century to the post-independence era. A qualitative research methodology was employed, based on the study of literature, historical documents, and academic works. The analysis applies the theoretical frameworks of Situational Ethnicity and Labeling Theory to understand the dynamics of identity formation shaped externally by the state and social structures, as well as internally by the agency of the Chinese community itself.The findings reveal that Chinese identity in Malaysia is not fixed but is a continuously negotiated and evolving process. This is evident across four dimensions: (1) Ethnicity – the Peranakan group displays a hybrid Chinese–Malay identity depending on context; (2) Politics – Chinese identity has shifted from being China-oriented to Malaya-oriented; (3) Religion – Chinese Christians negotiate between traditional culture and new religious beliefs; and (4) Education – Chinese schools serve as sites for reproducing Chinese identity and negotiating with state policies.These findings demonstrate that Chinese identity in Malaysia is shaped by dynamic interactions between individuals, communities, and the state. A comprehensive understanding of this identity thus requires attention to both structural forces and lived experiences.
References
Andaya, B. W., & Andaya, L. Y. (2017). A history of Malaysia (3rd ed.). London, England: Palgrave Macmillan.
Barth, F. (Ed.). (1969). Ethnic groups and boundaries: The social organization of cultural difference. Bergen, Norway: Universitetsforlaget.
Becker, H. S. (1963). Outsiders: Studies in the sociology of deviance. New York: Free Press.
Cui, G. Q. [崔贵强]. (1990). Xin Ma Huaren guojia rentong de zhuanxiang, 1945–1959 [新马华人国家认同的转向, 1945–1959; The transformation of national identity among Chinese in Singapore and Malaya, 1945–1959]. Nanyang Xuehui.
Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity: Youth and crisis. New York: W. W. Norton.
Hara, F. (2003). Malayan Chinese and China: Conversion in identity consciousness, 1945–1957. Tokyo: Institute of Developing Economies.
Hou, K. C. (2002). Malaysian Chinese: Identity, culture and ethnic conflict. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Centre for Malaysian Chinese Studies.
Ku, H. T. (2003). Education and Identity: A Study on Chinese Secondary Education in Malaysia (1945-2000). Xiamen: Xiamen University Press.
Loh, F. K. W. (2000). New villages and Chinese identity in Malaysia. In F. K. W. Loh & K. W. Khoo (Eds.), Democracy in Malaysia: Discourses and practices (pp. 259–279). NIAS Press.
Marcia, J. E. (1980). Identity in adolescence. In J. Adelson (Ed.), Handbook of adolescent psychology (pp. 159–187). New York: Wiley.
Mahathir Mohamad. (2005). The Malay dilemma: With a new preface. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Editions.
Nagata, J. (1995). Chinese custom and Christian culture: Implications for Chinese identity in Malaysia. In L. Suryadinata (Ed.), Southeast Asian Chinese: The socio-cultural dimension (pp. 166–201). Times Academic Press.
Tan, C. B. (2000). Socio-cultural diversities and identities. In K. H. Lee & C. B. Tan (Eds.), The Chinese in Malaysia (pp. 37–70). New York: Oxford University Press.
Tan, C. B. (2005). Chinese in Malaysia. In M. Ember, C. R. Ember, & I. Skoggard (Eds.), Encyclopedia of diasporas: Immigrant and refugee cultures around the world (pp. 697–706). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-29904-4_72
Tan, C. B. (1983). Acculturation and the Chinese in Melaka: The expression of Baba identity today. In L. A. P. Gosling & L. Y. C. Lim (Eds.), The Chinese in Southeast Asia: Identity, culture and politics (Vol. 2, pp. 56–78). Singapore: Maruzen Asia.
Tan, C. B. (1988a). The Baba of Melaka: Culture and identity of a Chinese Peranakan community in Malaysia. Petaling Jaya, Malaysia: Pelanduk Publications.
Tan, C. B. (1988b). Nation-building and being Chinese in a Southeast Asian state: Malaysia. In J. W. Cushman & G. Wang (Eds.), Changing identities of the Southeast Asian Chinese since World War II (pp. 139–164). Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.
Tan, L. E. (1997). The politics of Chinese education in Malaya, 1945–1961. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Oxford University Press.
Wang, G. (1991). China and the Chinese overseas. Singapore: Times Academic Press.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 บัณฑิตวิทยาลัย มหาวิทยาลัยราชภัฏสกลนคร
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
บทความทุกบทความที่ตีพิมพ์ในวารสารบัณฑิตศึกษา มหาวิทยาลัยราชภัฏสกลนคร ถือว่าเป็นลิขสิทธิ์ของบัณฑิตวิทยาลัย มหาวิทยาลัยราชภัฏสกลนคร
