The Current State of Affairs in the Study of Chinese Overseas
31-01-2012 The Current State of Affairs in the Study of Chinese Overseas
Historically, the Chinese diaspora dispersed throughout the world due to political and economic reasons and pockets of migrant communities settled down in various parts of the world. Some of them adjusted, adapted and became acculturated to local conditions while others were able to retain and maintain their Chinese identity. Consequently, due to differing contexts and circumstances, it is difficult to give a precise definition of who an overseas Chinese is and this also compounded the effort to keep track of the statistics of the migration of Chinese overseas from mainland China.
In the Malaysian context, before the 1950s the overseas Chinese migrants were called Hua Ciao and thereafter Ma Hua. Malaysia is one of the few countries in the world where the Chinese still retain a strong identity and the Chinese education is still allowed to continue unabated. The teaching of Chinese language for practical reasons is strong in many countries with the ascendancy of China as an economic powerhouse. There is a discernible trend in some countries such as Indonesia where the wealthy overseas Chinese are philanthropic in their efforts to help the poorer communities. Such philanthropic endeavors augur well for interracial harmony and reduce the tensions often inherent in communal politics.
Regarding directions for future research on Chinese Malaysians, the fields wide open for further research are on literature, language, religion and education. Literature is able to capture the nuances of Chinese culture which historical and social science studies are unable to do fully. There is a dearth of research done in English on aspects of Chinese Literature. Language change due to the assimilation of indigenous linguistic terms would also be worth considering. The religious practices and beliefs, thought processes and value system are other aspects worth looking into. For education, the instrumentality of the Chinese language and the aesthetic appreciation of its linguistic elements are also fertile grounds for further research.
(Summarize by Tan Ten Lee, tstanley3012@yahoo.com)
