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Chapter 10. Speaking of identity?

British-Chinese young people’s perspectives on language and ethnic identity
  • Becky Francis , Ada Mau and Louise Archer
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Learning Chinese in Diasporic Communities
This chapter is in the book Learning Chinese in Diasporic Communities

Abstract

Young people’s constructions of the relationship between language and ethnic identity is discussed, drawing on data from 60 British-Chinese complementary school attendees, and 38 young people of Chinese/mixed heritage that constructed themselves as not being able to speak Chinese. Those young people attending Chinese complementary school strongly foregrounded fluency in heritage language as essential to Chinese identity. Indeed some of these young people drew on moral and nationalistic discourses to challenge the possibility of identification as ‘Chinese’ without fluency in ‘mother tongue’. However, it was also found that, for those young people not able to speak the language, this did not preclude their identification as Chinese: these young people drew on a range of signifiers of Chinese culture, connection, and engagement to position themselves as wholly or partly ‘Chinese’. The impact of the different diasporic family histories for the two sample groups is discussed in relation to the young people’s different constructions, and theoretical implications of the findings considered. It is argued that, despite discourses that produce idealised notions of ‘essential’ features of Chinese culture, in practice young people demonstrate agency in their diverse productions and understandings of ‘Chineseness’.

Abstract

Young people’s constructions of the relationship between language and ethnic identity is discussed, drawing on data from 60 British-Chinese complementary school attendees, and 38 young people of Chinese/mixed heritage that constructed themselves as not being able to speak Chinese. Those young people attending Chinese complementary school strongly foregrounded fluency in heritage language as essential to Chinese identity. Indeed some of these young people drew on moral and nationalistic discourses to challenge the possibility of identification as ‘Chinese’ without fluency in ‘mother tongue’. However, it was also found that, for those young people not able to speak the language, this did not preclude their identification as Chinese: these young people drew on a range of signifiers of Chinese culture, connection, and engagement to position themselves as wholly or partly ‘Chinese’. The impact of the different diasporic family histories for the two sample groups is discussed in relation to the young people’s different constructions, and theoretical implications of the findings considered. It is argued that, despite discourses that produce idealised notions of ‘essential’ features of Chinese culture, in practice young people demonstrate agency in their diverse productions and understandings of ‘Chineseness’.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Preface vii
  4. Contributors ix
  5. List of figures xiii
  6. List of tables xv
  7. Introduction 1
  8. Part I. Family socialization patterns in language learning and literacy practices
  9. Chapter 1. Language socialization into Chinese language and “Chineseness” in diaspora communities 13
  10. Chapter 2. Family language policy 35
  11. Part II. Complementary/heritage Chinese schools in diasporas
  12. Chapter 3. Chinese complementary schools in Scotland and the Continua of Biliteracy 59
  13. Chapter 4. Chinese heritage language schools in the United States 81
  14. Chapter 5. Learning and teaching Chinese in the Netherlands 97
  15. Chapter 6. Language and literacy teaching, learning and socialization in the Chinese complementary school classroom 117
  16. Part III. Bilingual Chinese educational models
  17. Chapter 7. Chinese Education in Malaysia 139
  18. Chapter 8. Conflicting goals of language-in-education planning in Singapore 159
  19. Chapter 9. Chinese language teaching in Australia 181
  20. Part IV. Chinese language, culture and identity
  21. Chapter 10. Speaking of identity? 203
  22. Chapter 11. Chinese language learning by adolescents and young adults in the Chinese diaspora 219
  23. Index 239
https://doi.org/10.1075/aals.12.11fra

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Preface vii
  4. Contributors ix
  5. List of figures xiii
  6. List of tables xv
  7. Introduction 1
  8. Part I. Family socialization patterns in language learning and literacy practices
  9. Chapter 1. Language socialization into Chinese language and “Chineseness” in diaspora communities 13
  10. Chapter 2. Family language policy 35
  11. Part II. Complementary/heritage Chinese schools in diasporas
  12. Chapter 3. Chinese complementary schools in Scotland and the Continua of Biliteracy 59
  13. Chapter 4. Chinese heritage language schools in the United States 81
  14. Chapter 5. Learning and teaching Chinese in the Netherlands 97
  15. Chapter 6. Language and literacy teaching, learning and socialization in the Chinese complementary school classroom 117
  16. Part III. Bilingual Chinese educational models
  17. Chapter 7. Chinese Education in Malaysia 139
  18. Chapter 8. Conflicting goals of language-in-education planning in Singapore 159
  19. Chapter 9. Chinese language teaching in Australia 181
  20. Part IV. Chinese language, culture and identity
  21. Chapter 10. Speaking of identity? 203
  22. Chapter 11. Chinese language learning by adolescents and young adults in the Chinese diaspora 219
  23. Index 239
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