Preservation of home of Malaysian Chinese

Abstract

The study of diaspora dictates a yearning to return home which finds its Chinese equivalent in the notion of louye-guigen ( 落葉歸根) - returning to the roots. However, reality is that diaspora comes to an end after settlement for two to three generations. We do see the prevailing trend of luodi-shenggen (落地生根) – the planting of permanent roots in the soils of different countries of Chinese overseas. In some Chinese communities, luodi-shenggen turns out to be a total assimilation while others developed a uniquely Chinese identity.

This dissertation seeks to examine how the Sinophone as ennuciative tactic to afford a sense of homeliness to the Malaysian Chinese – Mahua (馬華) who maintain a practice of Sinitic languages in their daily life for generations while they unmistakably identify themselves as Malaysian. Such identification situates them in an inbetweenness where they engage in constant dialog to engender new speech act. Through the study of Chinese street names in George Town, Penang and the Sinophone cultural troupe Dongdiyin (動地吟), I argue that Sinitic languages afford the Malaysian Chinese a sense of home and that Sinitic languages are employed as a tactic in face of the grand narratives of their mother Chinese culture and the Malaysian national discourse, and to displace them.