Title: An Ethnographic Study on the Self-identity and Cultural Integration of Overseas Cantonese in the UK in a Multicultural Context
Stream: Arts - Social, Political and Community Agendas in the Arts
Presentation Type: Live-Stream Presentation
Authors:
Yuran Lin, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, United Kingdom
Abstract:
In this present era, people belonging to diverse backgrounds and cultures are no longer a special phenomenon in China, especially in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou (first tier-cities). More people have the chance to study, live and work abroad. Compared with previous people, the new generation has more right to choose. In the past, people who wanted to have a better life then may choose to work abroad. Looking back the history, Canton, or widely known as Guangzhou, is one of the biggest first tier-cities in China. The city has always been open to the world, even in the Qing dynasty when much of China was closed. Canton has been a city of commerce for centuries; the people's immigration history could trace back to the same period. For now, those who are born outside China, and the third or fourth generation of immigrants in the UK, may not speak Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin), yet they still have the Canton culture part in their lives such as diet, customs, habits, language, music, and art. In the context of Globalization, these “ethnic” Cantonese have diverse cultures, backgrounds, and life experiences. How to these people define themselves and their identity is an interesting question and should be studied closely. Interviews, analysis of narrative data and ethnographic observations will be applied to explore issues such as self-identification, the interactions between the multicultural backgrounds; their practices and how they get used to facing the identity issues in society.
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