A hybrid cultural identity: A comparative analysis of R. Kwan Laurel's Ongpin Stories and Xin-Mei's afraid to be Chinese

• Main Author: Tan, Eliza Bridget L.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2012
• Subjects: Comparative Literature
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/2569
• Institution: De La Salle University

Being a Chinese-Filipino demands expectations to be met and a family to please. Although Chinese-Filipinos are now generally accepted, there is still the problem of exoticism, prejudice, and the questioning of identities in terms of loyalty and a way of living, society demands that they must be either Chinese or Filipino. They become subject to criticism and misjudgment for being who they are or are not. The study is a comparative analysis on R. Kwan Laurel's Ongpin Stories and Xin-Mei's autobiographical narrative, Afraid To Be Chinese, focusing on the Chinese-Filipino's cultural identity. Caroline Hau's concepts on alien and Chineseness is used to explain factors that shape the Chinese-Filipino's consciousness: their sense of home, belongingness, implications on gender, and acceptance to changes. Stuart Hall's ideas on cultural identity, race, and representation are also used to supplement the study. By analyzing the plot, characterization, themes, and the binary issues found in the narratives, the study was able to explain the specific struggles of the Chinese-Filipinos in the 70's and how they overcame these, the challenges of being in a patriarchal community, and the functions of their home and environment, including Ongpin Street. The research shows that through adaptation and a development of a merchant culture, the Chinese-Filipinos have become more integrated and established as Filipinos in society. It is also evident that the very notions of Chineseness and Filipinoness are changing.