The case of Malaysian-Chinese youths : understanding their perceptions of ‘home’ and national identity

• Main Author: Thong, Ling Yun
• Other Authors: Laavanya Kathiravelu
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/70028
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The issue of mass migration among Malaysian-Chinese had been widely discussed and numerous studies were conducted to examine the motivations of such phenomenon, its implications on national identity and the meaning of "home‟. However, most literature only emphasize on the perspectives of Malaysian-Chinese professionals, with a lack of focus on Malaysian-Chinese youths. Hence, my study aims to explore how they negotiate national identity and construct the notion of "home‟ while living abroad. From the interviews conducted, Malaysian-Chinese youths negotiate national identity along the lines of Bumiputera-differentiated citizenship. How these youths display national identity, interact within their social circles and perceive Malaysia, can inform us about their negotiation of national identity. Family and kinship are mentioned the most during the discussion of "home‟, some aligned "home‟ with Malaysia while others experience "homelessness‟. Transnationalism also emerged during discussions, where respondents attach meanings to multiple places.