多元社会的文化资源与文化调适：马来西亚华人文化抗争和变迁探析 Cultural Resources and Adaptations in Plural Society: Case Study on Malaysian Chinese's Cultural Resilience and Transformation

Abstract

The Chinese community in Malaysia is a distinct and special group of Chinese overseas as compare to other groups of Chinese community in the region of Southeast Asia. With the percentage of Chinese in the country diminishes to only 24.6%, the Chinese in Malaysia is now practically considered as a minority group in a state which is dominated the bumiputera (sons of the soil) Malay. The political power of the Chinese in Malaysia has been eroded after the incident of racial riot in 1969. Hence the community has encountered continuous political marginalization and encroachment of its interest due to the ascendancy and supremacy of UMNO Malay political clout. As Chinese overseas. Malaysian Chinese in Malaysia have underwent various adaptation and acculturation in order for them to be accepted as citizen of the new nation. The cultural identity of Malaysian Chinese has been the traditional Chinese culture from mainland China. Nevertheless, due to the cultural diversity and the Malay dominated polity of the state, the Chinese have developed a distinct Malaysian Chinese culture based on the traditional Chinese culture and its development in the new milieu. Under this specific political constraints and the endeavour of the community of the community, the Malaysian Chinese culture has manifested resilience in its path of development.

The culturall resilience of Malaysian Chinese is due to the result of ethnicized Malaysian polity and society, as well as the preferential treatment of the Malay community by the UMNO Malay-dominated state. This situation has given rise to the ascendency of the ethnic consciousness in the society and hence consolidated the endeavour of the Chinese community to preserve and sustain their culture. The maintenance of the Chinese schools and the development of a distinct Chinese education movement pose as the main vehicle for the propagation of Malaysian Chinese culture. This paper aims to elucidate the development of this culture and its continuity under the policy of an ethnic-hegemonic state. On the other hand, the acculturation that occurs among different ethnic groups at local level will also be discussed.

Keywords: cultural resilience, cultural adaptation, acculturation, Malaysia, Malaysian Chinese