As a contribution to understanding the Chinese immigrants and their
community, this study seeks to explore the factors influencing the formation and
development of cultural identity among members of the Chinese diaspora in
Australia. These include Chinese community life, family and professional
networks, media use and its influences, and the changes that have taken place
over the past ten years.
Chinese communities in Australia are not homogeneous. Although they may all
call themselves Chinese, they differ among themselves according to dialect,
subdialect, clan and family, all of which are linked to their place of ancestral
origin in China, as well as by country of birth outside of China. The degree to
which these differences are considered important varies from individual to
individual, but a community, whether it is constituted for social or business
purposes, always comprises individuals who share one or more of these
secondary characteristics in addition to their collective cultural characteristics.
The study focuses on Canberra as a case study. First, it examines the
similarities and differences within the Chinese diaspora coming from different
geographical origins. It uses interviews and narrative analysis to examine the
nature of Chinese immigrants and to assess their social, political and cultural
context, with the aim to challenge the monolithic view that only one kind of
Chinese community exists. It investigates how cultural background and other
factors affect the formation and development of people's identity. In addition, as
a point of secondary comparison, this study also analyses the differences
between the Chinese diaspora in Canberra and Sydney. The aim here is to
assess how the different locations and different characteristics of these cities
communication networks affect migrants' adaptation to Australian society.
Special attention will be given to differences between Dalu ren (the mainland
Chinese), who came to Australia after the events of Tiananmen Square in 1989,
and the other diasporic Chinese groups in Australia, which include Taiwan ren
(Taiwanese), Xianggangren' (Honkongese), Malaixiya hua ren (Malaysian
Chinese), and Xinjiapo hua ren (Singaporean Chinese). Since mainland China
has had a different political system and the Communist Party replaced much
Chinese tradition, people from the mainland have kept the least Chinese
cultural traditions. Chinese from other regions try to keep the Chinese tradition
as it was. However, the culture in mainland China has already changed.
Therefore, the understanding of the Chinese tradition and culture among the
Chinese from different regions varies greatly.
This thesis explores the changing understanding within the members of the
diasporic community of cultural identity. It attempts to show the strong
influence of the notion of an original culture on the Chinese diaspora and how
these ideas influence the way that diasporic Chinese community members
interact within Australian society. It will investigate the changing
characteristics, both social and individual, of mainlanders and other groups of
Chinese immigrants in the 1990s, in the context of their professional, social and
family networks. It will examine areas such as media use, languages and
involvement with community development activities, and whether there are
significant differences in their acculturation according to their different gender
and places of origins.
1 Although Hong Kong has become part of China since 1997, there have, however, been
different political and social systems in Hong Kong and the mainland, so this study researches
Hong Kong in a separate category for the purpose of exploring differences.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/219479 |
| Date | January 2001 |
| Creators | Xiao, Jun, n/a |
| Publisher | University of Canberra. Professional Communication |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | ), Copyright Jun Xiao |
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