Which country in Southeast Asia has the strongest Chinese culture, the largest number of Chinese and fluent Chinese, which is closest to our sense of identity?

Nanyang, the hometown of overseas Chinese, which is now Southeast Asia, is the region with the largest distribution of overseas Chinese and the highest proportion of the local population.

Nevertheless, the population base of overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia cannot be ignored. According to the data in The Distribution and Development Trend of Overseas Chinese written by Zhuang and Li Ruiqing, by 2007, the total number of overseas Chinese in the world was 45.43 million, including 33.486 million in Southeast Asia and only 2.5 million new immigrants.

Based on geographical location and marine tradition, Fujian and Guangdong provinces are the main ancestral homes of overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia. According to the different origins of dialects, they can be divided into five categories: Fujian people who speak Minnan dialect (later called Minnan dialect), Hakka people who speak Chaozhou dialect (later called Chaoshan dialect), Guangfu people who speak Cantonese (later called Zhao Guangren) and Hainanese who speak Hainan dialect.

The total population of the five gangs is about 30 million, accounting for 87% of the total number of overseas Chinese in Nanyang. Based on the data published by predecessors, this paper summarizes and classifies the population distribution and quantity of Nanyang five gangs.

First, the number of the five major gangs up to 2007 was tested. Regardless of the influence of new immigrants, the number of overseas Chinese in Nanyang ranks first in southern Fujian, with 654.38+008200. Second, Chaoshan people, 7.48 million people; Third, there are 4.99 million Hakkas; Fourth, Guangfu people, 4.49 million people; Fifth, Hainan people 1.34 million.

The formation of the above orders began after 1920. According to Zhuang's book The Relationship between Overseas Chinese and China, in the 1920s, there were about 565,438+million overseas Chinese in Nanyang, including Chaoshan 1.8 million, Minnan 1.2 million, Guangfu 800,000 and Hakka 700,000.

On the contrary, as early as the Ming Dynasty, a large number of Minnan people immigrated to the Philippines. Due to the influence of several generations and local history, a large number of Chinese descendants have assimilated to the local area, so that the number of overseas Chinese in the Philippines is only 6.5438+0.3 million.

The ethnic Chinese in Southeast Asia is one of the local ethnic groups in Southeast Asia gradually formed after 1950s, and it is an integral part of the ethnic groups in various countries in Southeast Asia. The predecessor of Chinese in Southeast Asia is the overseas Chinese society in Southeast Asia as a part of the Chinese nation. From overseas Chinese society to Chinese ethnic group, Chinese in Southeast Asia have experienced the transformation from overseas Chinese society to rooted ethnic group, and its fundamental symbol is from complete identification with China to complete identification with local society. Southeast Asian Chinese are not a unified ethnic group, but a general term for Chinese scattered in Southeast Asian countries. Chinese in Southeast Asian countries live and develop in different environments, and their Chinese awareness and cohesion are also very different. Generally speaking, the development trend of Chinese ethnic groups in Southeast Asia is to gradually integrate with the local major ethnic groups and shape the same nation-state.

? From the changes and development trends of ethnic identity of Chinese in Southeast Asia, we can see that as immigrants or descendants of immigrants, as long as they take root, they will inevitably integrate into the local area and gradually drift away from the Chinese nation and culture. Different countries have different ethnic groups, economic strength, cohesion and local governments' Chinese policies, and the development process and trend of their Chinese ethnic identity are also different, and the ways of integrating into the local area are also very different. Either as one of the ethnic groups, it constitutes a part of the local ethnic group, or assimilates into the local main ethnic group, or forms a new ethnic group after merging with one or several ethnic groups. What I want to emphasize is not to maintain the blind superiority of "greater China culture" and "greater China nation". The cultures of various ethnic groups in Southeast Asia are also different. Regardless of assimilation, integration, integration, etc. As long as the process is peaceful, there is no need to regret. Therefore, the Chinese in Southeast Asia are not always "extremely consistent and cohesive" as the famous Australian sinologist Fitzgerald thinks, and even they will form a "third China" in Southeast Asia that maintains the Chinese cultural tradition, but is politically different from Chinese mainland and Taiwan Province Province. At the same time, as Skinner's assimilation theory holds, the third and fourth generations of Chinese will be assimilated into the local society instead of becoming Chinese. As Southeast Asians, they will still maintain the ethnic identity of China people with different strengths and weaknesses for a long time to come.

The true comments of Chinese in Southeast Asia such as Singapore are as follows:

As a Singaporean, my motherland is of course Singapore, that's for sure. We have our own culture and customs, which are very different from China.

I was not born in China, but went back to Anxi, Fujian to find my roots. I like it there, and I am proud that I am a part of this ancient civilization that has lasted for thousands of years. I am happy for the development and progress of China. When the United States withdrew from the climate change convention, China stepped forward and became a leader, which moved me very much.

3. As a sovereign and independent country, Singapore has its own government and military diplomacy, and is a member of the United Nations, so Singaporeans have no national identity with China. The same is true of other Chinese in Southeast Asia.

Immigrants from the mainland will really be loyal to China.

6. When Anglo-Saxons emigrate to other countries, they will no longer regard Britain as their motherland.

7. This question should be divided into countries: Chinese Singaporeans have little affection for the mainland; Thai Chinese have been integrated into Thai people, and local Chinese have been localized in blood and culture; Indonesian Chinese generally do not have much affection for the mainland, because of historical reasons; There are few Chinese in the Philippines, similar to Indonesian Chinese; Chinese in Malaysia are the most persistent in Chinese culture and have a strong affection for China, but they still agree that Malaysia is the motherland at the national level.

8. Some people really have deep feelings for their old country.

9. It can be roughly divided into three stages: 1949, Chinese in Southeast Asia have a strong sense of identity with China; 1949-20 10 years, relatively neglected; After 20 10, with the rise of China's economy and the enhancement of its national influence, overseas Chinese's recognition of China and China's culture is on the rise.

Our culture and civilization have a history of 5000 years. Don't compare your British and American culture with China's. There are many overseas Jews who support Israel.

1 1, I am Latin, I agree with my identity very much, and I am proud of my tradition!

12, do you agree or disagree? In the final analysis, it is a question of education! Singaporeans have been taught since childhood that they are Singaporeans, completely westernized, and they don't have much recognition not only for China, but also for Chinese culture. People who have attended Chinese schools, studied Chinese and grew up watching China TV plays still have feelings for China and Chinese civilization.

13, what about recognition? So what if you disagree? Having lived overseas for hundreds of years, holding the nationality of Southeast Asian countries naturally has little to do with it.

14, in fact, what you said is somewhat arbitrary. Many Chinese in Southeast Asia still have great affection for China and Chinese civilization. This mainly comes from family education. Some traditional China families will teach their children to speak Chinese, tell them that we are from China and tell some stories about their hometown. China people from such families generally yearn for China. Of course, some people in China have no such growing experience and have no special feelings for the culture of China and China.