Voices of third generation Malaysians: Malaysian or Malaysian Indian
Wong, Ngan Ling1, Lau Kui Ling2.
In this article, the third generation Indian voices in Malaysia are examined to see
whether they perceive themselves more as Malaysian or Malaysian Indian. This is
essentially to discover how individuals manage and reconcile their ethnic identities
with their national identity. Through a series of semi-structured interview questions,
the respondents narrate what can be considered as constitutive of their ethnic
identity. Based on the 22 Malaysian Indian respondents, it is found that their
identity is recognisable through four main pillars: physical appearance, religion,
Tamil language and cultural practices at home. While the third generation
respondents have a keen awareness of their ethnic identity, they view themselves as
Malaysian first rather than purely stressing on their ethnicity. This is reflective of
how Malaysianized they are.
Affiliation:
- University of Malaya, Malaysia
- University of Malaya, Malaysia
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