My Cultural Identity:

Context plays a big role in how I introduce myself. Wadham et al. writes “We have levels of difference and many identities. Which identity is important at any one level is determined by context (p.13).” I agree with this quote in that context influences identity greatly. Not only the context in which one is introducing one’s self but also that of the time someone has grown up in.

Malaysia is a Muslim country populated by the Malays, Chinese and Indians. My mother is 3^rd/4^th (it is unclear which) generation Malaysian born Chinese and is one of the elder siblings of nine. When she was growing up, there was less equality between the three cultures and so even until today my mum would say that she is Malaysian, while her younger siblings and my cousins, who have grown up in a more multicultural accepting environment, would say that they are Malaysian-Chinese.

For me, being born in Australia and my dad being Chinese, sometimes I don’t even know where to begin. Most of the time, I just settle with Chinese Malay but occasionally I have introduced my cultural identity by describing my parent’s cultural identity followed by the clarification that I was born in Australia.

However, when I am visiting my relatives in Malaysia and Singapore, my brother and I are often introduced as the ‘Australian relatives’. In this case, I sometimes feel alienated because in Australia, I introduce myself in relations to them more than I do in relation to the country I was born in and yet that introduction is some how says no. However, at the same time, this introduction allows us to be accepted in a ‘proper’ Asian culture. That is, being Australian becomes an excuse for my brother and I when do something (or in most cases don’t something) that is not accepted in the Chinese way of doing things as well as our lack of ability to speak one dialect of Chinese well.

So to conclude, context plays a big role in the levels of identity where in my case, an Australian context highlights my non white Australian background and in a Malaysian context, it highlights my ignorance to traditional customs and birth place.

Reference;

Wadham, B. Pudsey, J. & Boyd, R. (2007). Culture and education. Sydney: Pearson Education. Chapter 1: What is culture?