Chinese Identity in London

SHEN Ning

Abstract：

The basic aim of this study is to find out and understand the strength and inspiration behind the identity of Chinese in London， and how it has been maintained from the aspects of cultural heritage and cultural memory.

“Individuals have always been capable of identifying with different social groups and spatial scales”（Ashworth et al. 2007， 4）； and furthermore， as Sewell puts it， “culture exists only in and through practices” （1999 in Ashworth et al. 2007， 7）. Therefore， the main methodology for researching Chinese identity in London will be through interviews and questionnaires， looking for answers by asking questions about the circumstances of Chinese daily lives； at the same time，the ways of their maintenance will be explored further.

The questionnaires were divided into mainly two groups of respondents： Chinese and non-Chinese， and they were done in Chinatown and in my volunteer group doing the placement at the Museum of London Docklands. The purpose of questionnaires was to unearth general ideas about Chinese identity.

The interviews were based on semi-structured questions. The questions were based on the use of an “interview guide” （Bernard 2006， 212）， which directed the conversation towards their daily lives， connections with China， living habits， social surroundings such as friends， and interests. Meanwhile， during the interviewing process， the respondents were also encouraged to feel free to talk more about other things that they would like to say.Through these interviews， a general description of Chinese lives in London could be drawn.

When talking to interviewees about Chinatown， we find that it is a place connected with daily life； whereas for non-Chinese， it is considered more as tourist or leisure site full of lanterns and an enormous variety of restaurants （Masters et al. 2008， 67）. A lot of Chinese get jobs there in order to survive. Chinese go to Chinatown to buy food and commodities that are not available elsewhere， or meet friends there. For the elders especially， Chinatown is a very important “must go to” place. It is a place upon which their daily lives rely. Therefore， Chinatown is supposed to be an essential extension in London of Chinese relationship transcended over Chinas boundary （Bouchier & Hui， 2007： 2）.

Meanwhile， I found that although life to some extent is an individual thing， all the interviewees lead corresponding lives. Each individual can decide what to do in a given moment， but there are always some things that the whole group does in the same way. The explanation for this is that they hold the same cultural heritage. Under this displaced condition， they rely on their own heritage much more than others to feel better， more rooted and more secure （Howard 2003， 147）. At this time， cultural heritage gains strength and is more powerful than usual. Depending on the Chinese culture and traditions inherited from their ancestors， they successfully preserve their self-identity， which is refurbished according to the present and passed onto future generations. As a result， cultural heritage forms their own identities during this discourse （Tunbridge & Ashworth 1996， 1）.“Through its cultural heritage a society becomes visible to itself and to others” （Assmann & Czaplicka 1995， 133）. It holds people together， and becomes the real power behind cultural identity to distinguish self and others. At the same time， to the Chinese community in London， preserving cultural heritage is a very dynamic process and involves a continuous reshaping and fine tuning to make it perfect for the future.

Moreover， when digging into peoples daily lives， in certain cases， each and every Chinese individual has grown up with a determined background. His or her memory is always limited and bound by Chinese culture and traditions. Their cultural memory has been found to be the main undergoing strength enabling them to maintain and preserve their Chinese cultural heritage and identity.“Bergson”s concept of “habit memory” interprets “the physical being as the incarnation of all the possibilities of acting out the past in the present” （idem.， 190）. Why we act in this way every day rather than another， can reflect both collective and individual memory which have been playing vital roles to maintain and distinguish these differences that have been called culture heritage and identities in an unconscious way. That is to say， cultural heritage and identity depend on memory to achieve their purpose； and， through memory， our knowledge and experiences from cultural heritage and identity have been integrated into our daily lives.

Here， I have to mention the group of British-born Chinese（BBCs）. Although they are still present “oriental faces”； eat Chinese food which their Chinese parents fed them； still prefer to lead a relatively Chinese way of life； their Chinese language is getting lost. It appears that language is becoming a less important marker of identity， and is becoming a lesser part of the cultural heritage. It is just like a break on a perfect mirror. Some day the whole mirror will be broken because of this small flaw. Meanwhile， they were born in London instead of some place in China. Plus， London has reached a different level of social development than China. BBCs， hence， are the very typical displaced people who were cut off not only in space but also in time to their Chinese roots （Lowenthal 1998， 9）. Although he or she has inherited， partially， Chinese cultural heritage from his or her parents， it is getting lost or is inherited incompletely. His or her Chinese identity is lessening or becoming incomplete as well.

Through this case study， it can be seen that Chinese people living abroad are a relatively vulnerable group from a psychological angle. They rely on Chinese cultural heritage to lead their lives. They have been identified because of their cultural heritage that has been demonstrated as identity. Cultural heritage， therefore， is the stable and uniform foundation of “who are we”. Furthermore， throughout their daily lives， materials as well as shared experiences living in their memories drive people towards home， from where cultural heritage stems. In a word， to them， Chinese cultural heritage and cultural memory has lived inside their bodies， instructing and controlling their behaviour， ideas and even emotions， presenting strong identity in appearance. Perhaps， there will be a lot of unpredictable changes in the future， but these traits are not easily changed. Through this discourse， they are building a place in this world.

Key Words：Chinese social groups in London； displaced people； identity； cultural heritage； cultural memory

References：

See page Pp.41-43.