Publisher's Synopsis
The 20 million ethnic Chinese in Southeast Asia make up almost 80 per cent of the ethnic Chinese outside mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Originally sojourners who left China in search of a livelihood, they have, over the generations, become an integral part of the countries in which they live. The papers in this volume, representing some of the most recent studies on Southeast Asian society and culture, explore past and current perceptions of the ethnic Chinese, the evolution of their identification with their adopted countries and the leadership which guides and promotes this process. They also focus on the relationship between religion and Chinese cultural identity, and conclude that so-called Chinese religions (Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism), as well as Christianity, have undergone 'Southeast Asianisation'. The final part of the book examines the various contributions of the ethnic Chinese to the life and literature of their respective countries of birth. The papers in this volume were originally presented at the International Conference on Southeast Asian Chinese: Culture, Economy and Society, held in Singapore in 1994.
