British Born Chinese Project!

Calisia · Joined: 27 Apr 2003 Posts: 3

Hello, to all the BBC's out there! I am doing a project which is quite interesting, which is to find out the identities of the British born chinese. Ive seen that many of the discussions in here do talk about the different cultures between British and Chinese, and i find that there have been many confusions about peoples own identitiy! So i decided to do a project based on the BBC's, of trying to find out their identities and how they are formed. Below is a questionnare of my research, if you have time, pleaseplease.. spare some moments to fill it out and send it back to me! It would be very much appreciated!! Thankyou sooo... much!!

QUESTIONNAIRE

Gender:
Age:

Questions within the Family
1. What is the occupation of your Parents?
2. Would you see yourself more as a Chinese or English person?
3. How often do u eat Chinese food within the home?
4. How often do u eat Chinese food outside of the home?
5. Did you ever go to a Chinese school and did u enjoy it?
6. How well can u read and write Chinese?
7. How well do u feel u can speak the Chinese language?
8. How often do u speak Chinese within the home?
9. How often do u speak English within the home?
10. On average, do u think u speak more of Chinese or English?
11. Does your family celebrate Chinese events? E.g. Chinese New Year?
12. Are Chinese celebrations important to you?

Questions of Personal interest
13. Do you keep up to date with the Hong Kong news?
14. Are you a fan of any Chinese actors or Chinese pop-stars?
15. Do u see them as an idol and do they relate to your everyday life in any way?
16. How often do you listen to Chinese music or watch Chinese movies?
17. What are your favourite leisure activities?
18. Do u cook any Chinese food yourself? (Excluding Chinese takeaway foods)
19. What nationalities are your closet friends?
20. What clubs or organizations (if any) do u belong to?
21. How would u see yourself while you are with friends that are not Chinese? (E.g., 22. would u see yourself more as a Chinese or English person)
22. What part in the Chinese culture would u teach your children?
23. Would u prefer you partner to be Chinese, and if not, specify other?
24. Explain why you would prefer your partner to be Chinese or the other in which u have specified?

Questions of Racism
25. Are you Proud to be Chinese?
26. Have u ever faced any difficulties being Chinese?
27. Have u ever been attacked by any Racial Discrimination?
28. If yes, what specific incidents can u remember?
29. How did u over come the incident?
30. Do u think that Chinese people face the least or most discrimination than other ethnic groups in Britain?
31. Explain why?
32. Have u ever felt in your own experience, situations and opportunities where u felt lead to racial inequalities? (e.g. within the work place, in schools, while shopping etc)
33. Have u ever felt excluded from the British Society?
34. Which country do u feel you would eventually settle in future?
35. What do u think people think of the Chinese culture in Britain?
36. How important is being of Chinese origin to you?
37. Do u feel a sense of belonging in Britain?

Thankyou once again! ^_^

yum tong · Joined: 10 Apr 2003 Posts: 10 Location: london

Can you give us more information...What is this for?

Calisia · Joined: 27 Apr 2003 Posts: 3

sp · Joined: 27 Feb 2003 Posts: 218

I've saved the questionnnaire and will send it back, as soon as I get through all those questions!

OceanLee · Joined: 27 Feb 2003 Posts: 85

Hi!
I got round to doing your questionaire and have sent it back.

A word of advice though, I think you should look at the way you have worded the questions. A lot of the questions are leading which may give you answers, but not the corect picture. (I.e. "Would u prefer you partner to be Chinese, and if not, specify other?". Why would a preference be necessary?)

And also consider some of the questions based on assumptions. Such as the first group of questions seems to assume that there is some type of family environment available to all the questionees. As a young(ish) proffesional, I can tell you you're wrong!
Anyhow, good luck on your project however it goes.

Calisia · Joined: 27 Apr 2003 Posts: 3

Thanks for the advice! I`ll take note of that!!

LaoFuZhi · Joined: 09 Jan 2004 Posts: 31 Location: Scotland

My Mother was one of many women who made a living through looking after Chinese kids in the 60's and 70's. Therefore all my foster (for want of a better expression) Brothers and Sisters are Chinese; Or rather of Chinese parentage.......

.....In fact save for a half Brother who I only met in my late 30's ...and a smattering of step sisters (most of whom I'd rather NOT know) ..MY 'family' , the people I grew up with, whom I love and care about and who love and care about me, are (genetically at least) Chinese! To varying degrees!

But WE are Scots! For sure many of my siblings may well be able to draw some line between how 'Chinese' and how 'Scots' they are ...... Some even prefer to be British-Chinese or Chinese-British....

Which, I suspect is at the core of your questionaire.....

It is therefore a fatal flaw in the questioning that you seek to establish how ENGLISH British Born Chinese folk may or may not be! And frankly, were I your lecturer ( I AM in fact a lecturer!) I would fail your project on the grounds that it's questioning showed a GROSS lack of understanding of the nature of Britishness...... England is MERELY one of THREE countries and a province that make up the United Kingdom. Similarly it is a relatively minor geographic contributor to Great Britain......... No trivial matter..... But one of cultural identity and (often) ethnicity....

Then again most ENGLISH lecturers are similarly (often deliberately so; read here culpable racism, sometimes merely blissfully) ignorant of the fact as to disregard this really very serious error. Have you never heard of Wales or Northern Ireland? Let alone Scotland??? In a (presumed) study of racial identity how can you defend such an apparent lack of understanding of one side of the ethnical\identity spectrum?

scotty · Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 9 Location: Scotland

Hear hear!
I am a Scot studying in Edinurgh on the Master of Chinese Programme, and I am also undertaking a similar project to that mentioned above. I am interested in the cultural crossover between 'Scottishness' and 'Chineseness', including, but not limited to, the politics of identity.
If anyone is intersted in this topic and wants to talk about it, please feel free, the opinions of anyone who reads this would be greatly appreciated.

LaoFuZhi · Joined: 09 Jan 2004 Posts: 31 Location: Scotland

Perhaps Scotty you'd care to elaborate slightly on where your course is taking place and exactly what it's nature is...

May I assume this is a Masters degree course? Which university?

scotty · Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 9 Location: Scotland

sure! the course is a 2 year Masters at the University of Edinburgh. It involves studying Chinese language, and the Business, Economics, Political Economy,Management, Literature, and History of the PRC. I have just returned from five months study at Nankai University in Tianjin, and I loved it. It truly was an amazing change from anywhere else I have ever been.
Unfortunately, after enjoying myself for so long, I now have to proceed with my dissertation. My first degree was at the University of Aberdeen studying Sociology (including Chinese Society), and so I would like to continue that theme with a study of overseas Chinese, either sojourners, overseas born Chinese or immigrants. I am especially interested in younger people, but anyone who has an opinion would be great.
The core idea of the dissertation is the negotiated identity of overseas Chinese.
The Key question being:
How do you balance being Chinese with being Scottish/British/Irish/English?

I have to carry out some interviews on the subject, and so being able to meet more overseas Chinese in Scotland would be fantastic, anyone who has an opinion to voice, or who would like to help, then I would be very grateful if you could post here.

LaoFuZhi · Joined: 09 Jan 2004 Posts: 31 Location: Scotland

I may have mis-understood the parameters you have set but I'm a little curious as to why 'native' British-Chinese folk don't seem to be on your list?

I can well understand that immigrants might want or need to 'develop' a mixed identity in terms of their new home. And, to an extent ,I can see how someone who's time in a new country is transient might want to embrace some part of that country as an element of their own personal identity....

But, I would have thought the greatest 'identity crisis' (for want of a better expression) exists among those who were born here. And indeed to some degree those who are close to them.

scotty · Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 9 Location: Scotland

Sorry, that's what I meant by 'overseas chinese' in the list above. I am still working through my terminologies. I din't want to specify British Born Chinese because I think anyone's experiences no matter where they were born would be relevant.
So yes, overseas born Chinese are definitely amongst those with whom I would like ot have contact.

LaoFuZhi · Joined: 09 Jan 2004 Posts: 31 Location: Scotland

Ah! 'tis clearer now!

It has to be said this DB is very quiet, as is another one I sometimes inhabit.

There is a British Born Chinese one though that is (or rather was; it's some time since I bothered with it) very busy indeed. My personal experience of it isn't wholly positve. I was once an active member but left it after several incidences of what I interpreted as an underlying racism particularly directed against white members.

But I think it may have the sort of age and range of experiences you seek. You'll appreciate that because of my experiences and the need to be fair to those members (the majority in fact) who aren't racist I feel unable to identify that DB directly. However I'm sure it can be easily found.....

Similarly, have you though of contacting the local Chinese Schools? Stow college in Glasgow hosts one and I am almost certain one exists in Edinburgh.

scotty · Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 9 Location: Scotland

thank you for your help. I think I know the DB you mean, and it scares me a little bit...

LaoFuZhi · Joined: 09 Jan 2004 Posts: 31 Location: Scotland

It saddens me.... Such is life!

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