Essay On My Cultural Identity

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3. Factor that shape my cultural identity in Malaysia: Education, Language, and Custom
In acculturation process in Malaysia, the non-dominant group was allowed to integrate into dominant group culture in state of Malaysia and maintain our heritage culture in Malaysia’s acculturation process. Therefore, most of the Chinese in Malaysia still practicing Chinese ways in term of religion, language and culture as it had develop me as a Malaysian Chinese.
Education:
Education in term of philosophical system can be the dominant factor in shaping my cultural identity as education promotes nation-building and patriotism in individual (Brown, 2007). Education determines my culture by teaching me the fundamental belief and value and relationship rule which had taught me well in my work ethic. In order to define the Chinese ethnic group in Malaysia, the need to define the Chinese culture education which is origin from fellow Asian country is essential. The education of Chinese in China is greatly emphasis with Confucianism study (Faure & Fang, 2008). Confucianism emphasis on five code of ethics: the relationship in understanding between parent and kid, conformity to orders between elders and youngers and reciprocal faith between friends (Faure & Fang, 2011; Grumbine & Xu, 2011). The four principles: Ren (Kindness), Li (Manners), Yi (Righteousness) and Zi (Wisdom) which derived from the code of ethics of Confucianism. These are the values and practices that defined by Confucian were vital in development of my culture during my primary school. In history, Confucianism embedded through formal syllabuses of East Asia education system during China dynasties and other country like Korea and Japan for centuries (Faure & Fang, 2008). Today, the phi...

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...en in symbol-based (Fang & Faure, 2011; Grumbine & Xu, 2011). In Malaysia, the official national language is Malay which is also language of the dominant ethnic group, Malay. The privilege of being Malaysian is that we did not have to assimilate into dominant group of this society. This enables us can to retain our mother tongue language Mandarin Chinese through education plus all the dialect which is all widely spoken for Malaysian Chinese. This is even applicable to those Chinese educated for other ethnic group (Azizan, 2013). I am trilingual which I can interact in Chinese, English, and Malay with Malaysian. As diverse culture country, globalisation had greater impact on Malaysia as some of Malaysian Chinese did prefer to speak international language English or national language if he/she first preference language is not Chinese (Azizan, 2013; Wan Husin, 2013).

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