Cultural Identity Of Returned Overseas Chinese:Narratives Of Hecheng As A Cross-Cultural Homeland

Under the context of globalization, the cognitive system of traditional culture has faced the unprecedented challenge in the trend of cultural diversity. Living in the cultural conflicts and cultural integration, the cultural identities of overseas Chinese have naturally engaged wide concern by more and more scholars. However, to those returned overseas Chinese, there appears to be less research related. This thesis aims to explore how the returned overseas Chinese shape and reshape their cultural identity under unique cultural and social context in Qingtian, a hometown of overseas Chinese ("qiao xiang" in Chinese), and identify the underlying factors that influence their cultural identity models.This study is based on the field work carried out in the community Q in the town of Hecheng, Qingtian County. As an empirical research, various kinds of ethnographic methods are applied, mainly involving field work and narrative inquiry. Data are collected in various ways including text materials, interviews, conversations, observation notes and photos etc.On the basis of narratives of the place and its people, the cultural characteristics of returned overseas Chinese have been presented in various fields, including values, language, habitus, family clans and kinships, which can be concluded that the cultural identities of returned overseas Chinese are influenced by western culture in a certain extent, but the traditional Chinese culture and customs have already been ingrained into their minds. There are three major influencing factors. Firstly, language not only maintains the continuity and inheritance of culture, but also affects the construction of cultural identity. Secondly, memories provide the foundation for the formation of cultural identity, which help individuals obtain a common sense as members of the community and a strong identification with the culture. Moreover, political power, as a crucial factor in the construction of cultural identity, influences the processes of people’s cultural identity through the policy orientation and the urban planning.