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A South China Morning Post column focused on the identity of overseas Chinese, delving into the self-perception of Chinese Americans. The author stated that in Singapore's multi-racial society, the answer to the question "Are you Chinese?" is simple: as a member of the dominant ethnic group, I am undoubtedly Chinese.
After immigrating to the United States, he found that self-introduction had become a diplomatic activity. Non-Asian people typically wouldn't ask that directly, but rather, "Where are you from?" The most common follow-up question is, "So, have you ever been a member of the Chinese Communist Party?"“
What's truly complicated is the question from friends in mainland China: for mainlanders, "Are you Chinese?" is a question about nationality; for overseas Chinese, "Are you Chinese?" is a question about ethnicity.
To this end, the author designed a self-introduction: "I am a third-generation Singaporean Chinese. My grandparents were from Guangdong and left China about a hundred years ago. I grew up with them, so I can speak Cantonese."“
This encompasses three identities: "Singaporean" indicates nationality to avoid appearing impolite when not understanding mainland slang; "Chinese" establishes shared ethnic roots with mainland friends; and "Cantonese" opens up the topic of family origins.
The author says that "Chinese" no longer just means race; it is increasingly about what kind of Chinese you are, where your "Chineseness" comes from, and the degree to which you identify with this identity.
Beyond our experiences on the mainland, there are also vast diaspora communities: Singaporean Chinese, Canadian Chinese, American-born Chinese... We each explore our own unique versions of our roots and identities, and each person needs their own distinctive way of introducing themselves.
Source: "UCA Weekly (2025 #49)"North American Chinese Weekly”
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