The Interweaving of Education and Identity: Chinese Identity in Thai Chinese Literature and the Changes in Chinese Education

Abstract

The study assesses the evolution of Chinese-language literature produced by Sino-Thai authors, analysing the influence of education and cultural identification on their writing across varying historical periods. This research examines specific literary works from 1940 to 2020 to comprehend literary reactions to significant Thai sociopolitical changes, including Thai-ification initiatives, school closures, and the revival of Chinese education post-1980. The study categorises literature into storylines of cultural preservation, identity conflict, and nostalgia, ultimately finishing with themes of hybrid identity transition. This study examines three literary works by Tan Zheng, Chen Ding’an, and Li Yi to explore their pedagogical elements, linguistic features, and heritage-related sentiments. Literature acted as a repository for memory while simultaneously redefining the identity of Chinese individuals in Thailand. Educational themes such as school closures, textbooks, and multilingual instruction serve as crucial symbols for belonging and transformation. The research enhances diaspora and literary studies by emphasising a comparatively overlooked corpus and suggesting a chronological framework for comprehending literary evolution in relation to political and cultural shifts in Thailand. Future investigations are urged to examine multilingual and multinational comparisons.