Chinese people rely on their family and group, rather than on the individual. They make major decisions on a collective basis, such as choosing a suitable career.
In the early American Chinese community, family associations and benevolent societies operated like quasi governments, providing social services, adjudicating disputes, and maintaining order in Chinatowns.
Cultural traditions
Chinese culture values family and community and emphasizes a social network of relationships known as guanxi. People respect and honor their elders and consider them an important source of wisdom and guidance. In addition, family members support and encourage each other to succeed.
The Spring Festival is China’s most important holiday and is a time for family reunions and feasting. It is also a time to give and receive red packets, or hongbao, to wish each other luck. The Mid-Autumn festival, also referred to as the Moon Festival, is celebrated in autumn and is another family reunion occasion where families come together to share mooncakes.
Despite the ongoing global flow of Chinese culture, many people who identify as overseas Chinese maintain strong connections to their homeland. Their experiences of globalization, along with their relationship to traditional cultural concepts such as face and harmony, demonstrate that Chinese values are more complex than currently perceived. This Spotlight explores some of the ways that Chinese people sustain and transform their culture around the world.
Language
The Chinese Community Center of the Capital District (CCC) is an organization for the study of the language and culture that define and unite the community. Its mission is to provide opportunities for people of all backgrounds to understand, appreciate, and share in the Chinese cultural heritage that is unique, defining, and precious.
Spoken Chinese includes a number of regional varieties, which are generally classified as separate languages by scholars. Despite the distinctions between dialects, all spoken Chinese varieties have some similarities. For example, most Chinese dialects are monosyllabic and use a tone system to distinguish words that are otherwise similar. Words can be composed of one syllable, two or more syllables that carry meaning in themselves, or even of a syllable plus a phonetic element to create a new word (hudie ‘butterfly’).
The Chinese language has evolved over time, and its syntax is quite complex. It has a subject-verb-object word order, classifiers and measure words, serial verb construction, and subject dropping, which is common in East Asian languages.
Food
Food is an important part of family life, and Chinese are known for their love for fresh foods. They often eat at home, and they spend a great deal of time cooking. Sharing a meal is an intimate way for families to bond and show their love for one another.
The Chinese also have a unique philosophy about food and health. They believe that a well-balanced diet includes both yin and yang foods. In addition, certain foods can be beneficial for the body if eaten at the proper time.
When Chinese immigrants came to America, they brought with them a cuisine rich in traditional Asian food. They adapted it to local tastes, and they opened restaurants and hand laundries to serve the community. These small businesses grew into the Chinatowns that Americans visit today. Despite the racial hatred they encountered, these communities held onto many of their values and traditions. They celebrated the Chinese New Year, Clear and Bright, and Mid-Autumn festivals. They even formed fraternal-political associations like the Guomindang and Freemasons to arbitrate disputes within the community and speak for them to the outside world.
Religion
Religion plays a critical role in Chinese communities. While China is officially atheist, it allows individuals to practice their own beliefs within specific guidelines. The country has the world’s largest Buddhist, Taoist and Islamic populations, as well as the 7th largest Christian population.
Confucianism, a body of traditional practices rather than a religion, still plays an important role in the lives of many Chinese people. It encourages a sense of loyalty, respect and duty to one’s family, friends and community. The practice also promotes ancestor veneration and respect for elders.
Studies indicate that religiosity is associated with a more positive social environment, which can facilitate economic growth. For example, a recent study found that people who attend religious services tend to be more socially connected and more likely to invest in their communities than those who do not. This is consistent with the findings of previous studies that have linked church attendance to lower levels of energy poverty.