Chinese communities in Australia tend to be located in suburbs that are socially advantaged. This is illustrated by Fig. 4, which shows the median weekly household incomes in Chinese enclaves.
Previous studies have shown that economic development and modernization increase tolerant attitudes towards sexual minorities [6]. However, LGBT individuals may still face discrimination in the Chinese context.
Origins
Lured by a gold rush and the opportunity to build railroads, Chinese men arrived in the United States in the early 1870s. Despite their laboring skills, they were treated with suspicion and discrimination by white American settlers.
They established family, business, and cultural organizations that helped them stay close to their traditions. Many of these groups are still active today. The community celebrates major Chinese holidays and maintains a range of language and cultural schools. Overseas Chinese communities vary widely in their degree of assimilation, interactions with surrounding communities, and relationship to China.
Language
The vast Chinese population speaks a multitude of local dialects, which are often mutually unintelligible. Even though Standard Mandarin is the official language of Mainland China and is widely used in overseas Chinese communities, most people are fluent in their own local dialect as well.
Moreover, there are several branches of Chinese which share enough features for limited mutual intelligibility. These are the Wu and Min languages, Xiang languages, and some divergent Hakka and Gan languages.
There are also numerous systems of romanization for the different Chinese varieties, such as Zhuyin Fuhao and Hanyu Pinyin, developed in the 1930’s and 1950’s respectively. These have been used as a form of international standardized writing system to make the different dialects more easily understood by foreigners.
Religion
Despite the fact that the CCP is officially atheist, many Chinese believe in and practice religion. According to the 2018 CGSS, 24% of Chinese adults say they visited a religious site (typically a temple or shrine) for prayers in the past year.
Among these, most identify with either Buddhism or Confucianism. Yet these beliefs and rituals are not easily categorized. They are more often a part of a broader belief system that includes traditional Chinese philosophies and practices and can coexist with religious traditions such as Christianity or Islam.
In 2023, authorities continued a multiyear campaign of “Sinicization” to bring all religions into conformity with the CCP’s doctrine and promote its ideas on socialism and national unity. For example, Bitter Winter reported that TSPM officials inspected Christian communities on short notice to ensure they were adhering to new Administrative Measures for Religious Activity Venues that require them to uphold the principles of Sinicization.
Culture
The Chinese are a very diverse group and can vary greatly in their culture depending on where they are from. Although they may speak the same dialect and mutually understand each other, their religions, beliefs and daily practices can be very different.
The culture of the Chinese is also affected by social status. In the United States, for example, Chinese Americans range from lower-class people living in Chinatowns to wealthy and well-educated people living in affluent suburbs.
Overseas, the Chinese have largely adapted to local cultures, especially in countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia where they form large communities known as Peranakan. However, they have retained a strong sense of community amongst themselves. The Chinese are often perceived as the model minority, which can have both positive and negative implications.
Education
The Chinese Language School in Portland offers heritage students, adopted children and other local residents an opportunity to learn about Chinese culture and language. The program also hosts cultural events for the community.
In the United States, Chinese communities vary in size and in their degree of assimilation and interaction with other cultures. Some, such as San Francisco’s Chinatown, are highly concentrated and have many Chinese American businesses and cultural centers. Other communities, such as Evanston, Wyoming’s Chinatown, have a smaller population but are still active in heritage and business.
The Center on Chinese Education at Teachers College, Columbia University seeks to contribute to the understanding of education in China and educational exchange between the two countries. Its work is based on the research and teaching of the faculty at Teachers College and the interests and resources of its alumni.