Table of Contents
Why do Chinese people get Western names?
The use of Western names thus serves as a buffer, to avoid being too formal and too intimate, and to avoid the embarrassing situation of addressing someone mistakenly as in downward communication.
What do the Chinese call themselves?
In Southeast Asia, Chinese people call themselves 華人 (Huárén) instead of (中國人 Zhōngguórén) which commonly refers to the citizens of the People’s Republic of China or the Republic of China.
What are Malaysian Chinese called in Malaysia?
Malaysian Chinese are usually referred to simply as “Chinese” in Malaysia, “Orang Cina” in Malay, “Sina” or “Kina” among Borneoindigenous, “Cīṉar” (சீனர்) in Tamiland “Huaren” (華人, Chinese people) or “Huaqiao” (華僑, Overseas Chinese) by local Chinese themselves.
What are the different naming practices in Malaysia?
Naming practices in Malaysia generally differ between ethnicities. The various practices followed by Malays, Malaysian Chinese and Malaysian Indians are outlined below. Malay naming conventions structure names as follows: [Given name (s)] [Patronymic noun] [Father’s given name]. For example, Razak bin Osman (male) and Aisyah binte Musa (female).
Why do Chinese immigrants to Malaysia speak Malay?
In addition, because they are required to pass a proficiency test to graduate secondary school, the ethnic Chinese are able to speak Malay and integrate themselves within the broader Malaysian society. For the scores of Chinese who immigrated over the centuries, Malaysia was seen as a land of opportunity.
Why do so many Chinese people have English names?
An obvious interpretation of naming practices claims that having a Western name makes it easier for a Chinese person to navigate cross-cultural interactions. This would explain why more and more people have adopted an English name since the late 1970s, when China began its policies of reform and opening up.