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Abstract

This study investigated the ethnic identification of second-generation Chinese in Thailand. One hundred and seventy-six adolescents 14-18 years of age (92 male, 84 female) were separated into (1) those who used Chinese family names and those who used Thai family names and (2) those who had attended Chinese schools and those who had not attended such schools. The following measures were employed: Behavioral Differential Scale, Assimilation-Orientation Inventory, California Fascism Scale, Conformity Scale, and the Gough-Sanford Rigidity Scale. It was hypothesized that (1) second-generation Chinese who used Chinese family names would have a higher degree of identification with Chinese than those who used Thai family names; (2) those who had attended Chinese schools would identify more closely with Chinese than those who had not attended such schools; and (3) scores on the F-scale, C-scale, and R-scale would be positively correlated with the degree of Chinese identification. Analysis of results indicates support for the first two hypotheses but not for the third. Possible areas of future research are suggested.

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Second-Generation Chinese in Thailand: A Study of Ethnic Identification

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