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   Just another rakyat 🇲🇾 (rakyat@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 09:29:15 JST Just another rakyat 🇲🇾

   Saw this Chinese post on Threads, translating it here as it is something I can resonate with:

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     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 09:31:22 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     @rakyat Sigh how I relate to this. Ya know, I don't even feel sometimes like I have the right to call myself Chinese because I don't speak Mandarin or Hokkien well enough or read Chinese. Then the other day, a Baba from Malacca, upon hearing that I'm Penang Peranakan said that I was a "fake Peranakan" and even mocked me for not knowing where my ancestors' village in China was.
     And then, I speak English so much better and relate to Western issues too.
     I'm a very confused person identity wise lol.

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     Just another rakyat 🇲🇾 (rakyat@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 09:31:23 JST Just another rakyat 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     2) “Lecturer: Do you mean that your identity is not taken as a given? Aren’t you born as a rightful Malaysian?

     Me: Wait, are you saying that identity is supposed to be a given?!

     I suddenly realized that the people who belong to the dominant culture might not need to think about their identity and belonging in their lives. It’s kind of cool and I’m envious. I want to experience what it’s like to be part of the mainstream culture🤔”

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     Just another rakyat 🇲🇾 (rakyat@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 09:31:24 JST Just another rakyat 🇲🇾

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     1) “Last semester, I discussed with my (Taiwanese) lecturer about why Malaysian vernacular language group creators seem to focus so much on racial issues. Her response surprised me, so I decided to write it down here for future reference.

     Me: I think it’s a way for us to explore our identity and belonging. We are still in the process of adapting to our new home after migrating from our original one.”

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     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 09:32:21 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     @rakyat Then there's the whole being Malaysian thing where we're made to feel like pendatang no matter how long we've been in this country.

     BTW what does she mean that "our identity is taken as a given". Like we feel 100% sure we're Malaysian/Chinese etc?

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     Just another rakyat 🇲🇾 (rakyat@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 09:37:08 JST Just another rakyat 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     @liztai Yeah I’d suppose it means 100% feeling like we are Malaysians. It’s something I’ve seen a lot. Malay ppl are able to take pride in this country because their identity is unambiguously tied here. We feel like permanent outsiders despite us not having another home to return to.

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     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 09:38:55 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     @rakyat I wonder if Asian Americans feel this way in America. I think the worse thing even if we balik cina we still don't feel like we belong. I certainly don't lol

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     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 09:39:48 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • radioactivestardust

     @bookstardust Yeah I can't be Malay because I'm ethnically not Malay lol. (Though most probably had a Malay ancestor. This is a long story haha) People of Malaysia are not called Malays but Malaysians.

     @rakyat

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     radioactivestardust (bookstardust@bildung.social)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 09:39:49 JST radioactivestardust

     in reply to

     • Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     @liztai @rakyat can you not just be Malay?
     like americans are just americans?

     (Is the confusion a burden or annoying, or does it have positive aspects, too?)

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     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 09:42:23 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • radioactivestardust

     @rakyat "Apa lagi Cina mau?"*

     I don't know, to be left alone? LOL.

     * What else do the Chinese want? A common saying in, er, some circles in Malaysia.

     @bookstardust

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     Just another rakyat 🇲🇾 (rakyat@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 09:42:24 JST Just another rakyat 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾
     • radioactivestardust

     @bookstardust The only way to be considered as Malay is to convert to Islam and fully abandon our cultures and languages. Until then we’ll always be seen as society’s scapegoats.
     @liztai

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     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 09:43:05 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • radioactivestardust

     @bookstardust Nah even Americans and Europeans get that whole Malay/Malaysians thing confused. Malaysians live to confuse people lol

     @rakyat

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     radioactivestardust (bookstardust@bildung.social)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 09:43:07 JST radioactivestardust

     in reply to

     • Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     @liztai @rakyat (i am sorry, english is hard sometimes and it's like 2am in the night)

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     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 09:54:02 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • Adrianna Tan
     • radioactivestardust

     @bookstardust Malaysia is one of the most peaceful countries in the world, true. And we live in relative harmony but there are massive racial tensions beneath. The privilege thing is a super sensitive topic that us non-Malays have learned not to talk about lol.

     I think our peace is a big credit to the peace-loving nature of our people. Most of us understand tht to keep the peace we need to give and take ... but we do have fringe extremists that make things worse.

     @skinnylatte @rakyat

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     radioactivestardust (bookstardust@bildung.social)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 09:54:04 JST radioactivestardust

     in reply to

     • Adrianna Tan
     • Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     @skinnylatte @liztai @rakyat privileges as in societal privileges or like per law defined privileges?

     I always thought that although malaysia is a muslim nation, it seemed like one of the most peaceful and okayish democratic ones. The whole melting pot seemed to be done better than in the US, because at least you all connect through food, like that basic common ground.

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     Adrianna Tan (skinnylatte@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 09:54:05 JST Adrianna Tan

     in reply to

     • Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾
     • radioactivestardust

     @bookstardust @liztai @rakyat Malay is the ethnicity, Malaysian is the nationality. Malay Malaysians get many more privileges than any other type of Malaysian.

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     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 09:56:20 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • Neon

     @geraineon Yeah one thing I notice is that in America there's a bigger pressure to assimilate and be more "American". Here it's like you do you, which I appreciate. Though you do you can be confusing to people like me who are not sure what culture to do lol

     @rakyat

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     Neon (geraineon@blahaj.zone)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 09:56:22 JST Neon

     in reply to

     • Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     @liztai@hachyderm.io @rakyat@hachyderm.io hm. Different I think. I just woke up. Maybe I'll get more articulate later. But there's no pressure to be anything but yourself/your own culture in malaysia (at least I don't feel that there's a push to "assimilate" into something). I wager the identity push/pull is even stronger there, especially since in general Malaysians are actually quite chill.
     
     I won't get yelled at on the streets for stealing jobs, causing Covid or whatever in Malaysia.

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     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 09:58:35 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • Pixel is the smallest dragon

     @pixouls The fake Peranakan thing? Yeah I was very annoyed with that blowhard. As a Malaccan Peranakan, they often feel like the "more legit" version of Peranakan which I feel is such a stupid thing to say, and on top of that he said that we're not legit cos our subculture was influenced by the Thais?
     Okay, uncle

     @rakyat

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     Pixel is the smallest dragon (pixouls@post.lurk.org)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 09:58:36 JST Pixel is the smallest dragon

     in reply to

     • Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     @liztai @rakyat what an awful thing to say

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     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 10:00:10 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • Neon

     @geraineon Like they think you're an outsider? @rakyat

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     Neon (geraineon@blahaj.zone)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 10:00:12 JST Neon

     in reply to

     • Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     @liztai@hachyderm.io @rakyat@hachyderm.io ftr, that has happened to me in New York. And there has been times when I felt unsafe because people were staring
     
     It's not the kind of unsafe of "afraid my possessions will get grabbed." I have not felt that fear in Malaysia.
     
     I know we had our race riots and I haven't been back very much in the eight years so maybe things have changed. Maybe the atmosphere is a lot more stifling now irl. But that's my observation based on my experiences la

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     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 10:01:26 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • Neon

     @geraineon It's more like I can't choose cos my culture is literally a blend of Thai, British, Chinese and Malay. I shall choose to be rojak hahaha. Though these days I lean more towards the Chinese said, and I sometimes worry if people think I'm pro-China now, and I'm like, screw it, so what if I am? Bugger off. Lol.

     @rakyat

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     Neon (geraineon@blahaj.zone)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 10:01:28 JST Neon

     in reply to

     • Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     @liztai@hachyderm.io @rakyat@hachyderm.io can't help there because I'm pretty secure in how I identify. But if it helps, I don't think you need to choose at all. Do whatever feels right, and screw whoever who says you're not enough whatever

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     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 10:02:51 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • Pixel is the smallest dragon

     @pixouls I think the only place in the world where I truly feel like I belong is in Penang. Comforting to be surrounded by people who won't question how Peranakan you are, and also I speak the native dialect fluently that I almost feel smug about it lol

     @rakyat

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     Pixel is the smallest dragon (pixouls@post.lurk.org)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 10:02:53 JST Pixel is the smallest dragon

     in reply to

     • Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     @liztai @rakyat this may be what you're looking for, in asian american studies, we refer to this as the "forever foreigner" sterotype. no matter what we do, no longer how long we've been here, we're not considered people who might actually be from here (and sometimes in trying to assert that, there's a perpetuation of Amerikkka).

     another term is "third culture kid", neither the culture of residence or the culture of origin, but a third culture as a result of diaspora

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     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 10:06:43 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • Neon

     @geraineon and the Pasembur kind. For a Penang person I have betrayed my people for not liking the dark version rojak.

     @rakyat

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     Neon (geraineon@blahaj.zone)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 10:06:44 JST Neon

     in reply to

     • Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     @liztai@hachyderm.io @rakyat@hachyderm.io there. Rojak is perfectly valid

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     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 10:11:07 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • Adrianna Tan
     • radioactivestardust

     @bookstardust Sadly it won't. Tbh the Chinese are still doing very well. Not all of course, but many of us are middle class or higher. The Chinese community around the world are used to being at a disadvantage so they have social networks and systems to help the community such as building our own schools etc. There's also the stoic, "who cares we will work harder" mindset which will take a novel to explain 😆

     @skinnylatte @rakyat

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     radioactivestardust (bookstardust@bildung.social)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 10:11:09 JST radioactivestardust

     in reply to

     • Adrianna Tan
     • Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     @skinnylatte @liztai @rakyat ahh that sucks, at least for education it should be the other way around, so minorities can work on minimizing the inequality.
     Thank you for explaining. It's very sad, that it doesn't seem easy to change anytime soon.

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     Adrianna Tan (skinnylatte@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 10:11:10 JST Adrianna Tan

     in reply to

     • Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾
     • radioactivestardust

     @bookstardust @liztai @rakyat Malay Muslims get preferential admission to universities. Like affirmative action but for the majority. They can access special high interest financial instruments that others cannot. They can buy most land. Lots of other things like that.

     One of my friends has to convert right now out of some sheer bureaucratic nightmares, and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, tho if you’re in it it’s great I guess

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     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 10:11:49 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • Neon

     @geraineon @rakyat haha now I hungry

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     Neon (geraineon@blahaj.zone)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 10:11:51 JST Neon

     in reply to

     • Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     @liztai@hachyderm.io @rakyat@hachyderm.io again, why choose when you can have both!
     
     I like both 😂

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     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 10:16:41 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • Neon

     @geraineon @rakyat Ss15 Pasembur is the best! At least in soy latte burgeois subang 😆 gonna order now haha

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     Neon (geraineon@blahaj.zone)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jan-2024 10:16:42 JST Neon

     in reply to

     • Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     @liztai@hachyderm.io @rakyat@hachyderm.io time to get pasembur!