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linguistic and economic elements of the community into one self-protective league." The self-protective
The self-protective league among the overseas Chinese takes its physical form in the famous "Chinatowns', and its invisible form in the numerous associational ties which we just described. However, the closeness of Chinese communities has proved, in the long run, to be a disservice, to both the Chinese themselves and to their host societies. For centuries the Chinese emigrants have not been culturally and socially assimilated with the native populations. To the governments of the newly independent South East Asian countries, the Chinese communities form special social and political problems of their own, standing particularly in the way of national unity. No wonder many newly independent governments take up aggressive policies towards the Chinese, including both political control, such as by abolishing systems of indirect rule, and social-cultural assimilation, such as by a system of compulsory national education, and by discriminatory economic opportunities.
Some writers have noted that it was only a myth that the Chinese overseas were "unassimilable” and ascribed the closeness of Chinese communities to the fact that the host governments had not provided the Chinese with special services. Thus, it is logical to predict that in due course, the Chinese will be integrated into their host societies once the protective functions of their associations are removed. Also, the third and fourth generations of the immigrant Chinese are not exempted from the all-pervasive influence of the Western culture, particularly because they live mainly in the cities where the influence of the West is most intensively felt. Thus, the younger generations are subject to the same processes of cultural change as those experienced by the younger generations of the native population. Therefore it is not difficult to foresee that both the Chinese and the indigenous South East Asian peoples are going to be drawn together by the influence of the West.10
KAIFONG ASSOCIATIONS IN HONG KONG
Hong Kong is considered by some as an overseas Chinese community. However, I believe that strictly speaking, Hong
9 Richard Coughlin, op. cit., p. 60.
10 Ibid., p. 190.
VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATIONS AND KAIFONGS
65
linguistic and economic elements of the community into one self-protective league." The self-protective
The self-protective league among the overseas Chinese takes its physical form in the famous "China- towns', and its invisible form in the numerous associational ties which we just described. However, the closeness of Chinese communities has proved, in the long run, to be a disservice, to both the Chinese themselves and to their host societies. For centuries the Chinese emigrants have not been culturally and socially assimilated with the native populations. To the govern- ments of the newly independent South East Asian countries, the Chinese communities form special social and political pro- blems of their own, standing particularly in the way of national unity. No wonder many newly independent governments take up aggressive policies towards the Chinese, including both political control, such as by abolishing systems of indirect rule, and social-cultural assimilation, such as by a system of compulsory national education, and by discriminatory economic opportunities.
Some writers have noted that it was only a myth that the Chinese overseas were "unassimilable” and ascribed the closeness of Chinese communities to the fact that the host governments had not provided the Chinese with special services. Thus, it is logical to predict that in due course, the Chinese will be integrated into their host societies once the protective functions of their associa- tions are removed. Also, the third and fourth generations of the immigrant Chinese are not exempted from the all-pervasive in- fluence of the Western culture, particularly because they live mainly in the cities where the influence of the West is most intensively felt. Thus, the younger generations are subject to the same processes of cultural change as those experienced by the younger generations of the native population. Therefore it is not difficult to foresee that both the Chinese and the indigenous South East Asian peoples are going to be drawn together by the influence of the West.10
KAIFONG ASSOCIATIONS IN HONG KONG
Hong Kong is considered by some as an overseas Chinese community. However, I believe that strictly speaking, Hong
9 Richard Coughlin, op. cit., p. 60.
10 Ibid., p. 190.
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