View the Cultural Identity and Acculturation of Overseas Chinese in Modern China from the Perspective of Chen Xingtang

Abstract

Chen Xingtang was a native Chinese of straits and the first native-born Chinese writer in Singapore. It can be seen that Chen Xingtang’s family education and adult behavior in his early childhood were deeply influenced by Chinese traditional culture through sorting out his collected works, which showed a “different kind†in the Chinese society at that time. Facing the pressure of changing times and westernization, he not only showed hesitation and anxiety about the traditional culture, but also showed recognition and adherence to traditional culture. Especially in the dispute of cutting braids, although he compromised and conceded, his adhering to the principle actually reflected the cultural adaptation side. In addition, the truth of his respecting Confucius and the criticism of the traditional ethics was also a proof. From this point of view, the attitude of the native Chinese community represented by Chen Xingtang was to adapt to the local social life, but also to adhere to the cultural traditions.