What is ethnic identity?
Is it just bounded by the culture that you practiced, how or what you speak, your religion or simply just by the way you look?
I think culture, language and religion plays a 2nd fiddle to your ethnic identity. Well if not, at least it's secondary. Face it, we all judge each other's ethnicity by the way we look. They don't care that you celebrate Hari Raya coz face it, it is an once a year thing, or twice if you count Hari raya Haji. Or that you speak Tamil, coz you must open up your mouth first to speak or that we all pretty much speak English anyway. Truth is, looks matters.
As much as I would love to deny I look Chinese or bodyslam all of you who say I look super cina. My ethnic identity to others is pretty much bounded by the way I look. Stuart Hall reminded us of Marx and how he said that identity is lodged and implicated in the practices and structures of everybody else's life( should I cite this?Haha)And how apt can he be! Who is us seriously if there's no others? I could seriously just pass myself as an true blue Malay but yet again what's the point if there's no Others to question me on that.
But back again on the look, I think it's super important in our negotiation of ethnic identity.Afterall, first impression matters. Who says it doesn't is seriously fucking kidding you. We are all judged by the way we look. What's the first question a person will ask when one's looks is ethnically ambigous- what are you? See my point.
We can seriously sit here and debate what makes a Chinese/Malay or Indian. Yes it can take another 100pages to discuss about that. But seriously beyond the mambo jambo of sociological concepts and explanations. Biology is undeniably the easiest explanation of all. Sure how we perceived a person is socially constructed but do you think people give a flying fuck about that. No! All they want to know is what are you and that's the end.
You know what my cousin said about sociology is true. That it seems to complicate the everyday thing. But you know what, beyond all the criticism I have. I think sociology is the shit. And by that I meant in a good way. Sure, now I would love to simply put in huge ass font times 400lines "ethnic identity= how we look" in my 2000words essay. But because there's so much theory that Marx, Weber and the whole gang have came up, who cares about 1+1=2? It is so overrated.
Sociology rules and common sense drools. In fact a true sociologist might even tell you there's no such thing as common sense as it is all socially constructed.(Google sociology of knowledge)
P.S
I can't believe I just spent 15minutes writing about this shit when Im supposed to be doing an essay on the ethnic identity for my race and ethnic relation class.
But hey at least you guys know how bored I am. =p
Hanim