British Born Chinese - Assignment Example

The Chinese, which has been considered somewhat detached from South Asian and White Britons in the United Kingdom, is currently the focus of issues concerning identities and belonging. Some believed that the Chinese community particularly those who constitute the ‘second generation of Chinese in Britain, no longer possess the same sense of identity and belonging as their immigrant parents were. As the third biggest non-white, inconspicuous minority group weighs against their more noticeable South Asian and African Caribbean counterparts, the second generation of British Chinese’s sense of identity and belonging is now becoming a sensitive issue and a good subject for a case study (Song 2003:1).

In addition, compared to their African Caribbean and South Asian counterpart, the British Chinese are regarded as an unproblematic and inactive group thus there is a broad assumption that they have successfully integrated into the British society (Parker and Song 2007:1044). However, is this actual or just a product of baseless and weak assumptions. We, therefore, need to investigate and find out the degree of social inclusion in which the British Chinese supposedly achieved. In an inquiry conducted by Parker and Song (2007) on the British Chinese Online and Dimsum website’s forum, it appears that online presence enhances British Chinese ability to connect to each other but it has also opened vigorous discussions about their experiences predominantly insignificant issues like belonging and inclusion.

It has disclosed a recognition of both “British and Chinese” as internally separate categories, whose connection is being disputed and redefined by the lives surveyed through online dialogue. Although countless British Chinese are coping well in higher education and the labour market, fears regarding social marginalization and invisibility are still widespread. Moreover, there is no universal perspective or understanding about what it means to be British-born Chinese (p.1057).a. Importance of Identity and Belonging