Alex Tang
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Medical Students /Paediatric notes
The Banana Syndrome: Losing Our Cultural Identity
Dr Alex Tang
English-educated Chinese Christians in Malaysia and Singapore faces a unique
quandary. Their mindset, worldview and culture are influenced by the
Anglo-American influences that come with an English education system. Yet, these
Christians are ethnic Chinese brought up with their Chinese cultural heritage
whether they are aware of them or not. No wonder they are often called bananas –
yellow on the outside but white in the inside. That is one of the reasons why
mainland Chinese when China was forced open to the West were very resistant to
Christianity. They see Christianity as a Western imperialist tool. They
recognize that embracing the Western culture will threaten their Chinese
identity. Early Chinese Christian converts were regarded as no longer Chinese.
Present day English-educated Chinese Christians still struggle with the issue of
whether they are Chinese Christians or Christian Chinese. This is especially
acute in families that no longer speak Chinese or any of its dialects. In many
such families their lifestyles are closer to Anglo-Americans rather than to
their Chinese-educated brethren. Yet intrinsic to their identity is their
Chinese heritage. The pull to their roots become stronger as these
English-educated Chinese becomes older. This highlights an important point. As
Christians were are not only called by God to be his people (special calling),
to be his agent in redemption (general calling) but also to embrace our cultural
heritage (cultural calling). Our cultural heritage shows the diversity of God’s
people. Revelation 7 shows a heavenly scene where there is a mighty multitude of
God’s people from every nation, people, tribe and language.
As Christians, we are to incarnate our ethnicity and its culture. This is
especially true in our Chinese English-speaking congregations in Malaysia and
Singapore. I am sure this will be same with Chinese Christians elsewhere. There
is much we can learn from our Chinese Chinese-speaking congregations in the way
they have contextualized the gospel and Christian living within the Chinese
heritage. In Chinese culture, the Chinese Lunar New Year is the most important
event in the year. The reunion dinner where the whole family comes together is
the social event of the year. Family members travel thousands of miles to
attend.
I have observed over the years, for many English-speaking Chinese Christians,
the Lunar New Year celebrations are becoming less and less important. Similar to
the Harvest and other Chinese festivals. It is just another public holiday. More
and more are taking the opportunity during this period to travel overseas for
extended holidays. There is nothing wrong with not wanting to celebrate Chinese
New Year. However this may be symptomatic of the loosening of our cultural
identity. There is no running away from our cultural heritage and identity. We
run away at our loss. Recently many churches in Malaysia and Singapore are
engaged in emotionally mature spirituality. I believe it is time for us to
embrace our cultural spirituality too.
04 February 2016
