Performing Hybrid Identities: Discursive Construction of Sri Lankan-Chinese Self and Other

The study explores the identity performance of second-generation Chinese immigrants in Sri Lanka, a minority group comprising 0.02% of the population. Their identity is problematized by several scholars highlighting their intermediary social position and declining engagement in traditional Chinese cultural practices compared to their counterparts in Southeast Asia. Therefore, this study investigates how these individuals self-identify and position themselves in identity descriptions examining the linguistic devices employed in talk. Additionally, the research explores the discursive construction and negotiation of Chinese immigrant identities. The theoretical framework emphasizes the nexus between performance, language, and identity, with performance being pivotal in construction of identities. Subjectivities and subject positions are distinguished, with subjectivities representing personal views and subject positions reflecting societal perceptions. Interviews with four dental technicians employed through nonprobability sampling, form the basis of data collection, employing discourse analysis techniques to explore linguistic devices used in identity construction. Results indicate a complex interplay between subject positions and subjectivities, a negotiation between Sri Lankan Chinese and Chinese national identities. The conclusion highlights the nuanced nature of ethnic identity performance, where subject positions and subjectivities are intertwined, as individuals navigate their unique identities within a societal context often conflated with an archetypal heroic identity.