Chinese Confucian Christians: A Blended, Nuclear Identity in North America

Authors

  • Mary Roberts Daban

Abstract

Despite difficulties faced by immigrants or trans-nationals in their adaptation to North American society, a significant number of those in Chinese communities in the States have overcome stress related to discrimination (or the existence of a glass ceiling) with an ingenious paradigm for identity construction. This particular identity (Chinese Christian Confucian Identity or CCCI) provides participants with a  paradigm for an identity construction which is family oriented and which often seems to show convergence between Christian and Confucian notions such as the following: Xiao (filial piety), Tian (heaven) and Ren or Ren-ai (love and respect). This convergence has allowed members of Chinese American Christian churches to build a framework for self-actualization. The nucleus or socio-motivational center for this identity is in fact the Ren or Ren-ai. The ren-ai is embedded in the construction of the identity and uncovered through IMIS (Multistad Investigator of Social Identity) analysis. The identities analyzed did not show signs of distress. 26 of the 34 analyzed showed contiguity between the different spheres of the identity. This seems to indicate that they are harmonious or sound identities.

Author Biography

Mary Roberts Daban

Mary Daban currently teaches English at the Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis at Polytech, Sophia Antipolis and has taught English at the University of Monaco, the Wuhan Transportation University and Shanghai School of Commerce (Duei Wei Maoyi Xue Yuan). Her work spans religious studies, culture and identity, human rights and freedom of religion issues. She has received funding from the French Ministry of Education "Aires Culturelles" to complete her project on Chinese American Christian Identity Construction (San Francisco and Los Angeles community focus).She has published in a Hong Kong Christian journal on the subject of Chinese family values and Chinese Christians in North America. She is currently conducting research into religious and cultural identity construction of diverse ethnic groups in francophone and anglophone spheres. This research seeks to take into account the importance of respect for religious freedom in different cultural spheres. Mrs. Daban and her husband have adopted two children from orphanages in Nanjing and XiAn (Baoji).

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Published

2010-07-07

Issue

Section

Relational Study