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Article published In:
Chinese Language and Discourse
Vol. 14:2 (2023) ► pp.265–284

Language and identity

A report on a Cambodian Chinese village [1] 1

| Brigham Young University

This paper is a socio-linguistic report of Veun Sai, a small Cambodian village in the Northeastern province of Ratanakiri near the border of Laos and Vietnam. The village is located in a multi-lingual context where Hakka Chinese, Khmer, and Laotian are spoken side-by-side and each language has a distinct role. Hence, the Veun Sai Chinese village is in fact a multi-cultural village bound together by a Chinese thread. This paper provides background on Chinese communities Cambodia historically and considers issues of identity relevant to Sino-Cambodians generally. The report is based on short interviews with 20 residents.

Keywords: Chinese diaspora, language identity, language contact, Hakka, Lao, Cambodia
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Historical background: Sino-Cambodians and the Chinese language
  • 3.The modern context and identity
    • Associations and education
  • 4.The Chinese village of Veun Sai វើនសៃ
    • Village background
    • Demographics
    • Chinese culture and education in Veun Sai
    • Language use
    • Concluding notes
    • Future directions
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 8 March 2022
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/cld.21028.bou
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