Chan See Shu Yuen: The Cantonese Ancestral Clan in Malaysia as Transnational Social Support Network

Abstract

Chinese clan associations can be found in many parts of the world, due to the Chinese emigration from mainland China in the 1800s. This paper contextualises the study of Chinese clan associations within the Asian approach to cultural heritage preservation. In particular, it takes the case of Cantonese clan associations, a dialect group of the Chinese, whose clan associations have been studied less extensively in comparison to other dialects such as Hokkien and Hakka. The case study used is the Chan See Shu Yuen Clan Association Kuala Lumpur & Selangor (CSSY), which was originally set up by a founder of Cantonese origin, and now operates as a cultural centre as well as a tourist attraction in a strategic location in Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur. Fieldwork consisted of participant observation which included photography, videography, and focus group discussions with the clan association’s board of trustees; and a content analysis of documents such as its yearbook, brochures, and the association’s website. We identified the condition of transnationalism as outlined by Vertovec (1997), in which the clan association had undergone an evolution of its original functions and therefore remained relevant.

Keywords

• cultural heritage
• Cantonese clan associations
• place attachment
• social cohesion
• super-diversity