Localization and the Chinese Overseas： Acculturation, Assimilation, Hybridization, Creolization, and Identification

Based on materials on the localized Chinese overseas, including the Melaka Babas, who are mostly Malay-speaking Chinese, this article reflects on the use of such terms as acculturation and assimilation, as well as hybridization and creolization, in relation to highly localized Chinese. All these concepts are seen as different ways of describing cultural formation in transcultural context. In particular, the relevance of using creolization to refer to the kind of creative process of cultural formation beyond its original usage in the Caribbean is discussed. This results in the identification of fragmented creolization as in the case of the Caribbean and a rooted creolization as in the case of the Babas. The author shall first discuss the issues of assimilation and integration, followed by hybridization and creolization. This is followed by the discussion on localization of Chinese overseas and identity. The concluding section provides some remarks on the concepts reviewed, and three main categories of acculturated Chinese are identified, namely, Chinese who are linguistically assimilated but still observe major Chinese traditions, Chinese who are so acculturated to the mainstream society that they hardly practice Chinese traditions, and Chinese who are both highly localized and highly mixed “racially”.

Making FAIR Easy with FAIR Tools:From Creolization to Convergence

Since their publication in 2016 we have seen a rapid adoption of the FAIR principles in many scientific disciplines where the inherent value of research data and,therefore,the importance of good data management and data stewardship,is recognized.This has led to many communities asking“What is FAIR?”and“How FAIR are we currently?”,questions which were addressed respectively by a publication revisiting the principles and the emergence of FAIR metrics.However,early adopters of the FAIR principles have already run into the next question:“How can we become(more)FAIR?”This question is more difficult to answer,as the principles do not prescribe any specific standard or implementation.Moreover,there does not yet exist a mature ecosystem of tools,platforms and standards to support human and machine agents to manage,produce,publish and consume FAIR data in a user-friendly and efficient(i.e.,“easy”)way.In this paper we will show,however,that there are already many emerging examples of FAIR tools under development.This paper puts forward the position that we are likely already in a creolization phase where FAIR tools and technologies are merging and combining,before converging in a subsequent phase to solutions that make FAIR feasible in daily practice.

The Body in Relation to the Other

In this study,I analyze Glissant’s idea of the Caribbean society as an inclusive community that treats its members with equality and mutual respect.The literary analysis includes novels Brown Girl in the Ring(BGR)by Nalo Hopkinson,Les Affres d’un défi(The Throes of a Challenge)(AF)by Frankétienne,and L’Envers du décor(Behind the Scene)(ED)by Ernest Pépin.All three novels demonstrate how the enslaving western governments of the Black populations of the Caribbean,have dispossessed the Black people of their culture and identity and instilled a feeling of shame into them,and minimized them as zombies.Glissant,like the mentioned authors,raises the question of whether our modern governments still operate on the same principles.Ernest Pépin shows how modern tourists and settlers still envision the Caribbean islands as Christopher Columbus did for the Western world’s profit only.Glissant proposes another form of world relations in the Caribbean,neither ontological nor one of political affiliation with France,but a rhizomatic relation with all the former communities of which the Caribbean peoples are composed.