Generational Shifts Define Evolving Sino-Thai Identity, โNew study Finds
Singapore – A newโค study from the ISEAS โค- Yusof Ishak Institute reveals how Sino-Thai identity in Thailand is being reshaped acrossโค generations, โขmoving fromโค assimilation and cultural โขloss among โtheโ Baby Boomer generation toโ critical reinterpretation โand contestation amongโ Gen Z. The research, detailed โin ISEAS Perspective 2025/69, “Sino-Thai Identity in Contemporaryโข Thai Literature:โข Generational Divides and continuity,” by Kornphanat Tungkeunkunt, analyzes depictions of this identity evolution within recent Thai literature.
The study identifies aโค distinct generational trajectory. The Baby Boomer experience, as portrayed โin Letters from โThailand, isโ characterized by assimilation and a sense of cultural loss imposed by state policies. Generation X-Y,โฃ featuredโ in Through โthe Dragon Pattern, leveraged economicโ prosperity to create a confident hybrid identity, successfully integrating heritage with mainstream Thai โsociety. Tho, Generation Z’s narrative, exemplified in Family Comes first, demonstrates a significant shift โคtowards critical reassessment, fueled by economic precarity and evolving values like individualism and gender equality that challenge customary norms.
Tungkeunkunt’s analysis demonstrates that Sino-thai identity isn’t static, but a “dynamic continuum” vividly illustrated through contemporary Thai novels. Thisโข evolving identity is โขshaped by both economic forcesโ and shiftingโ cultural values, highlighting a complexโ interplayโฃ between heritage and modernity within the Sino-Thai community. The research underscores the importance of understandingโ thes generational differences to grasp โขthe nuances of contemporary Thai society and the ongoing โnegotiation of cultural identity.
ENDNOTES
for endnotes, please refer toโ the original pdf document:โ https://www.iseas.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/ISEAS_Perspective_2025_69.pdf
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