Abstract:

Reflecting the complex mechanism of identity shaping and the conflict and accumulation of multi-level identity, Chinese primary school textbooks in Malysia constitute an important field for the new generation of Chinese to acquire language and culture and construct ethnic identity, as well as a key field for the formation of civic consciousness and the construction of national identity. Analyzing the discourse of various latest subject textbooks in Chinese primary schools in Malaysia from the perspective of intertextuality, this paper shows that many national discourse strategies, core concepts of high frequency distribution and discourse patterns of intertextuality are strongly shaping the national identity of “citizen-nation” in the new generation of Chinese Malaysian. The ethnic narrative of Chinese unfolds in the context of national narrative. Its narrative subject, narrative structure, cultural mark and discourse approach all indicate that the function of ethnic identity shaping in Malaysian Chinese textbooks is diluted by the powerful rhetoric force of national discourse. In the field of education, the new generation of Chinese are faced with the important issues of how to strike a balance between national identity and ethnic identity, and how to improve the internal cohesion of Chinese ethnic group and inherit Chinese ethnic identity under the premise of national identity.

Key words: Malaysia, new generation of Chinese Malaysian, identity, Chinese primary school textbooks