THE ETHNIC IDENTITY OF MALAYS IN SRI LANKA: THE CHALLENGES OF ASSIMILATION AND THEIR RESPONSES

Abstract

AS AN ETHNIC MINORITY, MALAYS IN SRI LANKA PRESENT A FASCINATING CASE OF ETHNIC IDENTITY FORMATION. WHILE THERE HAS BEEN A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF HISTORICAL AND LINGUISTIC RESEARCH DONE ON SRI LANKAN MALAY, THERE IS RELATIVELY LITTLE SOCIOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL RESEARCH ON THEM. THIS STUDY WAS CARRIED OUT MAINLY THROUGH A QUALITATIVE METHOD. THE STUDY SHOWS THAT MALAY IDENTITY IN SRI LANKA IS BOTH PRIMORDIAL AS WELL AS CONSTRUCTED: IT IS PRIMORDIAL BASED ON BOUNDARY MARKERS SUCH AS PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS, MALAY LANGUAGE, ANCESTRY, RELIGION AND THEIR SELF-IDENTIFICATION. HOWEVER, MY CONTENTION IS THAT PRIMORDIALISM ALONE IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO EXPLAIN MALAY IDENTITY; CURRENTLY, THERE IS ALSO THE PROCESS OF MALAY IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION TAKING PLACE AS THE COMMUNITY RESPONDS TO THE CHALLENGES CAUSED BY ASSIMILATION. ALTHOUGH THIS IS VIEWED BY MALAYS AS PRIMORDIALISM, I ARGUE THAT THERE IS CONSTRUCTION OF MALAY IDENTITY TAKING PLACE AS THE COMMUNITY RESPONDS TO THE CHALLENGES ASSIMILAT