TEXTUALIZING THE "CHINESE OF THAILAND": POLITICS, KNOWLEDGE, AND THE CHINESE IN THAILAND DURING THE COLD WAR

Abstract

Instead of engaging with endless debate on the identity of the Chinese in Thailand, be it assimilation or hybrid identity based either on etic or emic perspectives, this dissertation shifts the discussion to a new level. Exploring the production of knowledge on the Chinese in Thailand during the Cold War as a cross-national identification project involving American, Thai, and Chinese scholars, it argues the perception towards the Chinese identity has constantly been changing as a result of political condition underlying the production of knowledge. Conditioned by Cold War politics, the production of knowledge played a pivotal role in solidifying Chinese vis-à-vis Thai identities in Thailand, served as a guideline in formulating policies towards the Chinese, and facilitated friendly China-Thailand relations. Over the times, the identification led to the reorientation of the Chinese image from being "the Other" into a significant part "of" the Thai nation i.e. "the Chinese of Thailand".