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Abstract:

Because Malaysia has a diverse population, intermarriages among Malaysians are not uncommon; Malaysians of mixed parentage are a familiar sight in many parts of the country. This note reports on the experiences of Malaysian undergraduates with parents from different ethnic backgrounds. Malaysians still identify themselves more with their race as being Malay or Chinese or Indian or mixed, rather than being Malaysian. As a result, Malaysians of mixed parentage feel at times that they do not belong. Stripping down racism and altering the mentality of some Malaysians would definitely be a positive step and long called for.

Keywords: Ethnicity, Malaysia, mixed parentage, race

JEL classification: J12, Z13

1. Introduction

The population of Malaysia is diverse, with me Malays, combined with the indigenous people of Malaysia, who are mostly concentrated in Sabah and Sarawak (the states in East Malaysia) making the majority of the population. They are collectively referred to as Bumiputera. The second largest ethnic group is the Chinese, followed by Indians and other Malaysians of other descent (these groups are mostly in West or Peninsular Malaysia). Intermarriages among Malaysians are not as uncommon as official statistics indicate; Malaysians of mixed parentage are a familiar sight in many parts of the country. This note on the experiences of persons with parents from different ethnic backgrounds incorporates the views of young undergraduates of mixed parentage from both Peninsular and East Malaysia.

2. Mixed Parentage in Malaysia

There is no general consensus to describe or profile Malaysians of mixed parentage. Most would identify themselves according to paternal ethnicity, mainly because Malaysians see it as a legal obligation, though they may not feel that that category of race describes them accurately. In many cases, they feel that they belong more in the category of Others. In the case of Malays and other Bumiputera, due to the legal definition of Bumiputera, most Malaysians of mixed...

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