Ethnic affiliations of people of Chinese descent in Martinique and French Guiana

Speaker: Isabelle Debost, Senior Lecturer, University of the Antilles (UMR Pouvoirs Histoire Esclavages Atlantique Caraïbe)
Discussant: Yu-Sion Live, retired Senior Lecturer, University of Réunion

Organiser: Hui-yeon KIM (Ifrae)

Martinique, a territory of mobility and movement, is a space where diverse forms of otherness are woven together and reconfigured. This is true of the Chinese who migrated from China from the late 19th century onwards, or who re-emigrated from French Guiana, a central hub of dispersion.

What of the experience of Chinese descendants who arrived in the 1990s, or of those from older lineages? How does one come to terms with one’s identity through one’s family history? How does one reconcile a sense of belonging to Martinican, Guyanese and/or Chinese cultures? How can one simultaneously reflect on one’s history and origins—or obliterate them—whilst remaining an active participant here, in Martinique or French Guiana?

To unpack these issues, we shall explore two perspectives. The first is that of descendants for whom origins are an unconsidered matter, with the construction of a Martinican or Guyanese identity being central. The second, meanwhile, is that of an origin constructed as a cultural anchor, with the descendants embracing a multi-identity that combines Chinese culture with Martinican or Guianese culture. It is through the narration of life stories, reflecting diverse Chinese origins and the timing of migration, that we will examine the dimensions of social and cultural belonging.