First, I had grown up being taught that my hometown is the place I was born and raised.
But according to some people I've met, Chinese regard one's hometown based on their father's hometown, not their birthplace/growing up place. So eventhough I was born and raised in Perak and my dad is from Johor, my "true hometown" would be Johor.

Second, my mum's family speaks Cantonese, dad's side speaks Hokkien. However, I took to speaking Cantonese instead of Hokkien and our family does not practice any Hokkien traditions.
According to the same people I've met, me and my siblings are considered Hokkien simply because our father is a Hokkien.

Are these traditional Chinese things? Both my parents are more english ed so they either dont agree with the above or are not sure how true they are.

inb4 TS banana memalukan cina
inb4 chinese practices disappearing, sad case

This post has been edited by sweet_pez: Apr 14 2025, 02:19 PM

Go sleep la

This one based on timeframe I would say, like if u are born Perak, now resides at KL indenpendently, then your hometown is Perak

When you dependent on your parents at young age, and u are in Perak, then going back hometown probably referring to your dad hometown, but usually I would say my dad hometown.

about language, no one stop u from learning other language, u speak Malay doesn't make u a Malay, what ethnic are u will follow your dad like how u use your dad surname.

In the end of the day, in Malaysia all these doesn't really matter much anymore, there are many people who wish you even abandon all your Chinese tradition and live as one of them, what's more when filling up form you are always the "Chinese" race, they don't care if you are Hokkien/Cantonese etc.

Anyway even you admit that u suppose to be Hokkien if follow father ethic, but you have already abandoned your root's practice, does this labeling of being "Hokkien" still relevant in Malaysia?

U born perak and that's your hometown.
Yr dad from Johor so that's his hometown.

You are 50/50 mix of hokkien and Cantonese but choose English as yr mother tongue. Still become a cinapek in the future.

Anything else about your identity crisis?

it depends on who’s asking. if it’s for something official ,like documents, then your hometown would be listed as perak. but if a chinese person is asking, it’s not that straightforward.

younger generations might just consider your birthplace or where you grew up. so perak, again. but for older folks, or younger ones with a traditional mindset, “hometown” means your ancestral origin (in malaysia). that usually traces back to your dad or even your grandfather. in that case, saying johor wouldn’t be wrong either.

you’re definitely considered hokkien, because in chinese culture, heritage is based on the paternal side. your father’s ethnicity, surname, dialect group, and customs define yours, even if you don’t follow any of the traditions or speak a word of hokkien.

it’s still qing ming season now, have you visited your ancestors’ graves yet? you might’ve noticed the tombstones often mention the specific region in china and the ethnic subgroup they came from, even for those who were born and raised here.

at the end of the day, don’t stress too much about what people think. just do your best and succeed in life. what’s the point of being fluent in own dialect or being conscious about culture and heritage if one can’t even get by? memalukan ancestors only.

This post has been edited by incognitroll: Apr 10 2025, 05:41 AM

Chinese culture is very patriarchal in nature, so yes you are hokkien.
Lucky you stopped at father's birth place. I had mine linked to great great grandfather in a southern province of China.

Malu lah if you Hokkien can't speak Hokkien...

Many younger generation cannot speak dialect already, all just speak Mandarin.

One day dialects will go extinct.

But according to some people I've met, Chinese regard one's hometown based on their father's hometown, not their birthplace/growing up place.

Using this logic, your hometown is in China.

>Your hometown is your father's hometown.
>Your father's hometown is your grandpa's hometown.
>Your grandpa's hometown is your great grandpa's hometown...

So CNY go back which kampung?

Dunno who u been talking to. Context matters here. Usually when ppl ask about your hometown u tell the place u grow up in. Then elaborate further where your father originally from depending who and what u all talk about, how close u are. If not close punya why u want bother explain so much.

BUT sometimes hokkien ppl especially olden one will like to ask what chinese are u. If u are hokkien lang usually the follow up question is which hokkien. Then only they want to know ur dad from which kampung in Malaysia if u are same type hokkien. Nowadays very rare got ppl ask like this.

If your boss/kolik/fren ask where u from. Just tell him Perak. If they ask further then u tell them "why ask so much arh? want do arrange marriage?"

In your case u are hokkien eventho u dont practice the traditions. Keep it simple.

My household same case with u. Household language 99% of the time follow the side which is more involved with childcare, which is usually mom side. Cantonese are very predominant in mixed marriage because HK film industry influence, it's easy to find common ground using cantonese because we all grow up watching cantonese movie. Nowadays all become mandarin. Chinese punya special trait, we are very flexible and will use what is practical.

But still when ppl ask me what i am. We all will say hokkien, follow dad side. Usually i elaborate further my mom is hakka. It's fun because hokkien and hakka ppl will be very excited and bantai the dialect with me and they get excited if u can speak both dialect fluently.

Read more about this Professor

https://www.thinkchina.sg/culture/wang-gung...ry-are-not-same

I watched a video where he associated his hometown to where he spent his childhood - Ipoh.



This post has been edited by knwong: Apr 10 2025, 01:28 PM

You follow how you are raised up, the environment you are raised up in, and your own will. There is no need to feel forced to adhere to other people's opinions as long as what you believe does not cause any harm to the surroundings.

If you want to continue the cultural and heritage thing, you will put effort into learning & tracing back even if you are not raised in such an environment. If you don't want to continue the cultural and heritage thing, forcing you to learn or sustain also will be meaningless.

About your hometown, it should be the place you grew up with the most childhood memories. You can be born in Johor, but if you are raised in Perak, I'll say your hometown is in Perak because that is where you create and build all your memories of life. When you talk about life, you have so much to talk about the life at Perak, but if you ask you to talk about Johor, you almost have no idea about Johor.

There is no right and wrong in this matter.

This post has been edited by nihility: Apr 10 2025, 11:48 AM

there is no end to trace back the origin. 1 thing that cant change is u r hokkien. regarding ur hometown, i will think that is where u grow up. birth place is just a place u were born, nothing more than that.

It just feels so weird to be deemed as ___ decendency eventhough not practicing anything about it at all, and to be deemed to be from ____ hometown eventhough I very seldomly go there

-------------------------

Ah see this is what the people I met would say is not correct

Oh same goes for me. Mine is Fujian province.

just because a chinese couple gives birth to a child in the u.s. doesn’t mean the child stops being ethnically chinese. he may grow up speaking only english, celebrating thanksgiving instead of lunar new year, and identifying fully as american—but to many, especially within chinese culture, his roots still define him. origin outweighs upbringing.

Them your grandpa hometown is where?

Your great grandpa hometown is where?

If TS would like to explore his Hokkien roots, the following resources may be of interest.

Learn Hokkien: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?...n.hokkien&hl=en

English-Hokkien dictionary: https://niawdeleon.com/hokkien-dictionary/

so true.. you referring to your home or dad home or family home town?
typically, look at your ic, that determines your home town… can never change that