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Transculturalism and Modernism in Leung Ping-Kwan´S Writing

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Transculturalism and Modernism in Leung Ping-Kwan´S Writing Transculturalism and Modernism in Leung Ping-kwan´s writing Author: Ingegerd Andrén Master´s Programme in East Asian Studies Master Thesis 30 credits Spring 2021 Supervisor: Monika Gänssbauer Department of Asian, Middle Eastern and Turkish Studies Stockholm University Abstract More than 45 million ethnic Chinese are settled outside China and about 20 % among them live in America. The aim of this study is to investigate how a Hong Kong writer in the diaspora has been influenced in his writing in a transcultural and modernist direction and in what way translation can be a part of transculturalism. In this study, the author 梁秉鈞 Leung Ping-kwan (1949-2013) has been selected as an example of this. The study is based on prose and lyrical texts by him. Studies of Chinese in the diaspora have long been neglected, but in recent years, Chinese American academics have begun research into Chinese diaspora literature from a transcultural perspective. This study aims to contribute to transcultural literary studies. In the study of Leung Ping-kwan´s texts, a comparative literary analysis is used which is based on theories of identity and transculturalism. I argue that Leung Ping-kwan's writing is characterized by transcultural and modernist features. 论文摘要 超过 4,500 万华人定居在中国境外，其中约 20％居住在美国。 这项研究的 目的是调查一位香港作家如何在跨文化和现代主义的方向上影响他的写作， 以及翻译以何种方式可以成为跨文化主义的一部分。 在本研究中，以作家 梁秉钧 1949-2013）为例。 这项研究基于他的散文与诗文。 长期以来，对 海外华人文学的研究一直被忽视，但近年来，美国华裔学者已开始从跨文 化的角度对华桥华人文学进行研究。 这项研究旨在为跨文化文学研究做出 贡献。 在对梁炳宽的著作进行研究时，采用了基于身份和跨文化主义理论 的比较文学分析。 我认为梁的著作具有跨文化和现代主义的特征。 Acknowledgements This thesis would not have been possible without all the help I received from my supervisor, Monika Gänssbauer. She has supported me enthusiastically from start to finish, providing literature connected to my subject, several close readings with valuable feedbacks. I would also like to thank Ewa Machotka for all master seminars that gave me more guidelines in academic writing. At last I need to thank my friend Tan Ran who helped me with some difficult Chinese expressions. Table of contents. 1 INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………...…..1 2 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK…………………………………………………….….2 2.1 General literature…………………………………………………………………….…..2 2.2 Previous studies about Chinese in America…………………………………………...…3 2.3 Research questions………………………………………………………………………4 2.4 Research method…………………………………………………………………………5 2.5 The concept of identity…………………………..………………………………………5 2.6 Transculturalism……………………………………………………………………...….6 2.7 Modernism…………………………………………………………………………….…8 2.8 Translation ………………………………………………………………………………9 2.9 Limitations……………………………………………………………………………...10 3 BACKGROUND…………………………………………………………………………..11 3.1.History of Chinese diaspora……………………………………………………….…....11 3.2 China´s policies on Chinese overseas………………………………………………..…14 3.3 From sojourning to settlement to transnationalism………………….…………………..14 3.4 New family and gender roles …………………………………………………………..15 3.5 Chinese immigrants become American citizens…………………………………..……15 3.6 Diasporic Chinese media……………………………………………………………….16 3.7 Chinese diaspora literature………………………………………………………..……16 4 LEUNG PING-KWAN……………………………………………………………………18 5 SUBJECTS OF INVESTIGATION IN LEUNG PING-KWAN´S WRITING…….…20 5.1 Literary style……………..……………………………………………………………..21 5.2 Everyday things…………………………………………………………………...……27 5.2.1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………..……27 5.2.2 Food……………………….………………………………………………………….28 5.2.3 Medical treatment………………………………………………………………….…31 5.2.4 Fashion……………………………………………………………………………….32 5.3 Travel and home…………………………………………………………………..……35 5.4 Human, social, and political relations………….…………….…………………………37 5.5 Translation…………………………………………………………………...…………41 6 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION…………………………………………………….44 7 OUTLOOK…………………………………………………………………………….…..47 8 REFERENCES………………………………………………………………...………….48 1. Introduction The migration from China to North America can be divided into three stages based on the migrants' settlement in the new country: Sojourning, Settlement and Transnationalism. Sojourning (1848-1943) points to Chinese people who went to America to make money and then returned home. Due to the Chinese Exclusion Acts in the 1880s, which caused humiliation and terror against the Chinese, many migrants returned to China. Since Chinese people could not become North American citizens until the 1940s, it was impossible to create permanent housing. After 1943, China had a stronger role in the world and Chinese Exclusion Acts were removed which allowed Chinese to reunite with their families. After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Chinese people could settle as American citizens. More liberal immigration opportunities led to a massive immigration from China. Many Chinese migrants were highly educated and aimed for a better standard of living and personal freedom. In recent years, Chinese migration has become more mobile and has been subsumed under the term immigrant transnationalism. The term transnationalism refers to cross-border relations. The transnational migrants live across national borders in two or more countries where they live and move to gain maximum opportunities.1 The cross-border relations led to transcultural identities where different groups of people interact with each other and create new cultures. Transculturalism is characterized by diversity and mobility which can also be found in the literary movement of 20th century ´s modernism. Through the experience of mobility many modern diaspora authors are crossing literary borders. One of them is Leung Ping-kwan 梁秉鈞 pen-name Ye Si 也斯 (1949-2013) whose global perspective permeates his literary works. The aim of this study is to investigate the transcultural and modernist features in his works.2 1Tan, Chee-Beng Routledge Handbook of the Chinese Diaspora, New York 2018, 122-136 2 Gilsenan Nordin, Irene/Edfeldt, Chatarina/Lung-Lung Hu/Jonsson, Herbert, Andre (eds.), Transcultural Identity Constructions in a Changing World, Frankfurt am Main 2016, 11-13 1 Previously studies of the diaspora have been a neglected field, but in recent years, Chinese American academics have begun research into Chinese literature from a transcultural perspective. This study aims to contribute to transcultural studies. Leung Ping-kwan had been extensively literary active. I have chosen to examine his most famous works mentioned by academics who have written about his literature. The books I have chosen include both prose and poetry such as “Travelling with a Bitter Melon, Selected Poems (1973-1998)”, “Islands and Continents, Short Stories”, “City at the End of Time”(2007),” Fly Heads and Bird Claws”(2013), “Wilde Gedanken bei bewölktem Himmel. Notizen aus Hong Kong” (2016), “Dragons: Shorter fiction of Leung Ping-kwan”(2020), “Lotus Leaves: Selected Poems” (2020), “Von Jade und Holz. Gedichte” (2009), “Paper Cuts” (2015) and 游離的詩 Youli de shi (A Poetry of Moving Signs) (1995). The thesis is divided into the following parts: It presents a historical as well as a theoretical background followed by an introduction of the author Leung Ping-kwan. Thereafter the examination and results are presented, and finally there is a discussion and a conclusion with suggestions for further research. 2. Theoretical framework 2.1 General literature In order to create a historical background for my literary study, I have read academic books, articles, and literature dealing with various aspects of the Chinese diaspora such as their history, China´s policies on Chinese overseas, Chinese ‘coolie’ emigration, sojourning, settlement, and transnationalism. The “Routledge Handbook of the Chinese Diaspora” (ed. Tan, Chee-Beng) has given me a broad perspective on these questions. I have studied academic articles and books on identity, transculturalism, modernism, and analyses of Leung Ping-kwan's writing in order to build a theoretical basis for my study 2 of Leung Ping-kwan's writings. Some important books dealing with these issues are “Exploring Cultural Identities in Jean Rhy`s Fiction” (Voicu, Cristina-Georgiana), “Transcultural Identity Constructions in a Changing World” (eds. Gilsenan Nordin, Irene/ Edfeldt, Chatarina/ Lung-Lung Hu/ Jonsson, Herbert/ Leblanc, André), “The Transcultural Streams of Chinese Canadian Identities” (Li, Jessica Tsui-yan), “The Oxford Handbook of Modernisms” (Brooker, Peter, Gasiorek, Andrzej, Longworth, Deborah and Thacker, Andrew) and “The Hong Kong Modernism of Leung Ping-kwan “( Au, Chung-to). Au Chung-to´s analysis inspired me in my own investigation of Leung Ping-kwans writings. My sources in Chinese are essays, poems and short stories of Leung Ping-kwan, Fúshì Bāha 浮世巴哈 (The transient world of Bach)(2013), Xiānggăng wénhuà shí lùn 香港文化十论，(Ten essays on Hong Kong) (2012), Yě Sī de Xiānggăng 也斯的香港 (Ye Si´s Hong Kong) (2005), Yóulĭ de shī 游離的詩 (A poetry of moving signs)(1995) and Lĭ, Wèizuì, 李未醉，Jiānádà huárén shèhuì nèi bù de hézuò yŭ chōngtū yánjiū (1923-1999) 加拿大华人社会内部的合作与冲突研究(1923-1999) (Research on Cooperation and Conflict in the Canadian-Chinese Society) (2007). 2.2 Previous studies about Chinese in America The history of the Chinese in America was long ignored in academic research. The first scientific book "Chinese immigration" by Mary Roberts Coolidge about the Chinese was published in 1909. It describes the lives of Chinese immigrants. However, the source material is based on outside observations of missionaries and government reports and not on the Chinese people's own statements. In the 1960s, several historians wrote about Chinese immigrants, but even here there was a lack of primary
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