Research on the Identity Differences of Diaspora Groups—Taking the Phenomenon of Group Differentiation in Southeast Asian Overseas Chinese Communities as an Example

Focusing on the identity differentiation within overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia, this study draws upon the theory of differential identity and a transnational perspective to explore the mechanisms of group differentiation within diaspora communities under the interplay of colonial legacies, state policies, and forces of globalization. Through a comparative analysis of the diachronic evolution of Chinese communities in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore, the study reveals how institutional pressures, economic capital, and historical memory drive the formation of three distinct identity pathways: Re-Sinicization, Localization, and Transnationalization.