Overview of the Peranakan Culture and
Identity
The term ‘Peranakan’ generally means ‘locally born’ in Malay. It refers to descendents
of indigenous women who married Chinese, Indian Muslim, Arab or Jewish men and
were born in the Malay Peninsula (Chen, 2010). In this research, ‘Peranakan’ refers to
the Peranakan Chinese whose ancestors were migrants who came mainly from
southern Chinese provinces of Fujian. They brought along with them southern Chinese
heritage that includes their culture and belief system in ancestor worship and practice
of filial piety. Other external cultural markers that displayed the Perankans are their
preference for spicy food, chewing of betel (sireh) and adaptation of Nyonya’s
clothing, such as long dress (baju panjang) and batik wrap-around skirt (batik sarong).
In a patriarchy system, the Nyonyas were confined to roles of wives and mothers. Little
or no education were granted to them as their key responsibilities were to inculcate
Chinese cultural and moral values to their children and to maintain social stability
within the household