Re-negotiating national identity in a global Sinophone space: a study of Malaysian Chinese users on Xiaohongshu (Rednote)

Abstract Purpose This paper investigates Xiaohongshu (XHS) as a Sinophone digital enclave for Malaysian Chinese. It examines how users negotiate identity through strategic essentialism, analyzes the digital representation of Malaysian heritage, and explores cross-cultural interactions between Malaysian users and the Mainland Chinese “center.” Design/methodology/approach Adopting a qualitative-driven research design, this study utilizes digital content analysis of four high-engagement case studies on XHS. Through a close reading of visual narratives and user comment threads, the research identifies linguistic hybridity and shifts in cultural authority, prioritizing interpretative depth over descriptive statistics to explore identity performance. Findings Findings reveal a transnational cultural reflection where Mainland Chinese “outsiders” frame Malaysian heritage through cultural nostalgia, viewing the periphery as a custodian of “authentic” values. However, Malaysian Chinese users are not passive; they engage in proactive cultural safeguarding by asserting authority over their hybrid practices. By correcting misconceptions regarding multiethnic, localized traditions, users shift from a diasporic mindset toward strategic identity protection. These interactions validate the community’s hybridity as a globally significant evolution of the Sinophone experience, reinforcing a distinct national belonging over a homogenized global identity. Practical implications This study pivots XHS discourse from commercial functions to identity negotiation. Future research should apply this framework to platforms like Douyin or TikTok and explore how non-Sinophone ethnic groups navigate Chinese digital infrastructure to clarify its broader impact on global multiethnic landscapes and transnational integration. Social implications XHS establishes a distinct linguistic space that filters social interaction through Mandarin literacy. This suggests a shift in Southeast Asia’s digital landscape, where algorithmically curated spaces allow minority groups to bypass traditional networks in favor of a “curated belonging” that resonates with their specific ethnic and hybrid roots. Originality/value This research fills an academic gap by shifting focus from consumption patterns to identity politics. It theorizes the “peripheral-central reflective gaze” as a mechanism of reverse cultural flow, offering a robust framework for understanding how intra-ethnic digital interactions shape contemporary subjectivities within the diaspora.