Negotiating Chineseness in an age of China’s “rise”: younger diaspora’s engagement with Chinese voluntary associations in Singapore

Chinese voluntary associations (CVAs) are often portrayed as "old people's clubs" and extant studies have largely neglected younger generations' experiences in these associations. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork with younger Singaporean Chinese who engage with CVAs, this paper explores how they negotiate Chineseness in and through the spaces of CVAs. This paper contributes to extant literature in two ways. First, it sheds light on the role of migrant associations in shaping younger generations' ethnic identity and belonging. CVAs act as sites of knowledge, relationships and connections to ancestral places. Yet at the same time, CVAs are spaces where the younger generations experience alienation during their encounters with older generations. Second, the paper responds to larger scholarly concerns about what China's "rise" means for the Chinese diaspora. We approach CVAs as microcosms of Singapore's balancing act in the contemporary geopolitical landscape where China's presence is increasingly felt.