Adaptive Identity Positioning: Ethnolinguistic Strategies of the Siamese Minority in Kelantan, Malaysia
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Minority identity in Malaysia is shaped by tensions between officially celebrated diversity and a national framework centred on Malay-Muslim dominance. This study examines how the Siamese minority in Terbak Village, Tumpat, Kelantan, Malaysia, employs ethnolinguistic strategies to negotiate its identity within a dominant Malay-Muslim sociopolitical landscape. While prior research focuses on historical, cultural, or religious aspects, contemporary sociological perspectives on Siamese identity in Kelantan remain limited. Using a qualitative ethnographic design, this study combines 197 days of participant observation with 15 in-depth interviews to capture the lived experiences of the Terbak Siamese. The findings reveal a tripartite strategy: (1) maintaining ethnolinguistic distinctiveness through Buddhist-Thai practices, formal Thai-language education, and everyday cultural life; (2) pragmatic adaptation in interactions with the Malay majority; and (3) strategic diversification via the Chinese language as a “third force” for mobility. These practices constitute “adaptive identity positioning”, a dynamic approach that highlights how the Terbak Siamese actively perform identity and engage in boundary-making and belonging within unequal power structures. This study advances Southeast Asian minority studies by showing how community resilience supports educational attainment and equity, aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and informs global debates on minority language maintenance and identity negotiation.
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