The rapidly growing field of sinophone studies has gained prominence in recent years by challenging the standard historiography of what we call “modern Chinese literature.” At its heart lies a committed critique of mainland China and its hegemonic Mandarin culture, long held as the proper point of reference for measuring linguistic pedigree and literary artistry. But while this approach laudably foregrounds migration, colonial history, the diversity of topolects, and ethno-nationalist politics as forces with which we must reckon in order to probe the nature of Chinese literature, only a few scholars have proposed specific methodologies to raise sinophone studies beyond the level of polemic. (See the recent works of Shu-mei Shih, David Der-wei Wang, and Tee Kim Tong, for example.) Jing Tsu's groundbreaking Sound and Script in Chinese Diaspora exemplifies this urgently needed scholarship. Identifying the Chinese language “as the first problem to be dealt with” (p. 235), it sheds...
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
