Transporting and reconstructing hybrid identity through language use in the work domain: focus on Filipinos in Malaysia

Abstract

ABSTRACT Globalisation has resulted in people from different parts of the world migrating from one country to another in search of better job opportunities. Countries that provide attractive job opportunities are most likely to become the major destinations of migrant workers. In Southeast Asia, Malaysia is one of the preferred destinations of economic migrants from neighbouring countries such as the Philippines. Studies show that blue-collar and white-collar Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) in Malaysia have increased in number over time. This paper examines how Filipinos transport and reconstruct their hybrid identities through language choice in multilingual and multicultural Malaysia. To conduct the study, 30 Filipinos were interviewed about their choice of language in the work domain, and they were asked how such language choice reflected the identity that they wished to portray. The findings show that OFWs construct and reconstruct their identity by using the Philippine variety of English, and code-switching between English and other Philippines languages. Such construction of hybrid identity is seen through language choice, lexical choices, and pronunciation, and accent. The hybrid identity of OFW is a product of continuous transportation and reconstruction of their identity.