SuiXinFar’sCulturalIdentityFormationinLeavesfromtheMentalPortfolioofaEurasianⅠIntroductionSuiXinFar(1865-1914),originallynamedEdithMaudEaton,isthefirstwomanwriterofChinesedescentinNorthAmerica.Sheiscelebratedasthe“spiritualforemotherofcontemporaryEurasianwriter”andthe“ancestorofChineseAmericanliterature”.BorntoaChinesemotherandanEnglishfather,EdithMaudEatonembracedhermother'snationalityatatimewhenitwasnotadvantageoustobeChineseandwroteunderthepseudonymSuiSinFar,whichmeansnarcissusflowerinChinese.SuiXinFar’swriting,whichiswidelyreadandfavorablyreceived,ismostlyaboutChinesepeopleintheNorthAmericaandtheirexperiences.ManyofherstoriesarecollectedinMrs.SpringFragranceandotherspublishedinavarietyofpopularnewspapers.ThroughdescribingChinesepeople’sexperiencesofstrugglingtoliveinaSinophobeenvironment,SuiXinFarexploredthecomplexissuesofracism,ethnocentrism,andbiculturalism,identityandindividuality.MostofherworksreflectherdevotiontothecauseofcounteractingthehatredandprejudiceagainstChinesepeopleandherefforttomakeachangebymeansofherpen,tobethepioneerinbridgingtheOccidentandtheOrient(Parks:1995).InSuiXinFar’smovingautobiographicalessaywritteninherlateryears,LeavesfromtheMentalPortfolioofaEurasian,Farprobedtroublingquestionsaboutherhybrididentityandtoldtheevolutionofherownunderstandingofherculturalidentity.Theessayrevealstheprocessofherculturalidentityformation----fromidentifyingherselfasahalfChinese,halfEnglishwoman-EdithMaudEaton,toclaimingherChinesenationalityasSuiXinFar,andacceptsherhybrididentityasaEurasianatlast.TheprocessisatestimonytoStuartHall’stheoryaboutcultural1identity,whichclaimsthat“culturalidentityisanevercompleteandanongoingprocess,andit’samatterofbecomingaswellasbeing”(StallHall,1994).ThispaperusesStuartHall’stheoryaboutculturalidentitytoanalyzeSuiXinFar’sculturalidentityformationinLeavesfromtheMentalPortfolioofaEurasian,hopingtoofferanalternativeperspectivetounderstandtheconstructionofculturalidentityanditsrelationtoherworks.ⅡStuartHall’sTheoryofCulturalIdentityAccordingtoStuartHall,Therearetwodistinguishedtypesofculturalidentities,oneisessentialist,narrowandclosed;whiletheotherishistorical,encompassingandopen.Therefore,culturalidentitycanbeviewedintwoways---culturalidentityasbeingandculturalidentityasbecoming.Theformerwaythinksofculturalidentityasanalreadyaccomplishedfact,asaconstitutedessence,acollectivetrueselfwithasharedhistoryandancestryheldincommon.Thelatterwaythinksofculturalidentityasbeingproduced,alwaysinprocessandnevercompleted(StallHall,1994:393).StuartHallstatesinhisessayCulturalIdentityandDiasporathat,“culturalidentityisamatterofbecomingaswellasbeing.”“Itisnotsomethingwhichalreadyexists,transcendingplace,time,historyandculture.Culturalidentityisnotafixedessenceatall,lyingunchangedoutsidehistoryandculture.Itisnotonce-and-for-all.”“Culturalidentitieshavehistoriesandundergoconstanttransformation.Culturalidentitiesarethepointsofidentification,theunstablepointsofidentificationorsuture,whicharemade,withinthediscoursesofhistoryandculture.Itisnotanessencebutapositioning”(StallHall,1994:393-395).Inunderstandingculturalidentity,weshouldrejectthetraditionalmodelofviewingitasanalreadyaccomplishedfact,afixedessence.Instead,weshouldthinkofitasaproductionwhichisalwaysinanongoingprocessofbeingproducedandinfluencedbyhistorical,culturalandsocialfa...