Dietary Practices as Dialogical Arenas: Identity Construction Among Youth From Han–Hui Intermarried Families

INTRODUCTION: This study explores the identity construction of youth in terms of dietary practice from Han-Hui-Muslim intermarried families in China. METHODS: Drawing on Hermans' Dialogical Self Theory, this research centers on dietary practices, a core symbolic field where cultural boundaries are enacted, to examine how multiple "I-positions" interact dynamically to shape hybrid identities. Empirical data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and ethnographic observations with 28 adolescents (9-17 years old, 16 boys and 12 girls) from 17 Han-Hui intermarried families (Han mothers and Hui fathers) in Lanzhou, a city in northwest China. RESULTS: The findings reveal three distinct identity types emerging from dialogical negotiations: Hui-Muslim identity, Hui-and-Han identity, and Hui-as-registered-Han-in-practice identity. Dietary decisions centered on "what to eat," "where to eat," and "with whom to eat" serve as the primary dialogical arena, reflecting power dynamics between I-positions and external social contexts. CONCLUSION: By focusing on dietary practices which mediate cultural conflicts and construct multi-voiced and adaptive self, the study analyzes how the teenagers' negotiation practices function as a strategy for interacting with family members, relatives, and friends within the context of their daily lives (micro) against the backdrop of Han-Hui-Muslim intermarriage in a context Han-dominated society and Hui-Islamism community (macro). Practically, the findings provide critical insights for supporting the psychological well-being of intermarried offspring and promoting inter-ethnic harmony in multi-ethnic societies.