What's Being Chinese?

Being Chinese is:

1) knowing Chinese culture
2) understanding Chinese culture
3) accepting all or the majority of Chinese culture.

and/or

4) being an ethnic Han Chinese person.

Culture is the philosophical essence of an ethnic group. It evolves constantly, so is the definition of Chinese. I am not knowledgeable enough to generalize what the philosophical essence of Han Chinese is. If I am forced to, the various philosophical schools from 475 to 221 BC (commonly known in Chinese as 诸子百家), especially Confucianism, and Taoism, plus the later imported Buddhism are the foundations of Chinese culture.

Some just know Chinese history without fully understanding it; some do understand Chinese philosophies but reject them outright for various reasons, while others practice Chinese traditions without even knowing its heritage or origin.

You can be partially Chinese (philosophically, of course), and the majority of us are in this highly globalized and diversified world, which is a good thing.