Fri, May 11, 2001 page12

• Minnan and Hakka are the same

  • By Lin Yao-chi 林瑤棋
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  Among the ethnic groups living together on Taiwan, the Minnan (閩南) and Hakka (客家) have long been considered distinct peoples. Whether or not this kind of classification is appropriate has been debated in academic circles for years.

  Some scholars believe that the Minnan and Hakka have common ancestral records. Their cultures are closely related, their beliefs are similar and they are most likely the same ethnic group. These scholars say that the two groups' linguistic differences are due to their having been Sinicized in different eras and having originated from different branches of the ancestral tribe.

  There are also scholars, however, who believe that the Hakka originated from a pure race of Han people that migrated south from the Central Plains to avoid the turmoil of war. They believe that the Hakka and the Minnan are different ethnic groups.

  Recently, Dr. Lin Ma-li (林媽利) of the blood transfusion medical research laboratory at Mackay Memorial Hospital, worked on a joint research project with the Japanese Red Cross Society Blood Center and the human genetics research laboratory at Tokyo University. Taking human leukocyte antigen (HLA) as the basic material for their research, they discovered that the Minnan and Hakka people are both descendants of the ancient Yue (越) tribe. So the long-debated relationship riddle has finally been solved.

  Actually, if we observe both the cultural differences and similarities between the two, it isn't difficult to realize that they are indeed one ethnic group. Lin's research report serves as conclusive proof.

  First, from among nearly 1,000 genealogies of Taiwan families collected by the Taiwan Surname Association (台灣各姓淵源研究學會), we have discovered that descendants of a single tribe include both Minnan and Hakka.

  Second, their two languages are similar. According to Deng Xiaohua (鄧曉華), a linguistics expert from the Anthropology Institute at Xiamen University, and Zeng Shaocong (曾少聰) of the Institute of Nationalities at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, the languages of the Minnan and Hakka have differences, but the roots of words, vowels and grammar are the same. At the same time, many remnants of the Yue's polysyllabic language are preserved in both languages.

  The reason for differences in the pronunciation of the Minnan and Hakka languages is that different Yue people became Sinicized in different eras [the many branches of the Yue are known as the "100 Yue" (百越)]. Since Chinese was the dominant language and possessed a writing system while the Yue had no written language, their spoken language lost influence and disappeared.

  Third, the Minnan and Hakka both bury their dead twice (many ethnic groups south of the Yangtze river do). Even now, we can still find "hanging coffins" and caves containing bones in clay urns -- dating back to thousands of years, long before the supposed migration occurred -- in mountainous areas all over Fujian.

  The popular explanation for this is that when our ancestors migrated south to Fujian and Guangdong from the central plains in order to escape turmoil, they instructed their descendants to bring their remains back to the central plains for burial in peaceful times so that they might realize their wish of "fallen leaves returning to their roots." This is just nationalistic talk from the imperial era. In fact, the Han people of the central plains have no custom of burying their dead twice.

  Fourth, according to historical records, the peoples of Fujian and Guangdong had already started to become Sinicized in the Qin and Han dynasties. Later, when Chen Yuanguang (陳元光) settled Zhangzhou in the era of the Tang emperor Gao Zong (高宗) and when Wang Shenzhi (王審知) established the kingdom of Min (閩) in the Five Dynasties, these developments prompted the Yue people of Fujian and Guangdong to become Sinicized even more quickly.

  Afterwards, they were proud to be Tang Chinese. For over a thousand years, wherever they have gone, they called themselves Tang people (唐人), from the region of Tang mountain.

  People from Tang mountain discriminate against those from the central plains. They call people from other provinces "northern barbarians." People still use this term today in Xiamen, Zhangzhou and Quanzhou.

  Fifth, the Minnan and Hakka both worship gods and offer sacrifices to ghosts. Their customs, beliefs and rituals to mark important family occasions are all very similar. The differences in their customs, however, with those of the people from the central plains, however, are great.

  Sixth, the Hakka are mostly distributed in the mountainous region between Fujian, Guangdong and Jiangxi. The land is barren and the people are poor, so they followed the Jiulong River or the Han River and move toward the richer, more populous coastal region.

  After moving to the coast, they learned to speak the local Minnan language, and in the transitional areas between Minnan language regions and Hakka language regions, they speak Zhaoan Hakka (詔安客語) and Nanjing Hakka (南靖客語) which resemble neither the Hakka nor the Minnan language. From this we can see the process by which the two languages evolved.

  According to Taiwan Surname Association statistics, the Hakka population is no smaller than that of Minnan. It is just that most Hakka no longer speak their own language. Former president Lee Teng-hui's (李登輝) ancestors, for example, were Hakkas from Yongding, but he can't speak Hakka.

  The above points show that the Minnan and Hakka are in fact the same. But in our society, some people insist that Hakka have a "headstrong" character, citing the example that Hakka women did not bind their feet and the families put a great emphasis on work and study. These are unconvincing arguments because in a difficult environment, those so-called special characteristics would appear among any ethnic group.

  In sum, from the differences and similarities between the Minnan and Hakka cultures, as well as Lin's scientific research report, there is no longer any doubt that the two groups are the same people.

  The classification of the Minnan and Hakka as separate groups among the four major ethnic groups that we speak of in Taiwan society has triggered animosity. This is unfortunate. Some people believe that it was done intentionally as a way of dividing the people of Taiwan. Whether or not this is true, I would like to say that the government need not get involved in Minnan versus Hakka disputes. It is even less necessary to establish a Hakka committee in the Executive Yuan. Would such a committee be responsible just for the 200,000 people who can speak only Hakka, or also for the 12,000,000 Taiwanese who have Hakka ancestors but can't speak the language?

  Lin Yao-chi is a board member of the Taiwan Surname Association.

  Translated by Ethan Harkness
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