THE CALL OF MAO OR MONEY

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THE CALL OF MAO OR MONEY?

• Han Chinese Settlers on Chinas South-western
  Borders

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In this article

• The settlers on Chinas South-Western Borders,
  especially in Sipsong Panna and their impacts on
  the economy and culture of Panna.

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About Han Settlers

• The first wave of migration and its crucial role
  for migrant today
• The second wave of migration
• The Local Han

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Data

• Before 1940s only the representatives of the
  Kuomintang
• Between 1950-1958 500,000 moved to Yunnan
  province, few in Panna
• 1982-1990 24000 to Jinghong county
• End of 1995 more than 210000 in Panna (26 of
  its population, only registered)

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About Sipsong Panna

• Established as a Tai Autonomous Prefecture in
  1953
• Economically and culturally backward
• A mysterious place, a wild and barren place
• Full of resource

attractive but scared
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Why did we come here?

• To consolidate power in these regions
• To promote the integration of the newly defined
  national minorities
• To bring the more advance culture into the most
  backward region

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The early migration

• 1940s, liberating pioneers
• To fight the Kuomintang
• To promote the equality of the nationalities
• Some of Communist Party troops were sent while
  others stay there

They paved the way for the large numbers of Han
arrived later
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The first wave

• From the 1950s onwards
• The first group of 1697 soldiers from PLA was
  sent in 1955
• By 1959, more than 3000 workers and cadres
• Many were sent from Hunan province
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The first wave

• Why did they come?
• They knew that the central government made this
  decision, but they had no authoritative
  explanation for the reason behind it.

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The first wave

• Aftermath of the Great Leap ForwardHope for a
  better living condition
• The political climate of the timeNumerous
  public meetingsThe feeling of being personal
  envoys sent by Chairman Mao himself

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The first wave the
establishment of states farms

• First in 1955
• Functioned as separate societies from the
  beginning
• Become large enterprises today
• The area would not
• have developed without
• the state farms.
• Cause some resentment

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The first wave

• Some measure to promoting the unity of the
  nationalities
• An opportunity to feel courageous and sacrificial
  without actually sacrifice much
• In 1978-1979 they were suddenly allowed to leave
  Panna.

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The second wave

• Same kind of rural migrants, Different from the
  negative term floating population
• --bring in more advanced culture
• --better and more reliable workers than most
  local ethnic minorities

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The second wave

• Hope for a more relaxed and comfortable life in a
  society which would praise them
• Hope for less competition
• Most of the migrants come from Sichuang and Hunan

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The second wave
impact by the first wave

• The first-wave migrants clearly initiated a later
  pattern of migration
• Migrants from similar counties help each other
• A common statement about the developed Han and
  the backward minorities

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The second wave
different from the first wave

• Less interested in comparing themselves with the
  minorities
• Less interested in evaluating their own
  contribution to the area
• Less negative in their comments on the
  minorities, less paternalistic
• The local social status is low

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The second generation

• Sons and daughters of the first-wave migrants
• Compare with their parents Identified as
  Panna people ? Dominant role in the area
  ? Homeland?
• Compare with the second-wave migrants
• What the local identity brings ?

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The second generation

• The younger generation tend to highlight their
  parents contribution to the economic and
  cultural development of Panna.
• They consider it negative to be from the outside

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Conclusion

• Migrants of the first waveTransferred by the
  governmentUnder strong political pressureIn
  order to escape poverty or even starvation
• Migrants of the second wavespontaneously in the
  wake of the economic reformshaving relatives,
  neighbors or friends who were the first-wave
  migrants

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Conclusion

• Numerical minority but socially and politically
  dominant majority
• Welcomed in Sipsong Panna and many other minority
  areas