Guangdong is one of the major overseas Chinese hometown provinces in China. Overseas Chinese have ancestral homes all over Guangdong, showing the characteristics of family style and local emphasis overseas, such as Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and other major Chaoshan overseas Chinese hometown areas. Overseas Chinese in North America and South America mainly live in Wuyi, Guangdong, namely Taishan, Heshan, Xinhui and Enping. At that time, I mainly went to North America as a miner, built railways, relied on contract labor or "sold pigs". Guangdong Hakkas settled in Africa and Southeast Asia, such as digging tin mines and cutting rubber in Singapore and Malaysia. Therefore, overseas Chinese in Guangdong have formed three clubs overseas: hipster club, Zhao Guang club and Hakka club.
Taking overseas Chinese in Wuyi area of Guangdong as the research object, this paper discusses the psychology and difficulties of overseas Chinese returning to their hometowns in Guangdong and even the whole country. It is hoped that through field investigation and in-depth interviews, we can learn more about the family style, aspirations and local cultural heritage of overseas Chinese, provide inspiration for overseas Chinese affairs, and help domestic readers understand the culture and structure of overseas Chinese more deeply.
Longzhen Old Street, Xinyi Town, Xiang Qiao City, Guangdong Province
The Structure and Local Tradition of Overseas Chinese Hometown in Guangdong
According to incomplete statistics, there are more than 60 million overseas Chinese, including more than 20 million in Guangdong. Overseas Chinese in Guangdong account for almost half and occupy an important position among overseas Chinese. For example, many have Chaozhou Guild Hall. The association plays an important role in inheriting Chinese culture, spreading Chaoshan culture, rallying Chinese strength, enhancing Chinese knowledge, resolving internal contradictions among Chinese, and enhancing the ability of dialogue with local people.
Due to Guangdong's geographical location facing the sea, adjacent to Hong Kong and Macao, influenced by the colonial ideas of Hong Kong and Macao in modern times, and due to the poverty and backwardness of its hometown, it is no longer possible to maintain a family's livelihood by renting the land of the landlords. At the same time, a large number of Cantonese also followed the literati to travel north and south, increasing their knowledge and understanding of the outside world. These early overseas Chinese who went abroad with scholars can be said to be the earliest overseas Chinese who were baptized by culture in modern Guangdong, and also the earliest overseas groups. After some hard work overseas, they took root and sprouted, and returned home with some fellow villagers, thus forming the phenomenon of clan-style and mutual assistance among fellow villagers, and constructing the overseas history of the whole clan and young people in the hometown of overseas Chinese in Guangdong.
In the early days, overseas Chinese in Guangdong started from scratch and made great efforts to get rich, which played an important role in developing the local economy. For example, Ah Loy Yap in Malaysia and Huiyang in Guangdong are heroes of opening ports. Cantonese-speaking Guangfu people landed in Klang Estuary, Malaysia, and gradually landed in various parts of Kuala Lumpur, which not only provided space for their own survival and development, but also promoted the economic development of Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia. More and more Guangfu people have taken root in Klang, Kuala Lumpur and other places, gradually forming the image of clans and villagers gathering in the same city, and establishing ancestral halls and academies in the form of clans to strengthen the strength of their clans, enhance their ability to survive and develop, and form the phenomenon of overseas Chinese gangs.
1955, a China woman painted the wall outside a newly-built house in the suburb of Kuala Lumpur, Malaya.
Due to the institutional constraints and special geographical location, Cantonese people live in a mountainous and sparsely populated environment. Land is occupied by landlords and cultivated land is scarce. However, due to the large population and heavy tenancy, Cantonese people have to look to the outside world.
At the same time, with the rise of industry and the development of system, colonists seized land and plundered wealth all over the world, which required a large number of people to reclaim land and provide rich raw materials and other industrial minerals for colonists. Therefore, Guangdong people with large population, little land and hard work became the first choice for colonists to introduce colonies.
Bangka Island in Nigeria is rich in tin mines. In order to mine these metals, in the era of lack of modern machinery, we can only rely on human mining. Therefore, the Dutch colonists introduced the Hakkas in Meizhou into Bangjia by means of intermediary and assistance to mine tin mines for the Dutch colonists. Many Hakkas died tragically because of long-term fatigue, bad working environment and illness. But even so, overseas is full of golden opportunities and job opportunities, which still attracts Hakkas who want to make a fortune and engage in all kinds of hard work to develop opportunities and their relatives in China.
There are not many cash crops in the hometown of overseas Chinese in Guangdong. Farmers usually engage in the production of crops such as rice, sugarcane and citrus. All the year round, they work hard, but they can't afford to eat. Sometimes when there is a drought, the local staple food is in a hurry, and farmers have to sell their children for money to pay the rent. Job opportunities are scarce and cruel exploitation prevails. People in the hometown of overseas Chinese in Guangdong are no longer willing to work for landlords. They would rather bear heavy loans or even sign contracts to go abroad to make a living. Since then, they have embarked on a road. This way runs through the foreign history of modern Guangdong.
Thousands of years of farming culture has created a lifestyle in which farmers gather together and greatly strengthened clan power. Only by relying on clan forces can individuals have greater right to speak and seek protection of interests. As a result, clan forces have intervened in public life and even personal space, enhancing the powerful discourse power and decision-making power of overseas clans with the same surname. Mutual aid with the same surname, mutual aid in the same village, and rural rules and regulations are deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. The hometown of overseas Chinese in Guangdong has formed a group with the same surname overseas, established a clan association with the same surname, and gradually formulated perfect rules and regulations. On the one hand, it is in the interests of the clan to restrain each individual's behavior, on the other hand, it enhances the clan's right to speak and competitiveness among Chinese through the power of the clan. For example, in Xialu Village, Guangdong Province, where the author visited, Zhao was the majority, and the "Zhao Clan Association" was established in new york to carry forward Zhao cultural tradition and establish a system of economic mutual assistance.
After 1949, the number of overseas Cantonese decreased and there were various illegal immigrants, but the phenomenon still existed. Later, the relevant system was re-formulated, and people in the hometown of overseas Chinese in Guangdong used the relationship of overseas relatives, or applied for overseas job opportunities or applied for settlement, so there was another wave in the 1980 s.
Marriage type and family member chain type
After 1949, the outward movement was basically restrained, which led to the phenomenon that overseas Chinese and their domestic relatives were not smooth. Overseas Chinese have been interrupted for decades by going out to complete their marriage with rural girls through rural matchmakers. After arrival, the system was relaxed, and overseas Chinese who went out early and returned late rushed back to their hometowns to find unmarried girls to get married, so as to increase the labor force of overseas families and even give birth to their children. At this time, a large number of marriages appeared. In order to seek better living conditions and environment, a large number of overseas Chinese girls have married overseas Chinese and made a living abroad to provide income for their families of origin. Once they gain a foothold overseas, they will take other family members abroad when they return home, or provide documents overseas to help family members emigrate, thus forming a support mechanism within the family.
Diaolou and Village in Jiangmen, Guangdong Province
In the early days, people in China's hometown of overseas Chinese had very limited living channels and economic income, low living standards and few job opportunities. Marrying overseas Chinese and completing the "marriage" is the wish of many families and girls, and it is also a matter of face. Many families have the opportunity to improve their economic conditions by marrying overseas Chinese, and girls also realize their desire to "marry" and the purpose of studying abroad through this marriage.
For example, the author chose two villages for household survey-Xialu Village and Wenlou Village. Villagers' emigration overseas refers to successfully settling overseas through marriage and helping other relatives emigrate overseas through various kinship relationships. There are 4,050 villagers, 1 100 households, and Zhao accounts for 70-80%. The ancestors of former US congressmen are in this village. The villagers surnamed Zhao in this village claim to be descendants of the royal family in the Southern Song Dynasty. Their ancestors had no choice but to settle in this village when they were chased by the Yuan Army, and they have been thriving ever since. This village lives by planting sugar cane and raising fish. The number of villagers in this village is close to 4000 overseas Chinese, which shows that the villagers in this village have always been keen on it.
In Wenlou Village, most people are surnamed Wu. There are 4,000 villagers, 1 180 households, but there are more than 8,000 people overseas, and the villagers are only half of the overseas Chinese. This also reflects that the villagers in this village began to emigrate in the tenth century. One way is to get married, and the other way is to help relatives, that is, girls who successfully immigrate overseas apply for green cards for their domestic parents, and then parents apply for emigration for other children. Some girls also apply for their brothers and sisters to emigrate overseas for other reasons.
According to the author's understanding, girls who immigrated overseas in the 1980s basically adopted this kind of marriage. Some girls married chefs, helped their husbands with their work, and opened small restaurants through hard work. Some girls and husbands work 1-3 a day and live a hard life. Some lucky girls marry overseas Chinese who do business and become the owners of grocery stores. Because of the obvious gap between domestic and foreign living standards, marrying abroad is the glory of a family and a girl, and it is also an important way for many families to improve their family economy. Of course, some girls were cheated by the matchmaker because of poor information. Those boys who married abroad didn't know much about the real economic conditions of their married families, and even married some elderly overseas Chinese. Only after they went abroad did they find out the real situation and suddenly regretted it. However, raw rice has been cooked, and they can only make do with life and accept reality.
These overseas Chinese girls who have married abroad have gone through hard times, no matter what industry they are engaged in. Finally, after years of baptism, they opened a splendid flower of life, gradually improved their lives, trained the next generation into talents, and realized their long-cherished wish to some extent.
A large investment in education and the mobility of future generations
In the process of household survey, the author found that the villagers who went out in the last century 10 were willing to spend money on raising children and cultivated many excellent talents. For example, a daughter surnamed Zhao in Xialu Village not only improved her living environment with her hands, but also brought her parents to live in the United States and trained a doctor and an undergraduate. It's just that the couple named Zhao Can didn't adapt to life in the United States, but chose to go back to their hometown to spend their old age and give up their green cards. He told the author that the American green card was of no use to him, and he still chose to go back to his hometown to live. An 80-year-old grandmother in Wenlou Village was accepted by her son to live in the United States. After living in the United States for three years, she chose to return to China, give up her green card and live in an old house in the village. Her son hired a nanny to take care of her daily life.
In America, the competition for talents is fierce. Although China can improve her life by virtue of her diligence, she has been at the bottom for a long time due to the lack of culture and academic qualifications. This situation forces us to think about how to change the status of the bottom, squeeze into the top, or at least leave the environment where we can make a living by working day and night. They hope that future generations will not repeat the same mistakes, but will be able to get ahead and start a new life.
According to the author's investigation, overseas villagers don't want their children to suffer from illiteracy, so they attach great importance to education and invest a lot of energy and money in their children. Therefore, many children born overseas have received a good education, and some even graduated from famous schools such as Yale University. Some children are even more powerful, get a doctorate, and achieve the goal of upward mobility of classes.
In the eyes of overseas Chinese, education is the only way to change family destiny and children's future. Therefore, as long as children are willing to study, they will give everything they have and want their children to go to school. The concept of "everything is inferior, only reading is high" is deeply rooted in China. They are proud of their children's achievements, and also show off their achievements and further studies in famous universities to others. In the survey, the author found that many family members mentioned the learning situation of their grandchildren and even their great-grandchildren, as well as their achievements in famous universities, and they felt relieved that their children had finally made a difference.
Judging from the author's investigation, families generally pin their hopes on future generations. Therefore, the role of reclamation cattle and the cases of doing their best for future generations are stronger than others.
The information flow and the use of new media have not changed their local culture and China cognition.
From the perspective of communication, how much information a person has will affect his wealth production capacity. Then, will you get more from the contact with new media, so as to enhance the channels of interaction with the outside world, and get more information about getting rich by understanding the outside world and keenly perceiving the dynamics of the outside world?
In the investigation, the author found that the contact between information flow and new media is helpful to improve the user environment, but it will not provide more help for users to get rich. Rarely use social media such as Facebook and Twitter to browse information, but use social media such as WeChat to talk with relatives who are still in China. To some extent, social media is just a tool to reduce the cost of talking with relatives and enhance feelings, and it has not formed a close relationship with wealth production. The new generation of China people often use social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Tubing to browse food, travel and other information, but they are relatively indifferent to the local ecology. This shows that this generation has not changed their local culture because of the use of social media, nor has it enhanced their ability to get rich. The author found that they were not influenced by the local media on China, but changed their understanding of China. This may be closely related to their lack of leisure time, ignorance of English and local languages, or limited ability to use local languages. However, for the new generation of Chinese born abroad, due to the lack of mother tongue education, they do not actively participate in Chinese associations, and their goodwill towards China is far less than that of the previous generation, and this goodwill is fading.
Tingjiangxu Overseas Chinese Modern Architecture (Meijia Dawu)
Although the use of new media such as social media has not provided them with a lot of wealth, it has helped them not to live in an information island and not to fall behind in the information age. They also need to get it from social media. For example, by talking with their relatives in China, they can learn about the development of China and the progress in rural areas.
In the interview, the author learned that a family member of an overseas Chinese surnamed Zhao owns a house of about 200 meters, with a main room, a miscellaneous room and a yard of about 100. A clean environment and comfortable living are many times better than urban residents. Their living environment also makes the author quite envious. Perhaps the hometown of overseas Chinese has undergone tremendous changes, changing the backward scene in the 1980 s. Many overseas Chinese have the idea of returning to China, but they are worried that they will not find suitable jobs, adapt to the domestic environment and compete with others. Some people will feel sorry when they see the changes in their hometown and economic development, but things are unpredictable. They chose to settle overseas without hesitation, but they didn't expect such great changes and progress in China more than 30 years later. Their desire to return to China is getting stronger and stronger, but it is hindered by many reasons, which not only shows that the development of China has attracted them, but also shows that some overseas Chinese who are accepting overseas Chinese have affected their overseas return. The phenomenon that overseas Chinese want to return shows that it is still a development problem to get the support and support of overseas Chinese.
In the survey, the author found that overseas Chinese envy the domestic living environment and have basically no negative impression on China. After returning to their hometown, some new generations can accept the rural living environment, which not only shows that the rural environment has been effectively created, but also shows that living abroad has not reduced the feelings of that generation for China and local culture. As long as China can earnestly safeguard their overseas rights and interests, protect their lives and property, and help them fight against racial discrimination, they will support China at home and abroad. We have a solid foundation to establish China's isomorphism consciousness.
It is precisely because of China's rapid economic development and remarkable progress that the desire of overseas China girls to emigrate has been greatly reduced, and even no girls are willing to marry overseas. According to the village committee of Xialu Village, one in ten girls may be willing to move overseas to live by marriage, which is quite different from the situation in the 1980s and 1990s. The village committee said that what girls wanted in the past, such as improving economic conditions, can now be basically realized, even more than in the past, and the economic outlook of girls' families has been greatly improved, so the background of improving the family environment by "marrying out" and sacrificing their own destiny no longer exists. In addition, modern girls are educated and independent, and even less willing to marry an unknown husband hastily. As the economic environment has greatly improved, parents are reluctant to let their daughters marry far away, and the phenomenon of girls moving overseas through marriage has become very serious.
Possibility of "Re-China"
With the development of China, many overseas Chinese have appeared the phenomenon of "going back to China". This is based on the mixed phenomenon of obtaining benefits and local culture. Many China people emigrated overseas, but the cultural background made them unable to feel safe overseas, so they had to build the Great Wall to protect their inner insecurity.
The pain of culture and the suspension of spirit have always plagued their spiritual life. In the past, in order to have a good material living environment, they had to endure the mental injury caused by cultural conflicts. However, with the rapid development of China's economy, the living standards of overseas Chinese have been greatly improved, which has led many overseas Chinese to be unwilling to sacrifice their spiritual life for the improvement of their material life and have the idea of returning to China. However, this phenomenon of "re-China" is faced with many practical problems of the return of nationality in the practice of identity transformation, and at the same time, it will also produce new problems and even trigger strong reactions from domestic people. "Re-China" has become a very serious problem.
There are more than 60 million overseas Chinese, so it is impossible for China to accept them all, and the realistic environment does not allow China to adopt such a policy. However, the trend of globalization and the desire to introduce human capital forced China to open the door to acceptance, and the phenomenon of "going back to China" put China in a dilemma. With the change of the situation and the continuous population of China for decades, this "re-China" may become a reality.
(Professor, School of Journalism and Communication, Jinan University, researcher of "Building a Strong Chinese Identity", this article is the phased achievement of a major social science fund project "Research on Building a Strong Chinese Identity in Overseas Chinese Media in Post-epidemic Period", with the project number of 20VMZ003. )
Editor in Charge: Gu Ming
The above is related to the bad fate of husband and wife, and it is about sharing. I hope this will help everyone after watching the rabbit and snake competition and have a happy marriage!