Beyond Borders: Stories of Yunnanese Chinese Migrants of Burma

299 Pages·2014·9.072 MB·English

by  Wen-Chin Chang

Beyond Borders

Beyond Borders
Stories of Yunnanese
Chinese Migrants of Burma
Wen-Chin Chang
Cornell University Press
Ithaca and London
Cover photograph: Chinese school in Kengtung, a major Chinese migrant
town in eastern Shan State. Photograph 2008 by Wen-Chin Chang.
The publisher gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the
Harvard-Yenching Institute. All royalties earned from sales of this book
are donated to the Thabyay Education Foundation (Yangon, Burma) and
the Aung Myin Monastery School (Namaw village, Shwe Bo township,
Sagaing Region, Burma) to assist their education projects.
Copyright © 2014 by Cornell University
All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or
parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission in
writing from the publisher. For information, address Cornell University
Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street, Ithaca, New York 14850.
First published 2014 by Cornell University Press
First printing, Cornell Paperbacks, 2014
Printed in the United States of America
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Chang, Wen-Chin, 1964– author.
Beyond borders : stories of Yunnanese Chinese migrants of Burma /
Wen-Chin Chang.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8014-5331-1 (cloth : alk. paper) —
ISBN 978-0-8014-7967-0 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Burma—Emigration and immigration. 2. China—Emigration and
immigration. 3. Thailand—Emigration and immigration. 4. Chinese—
Migrations. 5. Chinese—Burma. 6. Muslims—Burma. I. Title.
DS732. C439 2015
305.895'10591—dc23 2014019460
Cornell University Press strives to use environmentally responsible
suppliers and materials to the fullest extent possible in the publishing of
its books. Such materials include vegetable-based, low-VOC inks and
acid-free papers that are recycled, totally chlorine-free, or partly composed
of nonwood fibers. For further information, visit our website at
www.cornellpress.cornell.edu.
Cloth printing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Paperback printing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To my parents

Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Note on Fieldwork, Names, Transliteration,
and Currency xiii
Introduction 1
Part I. Migration History 19
1. The Days in Burma: Zhang Dage 21
2. Entangled Love: Ae Maew 46
3. Pursuit of Ambition: Father and Son 80
4. Islamic Transnationalism: Yunnanese Muslims 114
Part II. (Transnational) Trade 147
5. Venturing into “Barbarous” Regions:
Yunnanese Caravan Traders 149
viii Contents
6. Transcending Gendered Geographies:
Yunnanese Women Traders 176
7. Circulations of the Jade Trade:
The Duans and the Pengs 207
Epilogue: From Mules to Vehicles 237
Glossary 245
References 255
Index 271
Acknowledgments
I encountered my ethnographic fi eld among migrant Yunnanese by chance
while backpacking in northern Thailand during the summer of 1993. The
l aunch of my fi eldwork among a Yunnanese migrant community a year
later was, however, followed by a series of grave challenges, primarily
due to the sensitivity of the research, which almost compelled me to aban-
don it. Without numerous people’s kindness and trust in me, I would not
have been able to overcome the initial obstacles and persist on my quest to
learn about Yunnanese migrants’ history. Although challenges have never
ceased, following my informants’ networks of connection I have expanded
my research fi eld from Thailand to Burma and other places. I owe enor-
mous debts to these informants, and my retelling of their stories in this
book is my humble repayment. Unfortunately, I am not able to thank them
individually, not only because the thank-you list is too long, but primar-
ily in consideration for their security. In addition to my informants, many
local people and scholars in Thailand and Burma have helped me enor-
mously. Again, for safety concerns, I can name only a few here: the late