ethnic groups in southeast asia - suffolk...
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Ethnic Groups in Southeast Asia
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Bugis
About 6-8 million. Heartland: South Sulawesi (but origin 3 millennia ago in South China??). Mainly
muslim since 1605, but atop earlier customs.
Influential in Indonesia (B.J. Habibie: President 1998-99; Jusuf Kalla, VP 2014-present), Singapore, and
Malaysia: (PM Najib Razak; Tun Abdul Razak: PM 1970-1976; New Economic Policy).
Notable feature: Five Genders
Oroané (male)
Makkunrai (female)
Calabai (assigned male, fashion and gender
expression female)
Calalai (assigned female, dress and present
themselves as male; female partners, adopt
children)
Bissu. “Gender transcendent”. Possibly, but not
necessarily, born intersexed. Often a medium:
Advice and approval sought for major decisions (e.g.
hajj).
Here, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_in_Bugis_society
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Minangkabau (“Victorious buffalo”)
West Sumatra highland heartland (4 million; + 4
million elsewhere). Matrilineal and patriarchal:
property via mother to daughter, religion and
politics mainly done by men. Strong emphasis on
education. Islam + adat (traditional customs).
Married sisters may remain with their
parents: husbands have “visiting status”.
Photo shows traditional costumes, 2007.
Men waited for marriage proposals.
Diaspora: Cause or effect of matrilineal
arrangements?
Negeri Sembilan: former Minangkabau
colony.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Traditional_minang_costumes.jpg
Mohammad Hatta (Co-founder of Indonesia); Yusof bin Ishak (first president of Singapore);
Tuanku Abdul Rahman (first head of state of Malaysia).
1958: regional revolt, ended 1961, but helped push Indonesia toward centralized government.
Local language close to Bahasa Indonesia.
Merantau (“journeying”). Encouraged of young men.
Nasi Padang restaurants: spicy food, pay per dish.
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Rumah gadang (communal long house) and rangkiang (rice barn): 1910.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumah_Gadang#/media/File:Rumah_gadang_1910.jpg
Rice houses, c. 1900.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:COLLECTIE_TROPENMUSEUM_Minangkabau_rijstschu
ren_Batipoeh_TMnr_60050413.jpg
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Hmong
Northern Vietnam (1m), Laos (1/2 million), Thailand (150k, southern China (3m). 260k in US.
Origins in Yangtse region of China.
Patriarchal. Bridenapping no longer common. Shamanism/ancestor worship.
Colorful dress, textiles. [Guide: English, Hmong, not Vietnamese; no schooling.] Subsistence hill
agriculture, now tourism too.
Recruited by French, US.
Terraces near Sapa
Black Hmong, Sapa.
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Market, Can Cau. Flower Hmong.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hmong_people#/media/File:Can_Cau_market_(6223927056).jpg
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E De (aka Rade)
Central Highlands of Vietnam.330k (2009).
Chamic language. Matrilineal and matrilocal. Now generally protestant. Fought with the French.
Known for their longhouses.
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Gia Rai
Like the E De: matrilineal, Chamic language, mountain areas. 411k (2009).
Mostly animists: demons inhabit creation, and need to be appeased periodically.
Remarkable graves: house girt with crude, often sexually explicit statues. After final
abandonment ceremony, widows may remarry.
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Bahnar (Ba Na)
Central Vietnam. 228k. Mon-Khmer language.
Astonishing communal houses. Known for music and dance.
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Negritos
Semang (N Peninsular Malaysia; part of orang asli); Mani (Thailand), Aeta, Ati (Philippines)
The earliest inhabitants? Australoid Melanesian settlers out of Africa? Related to African
Pygmies? May date back 50,000 years. Related to aborigines of Australia.
Hunters and gatherers. Only 300 Maniq left; 4,000+ Semang.
Aeta: nomadic. Life expectance at birth: 16.5 years – only a third survive to 15; and then life
expectancy is 27.3. Females reach average 4’ 7” by age 12/13. Animist: dances before and after
pig hunts, shellfish gathering. Scarification: cut and rub in ashes, lime. Experts on herbal
medicine.
Ati girl
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Ethnic groups in Myanmar
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Karen/Kayin
5 m. Many in Thailand across border. Karen National Union has fought against government of
Myanmar since 1949.
Loyal to Britain vs. Japan in WWII.
Mainly Theravada Buddhists; one-third are Christian.
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Only about 10% of primary school students go on to secondary school. Weak health care. Not
unusual in conflict-prone hill areas.
Kachin / Jingpo
Originally from Tibet, and speak a Sino-Tibetan language. Now mainly Christian. Arrived 15-16th
century CE.
http://feminismandreligion.com/2011/11/19/karai-kasang-rebirthing-the-non-patriarchal-
image-of-god-in-kachin-culture-by-zau-sam/
Kayan (sub-group of Karenni)
Tibeto-Burman. 130k. Bronze-age migration from
Mongolia. Many in Thai camps.
Famous for brass neck coils. Starts at age 5; weight
pushes down rib cage, neck is not made longer. Not
clear why: less attractive to slavers? More attractive
to men? Look like dragon? Avoid tiger bites?!
Fewer women follow the practice, except in remote
villages, and tourist spots in Thailand.
Religion: Traditionally Kan Khwan. People come from
union between a female dragon and male
angel/human. Divination/augury common. Poles and
festivals/dancing. Now many are Roman Catholic.
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