Burmese Chinese

The Burmese Chinese are a group of overseas Chinese born in Myanmar. They make up approximately 3% of the population, although this is understated due to intermarraiges between Chinese and Burmese that result in children called kabya. Another reason for this is the widespread discrimination of minorities in education, which compels many to state themselves as ethnic Burmese. Many of their ancestors arrived from the coastal provinces of Guangdong and Fujian, or across the Burmese border in Yunnan Province. The majority speak Hokkien and Cantonese, although there are significant numbers of Hakka speakers.

Language

For a while, numbers of Chinese speakers among the Burmese Chinese were dwindling, due to Ne Win's ban on Chinese language schools, which remained in effect for nearly three decades. However, there was been a recent surge in Chinese speakers because of less tight rules. Many Burmese Chinese are trilingual, using Mandarin and Cantonese for formal occasions, their respective mother dialects at home, and Burmese for business.

Religion

The Burmese Chinese practice Therevada Buddhism, in conjunction with some Mahayana Buddhist and Taoist beliefs. Chinese temples often serve as ancestor prayer sites, which are often supported by various clan associations. Some practices of the Burmese Chinese are most obvious at cemeteries and funeral services, with family members wearing white, Chinese-style tombstones, and the burning of gold leaf paper.

History

Chinese immigration into Myanmar dates back to the late 1700's, with the arrival of the last Ming princes, who set up kingdoms in present-day Shan State. They are now called Kokang Chinese. In the 1800's, after British colonialism, many Chinese, as well as Indians immigrated because of Myanmar's economic stability. They tended to settle in the major cities of Yangon and Mandalay, and controlled much of the country's assets.

Although Myanmar was one of the first countries to recognize the People's Republic of China as a nation in the 1950's, it treated its own citizens as aliens. The Chinese were issued seperate foreign registration cards, which declared they were not citizens, but rather citizens of China. This was an attempt to limit the influence of Chinese in the country, and segregated them from holding government positions and attending engineering and medical schools. FRC's were passed through generations, until the a generation married Burmese.

In the 1960's, many Burmese led uprisings against the Chinese in the cities, terrorizing ethnically Chinese families, using them as a scapegoat for Myanmar's worsening economic situation. Ne Win banned the teaching of Chinese in schools, and forbade Chinese schools, which resulted in an entire generation of Chinese who could not speak their tongue.

Today, many of the major businesses in Myanmar are owned or operated by the ethnic Chinese. Many have lucrative ties with Burmese generals. Chinese festivals are subdued, with Chinese New Year's celebrations mainly held at home. Clan associations are often the only places where Chinese is actively used.