LL-L "Migration" 2005.08.12 (04) [E]

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From: Críostóir Ó Ciardha <paada_please at yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Migration" 2005.08.11 (06) [E]


Ron wrote:
"Russians began migrating into Xinjiang at the end of the 18th century,
mostly as refugees from the Tsarist regime. (They also migrated to
Manchuria in China's northeast, particularly to the city of Harbin.) It is
not impossible that some Mennonites moved with them at that time. However,
if there are indeed Mennonites in Xinjiang (probably officially registered
as "Russians,"... Any information would be appreciated.

So-called "Russians" (probably including Ukrainians, Belarusians and a whole 
host of other non-Russians as well as Mennonites) are very few in China - 
less than five thousand according to the last few Chinese censuses (the 
figure from memory is 2,400), concentrated almost entirely in East Turkestan 
(Xinjiang), with no more than a few hundred in Heilongjiang (north east 
China) and Inner Mongolia.

If the experience of other "Russian Germans" are anything to go by I presume 
Plautdietsch would have given way to Russian as the community's language 
some time ago. I do not know whether "ethnic Russians" in China are obliged 
to be educated in Russian under Chinese minority policy. My experience of 
Chinese minority policies in education is that minimal minority instruction 
is actually provided, and that in fact most children of minorities are 
taught in Mandarin, although this is less the case in East Turkestan and 
Tibet where Uighur and Tibetan seem to be quite strong. So perhaps Mennonite 
and Russian children are taught in Uighur.

Good luck in your search.

Criostóir.

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Migration

Thanks, Críostóir.

Your assessment and suppositions match mine pretty much.

I believe that Russian children visit whichever "majority minority" school 
there is in their areas, which in most cases means Uyghur or Kazakh ones.* 
This is the nationwide _modus operandi_ when it comes to minorities that 
don't officially exist or are two small to warrant special consideration. 
The Tuva of northern Xinjiang (who speak a Turkic language) must visit 
Mongolian schools in which (Chakhar) Mongolian is used along with Mandarin 
and some Kazakh, even though hardly anyone in the area speaks Chakhar 
Mongolian but speaks Oyrat (Oirat), another Mongolic language (which used to 
be written but no longer is, because it doesn't officially exist).  This way 
assures that many children are educated in languages other than their native 
ones and smaller minority languages disappear, thus assuring simplification 
of the complex minority pattern to the level at which it is officially 
presented.

(* When I traveled in Xinjiang I was usually assumed to be an ethnic 
Russian, because foreigners didn't travel by themselves at that time, I 
spoke Mandarin and wore a Mao uniform (which was still done among foreign 
students at the time).  Some older Uyghurs and Kazakhs addressed me in 
Russian, younger ones in Uyghur.

But at least there *are* official considerations for some minority 
languages, which cannot be said about certain European countries.

> Good luck in your search.

Thanks.  I'll let you know if anything shows up.

I was sure glad to hear that you "love this list."  :-)

Cheers!
Reinhard/Ron

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