LL-L "Migration" 2005.08.11 (06) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 11.AUG.2005 (06) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Migration

Folks,

When I visited Xinjiang (Eastern Turkistan, Chinese Turkistan) in the early 
1980s, a couple of local Uyghurs and one Russian told me that some "Germans" 
lived in or near rural communities with predominantly Russian populations. 
(We are talking about Chinese citizens here.)  The general area in question 
is east of the capital Ürümchi, not far from Ili and the border with 
Kazakhstan.

I am wondering if these "Germans" are Mennonites and, if so, if they speak 
Plautdietsch.  Does anyone know about this?  (Note that I am not talking 
about Mennonite foreigners that moved into China, mostly as missionaries, in 
the 1990s.)

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," since China permits only a certain number of official ethnic 
labels and lumps "sundry" ethnicities in with whatever label they deem most 
convenient), at least some of them may have moved there from Siberia or 
Central Asia as refugees from Stalinist terror when they were shipped 
eastward as alleged potential German collaborators. Perhaps they went to 
China as an intended first step to destinations in the Americas.  Certainly, 
there are, or at least used to be, numerous Mennonites just across the 
border in Kazakhstan, also in Kyrghyzstan and Uzbekistan.  Distance-wise 
such migration would not have been a terribly great step.

Any information would be appreciated.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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