Re: Culture first, language second

[sllee <sllee@asiawind.com>]

I guess my interest in Hakka and identity may be a bit different from other
Hakka netters from Taiwan or Southeast Asia. So far, I have not seen 
another Hakka from Hong Kong written to this forum/maillist, and I might 
even be different from other Hakkas from Hong Kong. Here's my stand:

I identify myself as a Chinese first, then as a Hakka born in Hong Kong. My
interest in Hakka is obviously higher than in other ethnic groups in China
because of my heritage and familiarity with Hakka. But I am also interested
in all the other 56 ethnic minorities in China as well as the migration of
Asians to the Americas (Inuits, Hopis, Aztecs, Mayans, Ohmecs, Incas,...). I
think the world needs more diversity than uniformity.  Inclusiveness is
better than exclusiveness.  There have been many conflicts between Hakka and
non-Hakkas in history just because of the identity conflict. Even among us,
discussion can become quite pointed when regionalism is involved. If we
believe Hakkas are really the preservationists of ancient Han culture, our
global view should be extended and expanded from the constricted scope of
"Hakka first, everything else second". 

SL Lee