Re: Hakka Profile

["Dixie" <Dixie@singnet.com.sg>]

Just like to clarify some of the facts. 

> Hakka spoken language is one of the five major spoken languages in 
> mainland China with the following breakdown: 
> Manchurian-based Mandarin 650 million
> Wu 70 million
> Cantonese 47 million
I think the above should be Yue. Cantonese, or Guangdong dialect is a
subset of Yue.

> Hoklo 39 million
I think the above should be Min and Hoklo is a subset of Min. Min is also
broken into Northern Min and Southern Min.
Hokkien, Teochew (Chiu Chow) and Hainanese fall under Southern Min.
Hock Chew (Fuzhou), etc fall under Northern Min.

> Hakka 37 million


> In addition to the above, there are 149 Hakka speaking 
> counties in places mentioned above plus KeiChow, and SiKang's 
> Hui4 Li3 county.

My last research show that SiKang is no longer a province. It has been
incorporated into another province which I cannot remember.

> In Singapore, Lee Kwan-Yew is of Kwangtung Tai Pu and Goh 
> Chuk-Tong is of Kwangtung Moi Yen. 

Goh Chok Tong is known as a Hokkien. However, I have seen books and people
saying that he is a Hakka. In Singapore, there are Cantonese, Hokkiens and
Teochews whose ancestors are Hakkas but they became non-Hakkas and
identified themselves as non-Hakkas due to various reasons, eg. Hakka
father and non-Hakka mother, inability to speak the Hakka dialect, etc. I
have come across many. Unless Goh Chok Tong proclaimed that he has Hakka
ancestry one day, I think he is categorised as a Hokkien, from the
information I have, unless you can share more information which I do not
know.


- Dixie