Re: hakka language resource material

[Roger Chen <ri.chen@sympatico.ca>]

jerry wrote:
> 
> At 09:33 PM 3/9/98 -0800, you wrote:
> >Hi Jerry:
> >
> >I 've just joined the 'net, and found your posting.
> >
> >Like you, I'm trying to find hakka material to learn my parent's
> >dialect.  Both my parents have died in the early '70s, and I regret not
> >having learned it fluently from them.  Were you successful in finding
> >any material?  I gather that Taiwan has a few stores that carry
> >material, but e-mail, faxes, and phone calls go unanswered.
> >
> >I'm looking for tapes, CD's, books, anything..!
> >
> >Let me know how successful you were.
> >
> >roger chen>
> 
> Roger,
> I am sorry to be so late in responding to you.  I was in the states when
> you wrote and I did not see the email immediately upon my return.  My wife
> had opened it and forgot to tell me that you had written.  There are
> several resources that are available.
> 
> The best beginning book is "Hakka One" which is published by the Maryknoll
> Language School in Taichung.  Their address is 120 San Min Rd., Sec. 1,
> Taichung, Taiwan 400.  Their fax # is (04)375-0100 or telephone
> (04)371-2133.  Of course if you are calling from off island the country
> code is 886 and you drop the 0 before the 4 in the city code.  In addition
> to this resource the Baptist Language Center in Taipei has several books
> that follow the same romanization patterns.  The second book is "Hakka in a
> Hakka Village" and then there are a couple of others.  You can contact them
> by phone at (02)2362-5435 or directly to the director's office at
> (02)2362-8794 (Gary Linebarger).  You can write to the Baptist Language
> Center at P.O. Box 39-875, Taipei,Taiwan 100.
> 
> I hope this helps.  Where are you?  If I can be of more help let me know.
> 
> Jerry



Hi Jerry.
Thanks for the information. This kind of information is better late than
never. I live in Toronto, Canada, and although there is a large Hakka
population here (about 4000), there is very little Hakka material
available.

The Chinese population here in the greater Toronto area is about 300,000
and they are mainly cantonese speaking. The majority of them came
between 1985-1990 when China announced it would be taking back Hong
Kong.

The Hakka people here, like myself, are mainly from the Caribbean. I'm
from Jamaica, and came to Canada in 1960 as a student/immigrant. The
bulk of the Hakkas here came in the mid 1970 when Jamaica, Trinidad and
Guyana experimented with communism. In Jamaica the government at that
time, under Prime Minister Manley, actively turned the predominantly
black population (negroes) against the chinese; so most of them left the
islands for Toronto, Miami, and New York.

We have three active Hakka associations here: The Caribbean Chinese
Association (CCA), the Fui Toong Onn Society (FTO), and the Tsung Tsin
Association (TTA). The CCA is mainly the 45-60 age group, of hakka
heritage, but don't speak the language. It is a social group. So is the
FTO, but more for the 60-80 age group. They are of our parent's group
and they do speak the language, and little english. The TTA is a
business association; they conduct their business in Hakka.

We have tried cultural classes for the generation following us, but they
have little interest in it. Some of my generation are trying to learn
the dialect, but apart from speaking with the older group, have little
hakka resources available to us. That's why I'm seeking teaching aids
..mainly for myself.

Where in the world are you?

hope I didn't go on too long.
roger chen