From: pkk36438@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Polygon)
Subject: Re: HK "roots"?? << was: "I love Hong Kong, too! But why? >>
Keywords: Culture and People
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 02:35:48 GMT

hyx1@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Harry Y Xu) writes:

>pkk36438@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Polygon) writes:
>>hyx1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Harry Xu) writes:
>>>
>>	Canton is a strange place.  Cantonese try their best to sperate from
>>	the mainstram of Mandarin influence.  Just look at the effort we made
>>	on preserving our language, Cantonese, since Tong dynasty; 

>  Really?  Can any 1 throw me some evidence of such effort?  Tnx.

	Easy.  Ask any linguistist or anthropologist, or just look up the
	books like "Kwong Wen" (Board-Rythm) or any book recorded the sound
	change of words.  If you make enough comparisons, you will be convinced.

>>	Therefore HK in 100 years ago was greatly
>>	influenced by the Mandarin culture, but HK culture at that time is not
>>	homogeneous with the maninstream "Chinese" culture.

>  What's Mandaring culture?  Only think is can think of is that they eat
                              ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
				(typo???)
>  a little differently and wear more clothings.  Anything else?  Tnx.

	This one is tricky.  I must admit "Mandarin culture" is a vague term.
	"Mandarin culture" is defined as "any culture in which the members of
	the society already fully use or are ready to fully use and accept
	Mandarin as their daily language".

	Language is the tool for idea transmittion.  Not speaking mandarin
	allows Cantonese to be isolated from the influence of music, travelers,
	or other media from the Mandarin speaking community.

	Main difference lies in the way of political belief.  You may strongly
	object on this point.  However, I believe Cantonese tolerate higher
	civil disobedience against the central mandarin government ( Ching
	Dynasty or something ).  The cause of such do-not-have-to-listen-to-
	lau-zone attitude can be contributed to the language barrier.

>>
>>	Personal attitude alone is not sufficient to define "root".  An ABC
>>may have a very strong sense of attachment to HK, but his root is not in HK
>>because he does not have enough culture traits and cultural bkground to share
>>with the real HKese. Culture traits means the tools we used to live our lives.
>>(eg. food, landscape, public transportation vehicles, clothing, etc. ) And
>>cultural background is referred to the knowledge which is available to every
>>member of the environment of interest. (eg. TV news, education, movies, etc.)

>  I don't think u can say that "ABC have ... sense of attachment to HK."
>  He's never seen HK.  What he hears all the time famile/friends about HK
>  might help develop HK envy, but I won't call that "attachment."

	Just "sence" of attachment, no matter how strong or how weak. 

>	If u say "culture traits means tools..." (not that I dasagree),
>  then the ABC's and Anglos have the same "culture traits" except that ABCs
>  might eat more Chinese food but they can live on American food just as well.

	Yes, that is right.  
	For example, after I came to the U.S., I became part of American
	culture immediately because I share the same culture traits with the
	rest of the American population.  Of course, my share of influence is
	tiny tiny tiny.

>  ABCs might have THE "cultural background" (Cultural knoledge should be 
>  more appropriate.), but they don't have the "attachment" to it.  If they
>  do (God forbid) they must be living a very unhappy life in US--a place
>  more or less out of touch the culture which they feel attached to.

	I agree without reservation.

	Ironically, a lot of new immigrants are living the kind of life you
	just mentioned!

>>Peter

>-harry/kb2lha,	Just my thoughts.
>====================================>.sig <====================================
>  Harry Xu  (KB2LHA)	   Internet:  hyx1@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu
> *Columbia University Amateur Radio Club (CUARC-<>-W2AEE)  *Founded, 1913*
> *The American Radio Relay League:  Amateur Radio >>---> A National Resource
> *New York Road Runners Club  -&-  Columbia University Road Runners Club 
>	"Go run.  Nothing else can make you feel as good as making love."  --ME
>====================================> end <====================================

Peter

P.S.	So you are a EE major?