Yao people
Encyclopedia
The Yao nationality is a government classification for various minorities in China. They form one of the 55 ethnic minority groups
officially recognized by the People's Republic of China
, where they reside in the mountainous terrain of the southwest and south. They also form one of the 54 ethnic groups officially recognized by Vietnam
. In the last census in 2000, they numbered 2,637,421 in China, and roughly 470,000 in Vietnam.
The Yao people were among the rebels during the Miao Rebellions (Ming Dynasty)
, along with the Miao people
against the Ming dynasty
.
Around 1890 the Guangdong
government started taking action against Yao in northwestern Guangdong.
, Vietnam
and the highlands of Laos
. The migration was agitated by the opium
trade said by the Chinese government. But The Iu Mien say all the emigration was because of the Chinese taking their land.
forces and were dubbed to be an “efficient friendly force.” This relationship caused the Laotian government to target Yao tribal groups for revenge once the war was over. This triggered further immigration into Thailand
, where the tribes would be put into camps along the Thailand-Laos border.
status from the Thai government
and with the help of the United Nations
, many Yao people were able to obtain sponsorship into the United States
(although many remain in Thailand). Most of the Yao who have immigrated to the United States have settled along the Western part of the U.S., mainly in Northern California
such as Visalia, Fresno, Oakland
, Oroville
, Redding, Richmond, Sacramento
, but also in parts of Oregon
Portland, Salem, Beaverton and the state of Washington Seattle, Renton, . See Mien American
for those identified as Mien.
The men and the women cover their heads with a black or red scarf. Some women substitute this scarf by a turban that can adopt different forms.
The traditional suit of the women is of bright colors. They also decorate their shirts with decorations made out of silver.
In Vietnam, Yao people celebrate many exciting and meaningful festivals such as Nhơn chung lỉnh (literally: Red rice, Green rice"), Nhiang chằm đao (literally: Jumping Festival).
), although many have converted to Buddhism
and some to Christianity
. Though some people have converted to other religions, many still remained practicing their traditions.
There are several distinct groups within the Yao nationality, and they speak several different languages, The Iu Mien makes up 70% of the Yao Nationality, different language families: Cenuses taken on 2000
In addition to China, populations of Yao also live in Northern Vietnam
(where they are called Dao), Northern Laos
, and Burma. There are around 60,000 Yao in Northern Thailand
, where they are one of the six main hill tribes. The lowland-living Lanten of Laos, who speak Kim Mun
, and the highland-living Iu Mien of Laos are two different Yao groups. There are also many Yao living in the United States
, mainly refugees from the highlands of Laos
who speak the Iu Mien language
. The Iu Mien do not call themselves "Yao". Not all "Yao" are Iu Mien.
A group of 61,000 people on the island of Hainan
speak the Yao language Kim Mun
139,000 speakers of Kim Mun live in other parts of China (Yunnan
and Guangxi
), and 174,500 live in Laos and Vietnam.http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=mji
The Bunu call themselves Nuox no˩˧, Buod nuox [po˦˧no˩˧], Dungb nuox [tuŋ˧no˩˧], or their official name Yaof zuf [ʑau˨˩su˨˩]. Only 258,000 of the 439,000 people categorised as Bunu in the 1982 census speak Bunu; 100,000 speak Zhuang, and 181,000 speak Chinese and Bouyei.
, the Guangxi Nationality Institute and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences together created a new Yao writing system which was unified with the research results of the Yao-American scholar Yuēsè Hòu (Traditional Chinese: 約瑟·候/Simplified Chinese: 约瑟·候). The writing system was finalized at a one-day conference in 1984 in Ruyan County, Guangdong
, which included Chinese professors Pan Chengqian (盤承乾/盘承乾), Deng Fanggui (鄧方貴/邓方贵), Liu Baoyuan (劉保元/刘保元), Su Defu (蘇德富/苏德富) and Yauz Mengh Borngh; Chinese government officials; Mien American
s Sengfo Chao (Zhao Fuming), Kao Chiem Chao (Zhao Youcai), and Chua Meng Chao; David T. LeeUnited States
Linguist Herbert C. Purnell, who developed a curriculum and workshop presentations on language learning in East and Southeast Asia; and Yao Seng Deng from Thailand
. The US delegation took the new writing system to the Iu Mien community in the United States where it was adopted with a vote of 78 to 7 by a conference of Mien American
community leaders.http://iumien.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=1&page=2
This writing system based on the Latin alphabet was designed to be pan-dialectal; it distinguishes 30 syllable initials, 121 syllable finals and eight tones.
For an example of how the unified alphabet is used to write Iu Mien, a common Yao language, see Iu Mien language
.
There is a separate written standard for Bunu, since it is from the Hmong/Miao
side, rather than the Mien/Yao side, of the Miao–Yao language family.
A variety of Yao is, or was, written in Nüshu, an indigenous script.
Officially illiteracy and semi-literacy among the Yao in China still stands at 40.6%, as of 2002.http://www.hh.cn/whwx/yz/2002/2002-10/2002-10-31/1036034262_2
Ethnic minorities in China
Ethnic minorities in China are the non-Han Chinese population in the People's Republic of China. The People's Republic of China officially recognizes 55 ethnic minority groups within China in addition to the Han majority. As of 2010, the combined population of officially recognised minority...
officially recognized by the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, where they reside in the mountainous terrain of the southwest and south. They also form one of the 54 ethnic groups officially recognized by Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. In the last census in 2000, they numbered 2,637,421 in China, and roughly 470,000 in Vietnam.
Early history
Origins of the Yao, Iu-Mien can be traced back 2,000 years ago, starting in Hunan Province.The Yao people were among the rebels during the Miao Rebellions (Ming Dynasty)
Miao Rebellions (Ming Dynasty)
The Miao Rebellions were a series of Rebellions of the aboriginal Miao and other aboriginal tribes of southern China. The Ming Dynasty crushed the rebels with overwhelming force...
, along with the Miao people
Miao people
The Miao or ม้ง ; ) is an ethnic group recognized by the government of the People's Republic of China as one of the 55 official minority groups. Miao is a Chinese term and does not reflect the self-designations of the component nations of people, which include Hmong, Hmu, A Hmao, and Kho Xiong...
against the Ming dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
.
Around 1890 the Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
government started taking action against Yao in northwestern Guangdong.
Emigration
From the late 1800s to early 19th century, the Yao migrated into ThailandThailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
and the highlands of Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
. The migration was agitated by the opium
Opium
Opium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy . Opium contains up to 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine, thebaine and noscapine...
trade said by the Chinese government. But The Iu Mien say all the emigration was because of the Chinese taking their land.
Laotian Civil War
During the Laotian Civil War, Yao tribes of Laos had a good relationship with U.S.United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
forces and were dubbed to be an “efficient friendly force.” This relationship caused the Laotian government to target Yao tribal groups for revenge once the war was over. This triggered further immigration into Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, where the tribes would be put into camps along the Thailand-Laos border.
Immigration to the United States
After obtaining refugeeRefugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
status from the Thai government
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
and with the help of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, many Yao people were able to obtain sponsorship into the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(although many remain in Thailand). Most of the Yao who have immigrated to the United States have settled along the Western part of the U.S., mainly in Northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
such as Visalia, Fresno, Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, Oroville
Oroville, California
Oroville is the county seat of Butte County, California. The population was 15,506 at the 2010 census, up from 13,004 at the 2000 census...
, Redding, Richmond, Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
, but also in parts of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
Portland, Salem, Beaverton and the state of Washington Seattle, Renton, . See Mien American
Mien American
Iu Mien Americans are primarily Indochinese refugees that may have been born in or have become naturalized citizens of the United States of America. This group arrived in between the late 1970s to the early 1990s as the last wave of refugees post-Vietnam War....
for those identified as Mien.
Culture
The typical houses of the Yao are rectangular and they have structures made of wood and bamboo. Normally it has three rooms: a room and two dormitories in the lateral side. Each one of these rooms has a small oven to cook.The men and the women cover their heads with a black or red scarf. Some women substitute this scarf by a turban that can adopt different forms.
The traditional suit of the women is of bright colors. They also decorate their shirts with decorations made out of silver.
In Vietnam, Yao people celebrate many exciting and meaningful festivals such as Nhơn chung lỉnh (literally: Red rice, Green rice"), Nhiang chằm đao (literally: Jumping Festival).
Religion
The Yao, Iu-Mien, have a religion based on medieval Chinese (TaoismTaoism
Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
), although many have converted to Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
and some to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. Though some people have converted to other religions, many still remained practicing their traditions.
Marriage
Marriage is traditionally arranged by go-betweens who represent the boy's family to the girl's parents. If the union is acceptable, a "Bride" price is negotiated, typically ranging from three to ten silver bars, worth about $100 U.S. dollars each, a partial artifact from the opium trade. The wedding takes place in two installments, first at the bride's house, followed by a procession to the groom's house where a second ceremony occurs.Groups and languages
- Miao–Yao languages
- The Mien speak Mienic languagesMienic languagesThe Mienic languages are spoken by the Yao people of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand.-Classification:Mienic is one of the primary branches of the Hmong–Mien language family, with the other being Hmongic...
(Chinese: Miǎnyǔ, Traditional Chinese: 勉語, Simplified Chinese: 勉语) , including:- Mian–Jin languages
- Iu MienIu Mien languageThe Iu Mien language is one of the main languages spoken by the Yao people in China, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and more recently the United States, in diaspora. There are about 2,172,000 speakers in total, according to census data in 2000 from China, Vietnam, Thai, Laos, United States of America,...
, 2,172,000 speakers (1,699,750 in China, 350,000 in Vietnam, 40,000 in Thailand, 20,250 in Laos, 60,000 in the United States, 2,000 in France) http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=ium - Kim MunKim Mun languageKim Mun language , known as Lowland Yao , is a Hmong–Mien language spoken by the Pingdi Yao, one of the Yao peoples in the provinces of Guangxi and Hunan.Iu Mien and Kim Mun are very similar to each other, sharing 78% of words....
(also known as Lanten), more than 300,000 Yao people http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=mji - Biao Mon, 20,000 speakers http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=bmt
- Iu Mien
- Dzao Min, 60,000 speakers http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=bpn
- Biao-Jiao Mien, 43,000 speakers http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=bje
- Mian–Jin languages
- The Mien speak Mienic languages
- Lakkja languageLakkja languageThe Lakkja language is a Tai–Kadai language spoken in Jinxiu Yao Autonomous County, Laibin 来宾, east-central Guangxi, China. Lakkja people are also known as the Chashan Yao, or Tea Mountain Yao, since they were traditionally considered by neighboring peoples to be a Miao–Yao people. The name...
(a Tai–Kadai language) - ChineseChinese languageThe Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
- about 500,000 Yao speak Chinese dialects
In addition to China, populations of Yao also live in Northern Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
(where they are called Dao), Northern Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
, and Burma. There are around 60,000 Yao in Northern Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, where they are one of the six main hill tribes. The lowland-living Lanten of Laos, who speak Kim Mun
Kim Mun language
Kim Mun language , known as Lowland Yao , is a Hmong–Mien language spoken by the Pingdi Yao, one of the Yao peoples in the provinces of Guangxi and Hunan.Iu Mien and Kim Mun are very similar to each other, sharing 78% of words....
, and the highland-living Iu Mien of Laos are two different Yao groups. There are also many Yao living in the United States
Mien American
Iu Mien Americans are primarily Indochinese refugees that may have been born in or have become naturalized citizens of the United States of America. This group arrived in between the late 1970s to the early 1990s as the last wave of refugees post-Vietnam War....
, mainly refugees from the highlands of Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
who speak the Iu Mien language
Iu Mien language
The Iu Mien language is one of the main languages spoken by the Yao people in China, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and more recently the United States, in diaspora. There are about 2,172,000 speakers in total, according to census data in 2000 from China, Vietnam, Thai, Laos, United States of America,...
. The Iu Mien do not call themselves "Yao". Not all "Yao" are Iu Mien.
A group of 61,000 people on the island of Hainan
Hainan
Hainan is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China . Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, of its land mass is Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name...
speak the Yao language Kim Mun
Kim Mun language
Kim Mun language , known as Lowland Yao , is a Hmong–Mien language spoken by the Pingdi Yao, one of the Yao peoples in the provinces of Guangxi and Hunan.Iu Mien and Kim Mun are very similar to each other, sharing 78% of words....
139,000 speakers of Kim Mun live in other parts of China (Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
and Guangxi
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
), and 174,500 live in Laos and Vietnam.http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=mji
The Bunu call themselves Nuox no˩˧, Buod nuox [po˦˧no˩˧], Dungb nuox [tuŋ˧no˩˧], or their official name Yaof zuf [ʑau˨˩su˨˩]. Only 258,000 of the 439,000 people categorised as Bunu in the 1982 census speak Bunu; 100,000 speak Zhuang, and 181,000 speak Chinese and Bouyei.
Written languages
After the Eleventh Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of ChinaCommunist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
, the Guangxi Nationality Institute and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences together created a new Yao writing system which was unified with the research results of the Yao-American scholar Yuēsè Hòu (Traditional Chinese: 約瑟·候/Simplified Chinese: 约瑟·候). The writing system was finalized at a one-day conference in 1984 in Ruyan County, Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
, which included Chinese professors Pan Chengqian (盤承乾/盘承乾), Deng Fanggui (鄧方貴/邓方贵), Liu Baoyuan (劉保元/刘保元), Su Defu (蘇德富/苏德富) and Yauz Mengh Borngh; Chinese government officials; Mien American
Mien American
Iu Mien Americans are primarily Indochinese refugees that may have been born in or have become naturalized citizens of the United States of America. This group arrived in between the late 1970s to the early 1990s as the last wave of refugees post-Vietnam War....
s Sengfo Chao (Zhao Fuming), Kao Chiem Chao (Zhao Youcai), and Chua Meng Chao; David T. LeeUnited States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Linguist Herbert C. Purnell, who developed a curriculum and workshop presentations on language learning in East and Southeast Asia; and Yao Seng Deng from Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. The US delegation took the new writing system to the Iu Mien community in the United States where it was adopted with a vote of 78 to 7 by a conference of Mien American
Mien American
Iu Mien Americans are primarily Indochinese refugees that may have been born in or have become naturalized citizens of the United States of America. This group arrived in between the late 1970s to the early 1990s as the last wave of refugees post-Vietnam War....
community leaders.http://iumien.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=1&page=2
This writing system based on the Latin alphabet was designed to be pan-dialectal; it distinguishes 30 syllable initials, 121 syllable finals and eight tones.
For an example of how the unified alphabet is used to write Iu Mien, a common Yao language, see Iu Mien language
Iu Mien language
The Iu Mien language is one of the main languages spoken by the Yao people in China, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and more recently the United States, in diaspora. There are about 2,172,000 speakers in total, according to census data in 2000 from China, Vietnam, Thai, Laos, United States of America,...
.
There is a separate written standard for Bunu, since it is from the Hmong/Miao
Hmong people
The Hmong , are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China...
side, rather than the Mien/Yao side, of the Miao–Yao language family.
A variety of Yao is, or was, written in Nüshu, an indigenous script.
Officially illiteracy and semi-literacy among the Yao in China still stands at 40.6%, as of 2002.http://www.hh.cn/whwx/yz/2002/2002-10/2002-10-31/1036034262_2
Films
- 2003 - Death of a Shaman. Directed by Richard Hall; produced by Fahm Fong Saeyang.
- 1989 - "Moving Mountains: The Story of the Yiu Mien". Directed and produced by Elaine Velazquez
External links
- The Virtual Hilltribe Museum
- The Yao ethnic minority (on a Chinese government website)
- Yao religious culture - bibliography by Barend ter Haar
- Yao People On-line - in Chinese
- The Mien
- The Yao of Thailand
See also
- Dance of the Yao peopleDance of the Yao PeopleDance of the Yao People is one of the best known and most popular Chinese instrumental compositions of the second half of the 20th century...