遷移, 文化與認同：緬華移民的社群建構與跨國網絡

Migration, Cultures and Identities: The Social Construction and Transnational Networks of Burmese-Chinese Immigrant Communities in Yangon, Jhong-he, and Toronto

翟振孝(Chen-Hsiao Chai)

指導教授 ： 蔣斌

國立清華大學/人文社會學院/人類學研究所/博士(2006年)

摘要

本研究以祖輩從中國遷居到緬甸的華人，在1960年代前後向外遷移到台灣且聚集在中和地區，以及1970年代由緬甸或經由港澳、台灣等地再遷徙至加拿大多倫多的緬華移民為對象，由成員的文化生活與社群展演，探討緬華跨國移民如何理解自我、展現自我，進而建構出新情境中的我群認同，並以之作為社群存在的憑藉。論文內容共分為七章，筆者依循華人入緬、居緬、離緬以及返緬的歷程安排，透過跨地域聚集在緬甸仰光、台灣中和以及加拿大多倫多三地緬華移民社群的多元田野觀察，研究當今分別生活在不同國族國家「脈絡」（context）下，同是作為「非主體族群」的他們，其生存適應機制呈顯的異質性「文本」（text）：即在緬甸社會所展現的「華人」特質，係以省籍作為實際生活行動中的主導力量；當他們「回流」到以華人為主體的「祖國」台灣，生活場域裡演現「緬甸」文化表徵，並逐步發展出以「緬甸潑水節」慶典活動的展演，成為台灣社會認知的顯性集體單元；此外，緬華再次遷徙至廣義的西方社會，則以「南傳佛教」作為泛東南亞裔移�難民共享的文化特質，並透過積極參與亞裔國家自願性團體，在加拿大多元文化展演的舞台上扮演一席角色，作為社群建構策略。1990年代緬甸政府實施巿場經濟及對外開放政策，多數遷外緬華移民紛紛以人員、資金與物質的流動形式，與緬甸家鄉保持常續綿密的跨國網絡，並透過緬甸食物、語言與南傳佛教信仰，串接起緬甸與中和、多倫多三地之間緬華移民社群的緊密連結。

關鍵字

跨國遷移 ； 文化展演 ； 認同變遷 ； 移民網絡 ； 緬甸華僑

並列摘要

The people investigated in this dissertation are Burmese-Chinese who currently living in Myanmar, move to Taiwan and settled in Jhong-he city in 1960’s, and immigrated to Toronto, Canada directly out of Myanmar, or via Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan in 1970’s. The aim of research is to examine how do they identify and present themselves and whether they formulate new identities through their cultural life and social performance according to their unique immigration experience. The dissertation is divided into seven chapters and arranged by the chronological process of Chinese immigration, settlement, departure, and return to Myanmar. Different types of cultural representation of Burmese-Chinese immigrants in three nation-states are discussed through the multi-sited fieldwork in Yangon, Jhong-he, and Toronto. In Myanmar, most of them still maintain the traditional Chinese ways of life and gather in Chinatown. Their social relations are largely driven by their Chinese ancestry. When they “return” to their country of cultural origin, Taiwan, where Chinese are the ethnic majority, they adopt and present various Burmese cultural performance through the religion Theravada Buddhism, Burmese food, clothing, aesthetic materials, language, and music which symbolize their common origin and formulate the awareness of “shared descent”. The “Burmese Water Festival ” is held yearly in Jhong-he city since 1997. They are commonly recognized as an “ethnic group” through the exotic performance in Taiwan. While in Toronto, they established the Theravada Buddhist temple as a religious center for pan-southeast Asians. By actively participating in the Asian voluntary groups, they play a contributor role in the multicultural society Canada. After 1990’s many of them set out to reconnect their “homeland” Myanmar with the flow of people, capital, and commodities in a more open market. They hold tightly with the past collective memory and through the link of Burmese food, language and religion. They have established a close network and maintained an intimate connection between Yangon, Jhong-he, and Toronto.

並列關鍵字

transmigration ； cultural performance ； identity change ； network of immigrants ； Burmese-Chinese immigrants