Hui Yunnanese Migratory History in Relation to the Han Yunnanese and Ethnic Resurgence in Northern Thailand (<Special Issue>Redefining "Otherness" from Northern Thailand)

Abstract

The Yunnanese of Northern Thailand either came from Yunnan Province in SouthwestChina or have ancestors originating there. However, despite the heterogeneity of Yunnanesesociety, people are categorized under one broad ethnic term and labeled as "Ho" or"Chin Ho" in Thai. To understand the specific situation and ethnic identity of one group ofYunnanese today, the Hui Yunnanese, we must first appreciate the historical influences ontheir migration and interethnic relations during their migration to and settlement inThailand. This paper outlines the history of first-generation Yunnanese migration sincethe end of the nineteenth century. Differing sociocultural and political backgrounds of theHan and Hui Yunnanese have led to different migratory patterns and expressions ofethnicity in Thailand.