The fate of the husband and wife, the rabbit and the snake, is not good

Peng Wei step

Guangdong is one of the major overseas Chinese hometown provinces in China. The ancestral homes of overseas Chinese are all over Guangdong, and they show the characteristics of family style and local focus overseas, such as Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and other major Chaoshan areas for overseas Chinese. Overseas Chinese in North America and South America mainly live in Wuyi, Guangdong Province, namely Taishan, Heshan, Xinhui, Enping and other places. In those days, they mainly went to North America to work as miners and repair railways by indentured labor or "selling pigs". Guangdong Hakkas have settled in Africa and Southeast Asia, such as digging tin mines and cutting rubber in Singapore and Malaysia. Therefore, overseas Chinese in Guangdong have formed three major clubs overseas: Chaozhou Club, Guangzhao Club and Hakka Club.

this paper takes overseas people in Wuyi area of Guangdong province as the research object, and discusses the psychology and difficulties of returning to overseas Chinese hometown in Guangdong and even the whole country. It is hoped that through field investigation and in-depth interviews, we can have a deeper understanding of the family style, wishes and local cultural inheritance of overseas Chinese and overseas Chinese, provide inspiration for overseas Chinese work, and help domestic readers to have a deeper understanding of the culture and structure of overseas Chinese hometown.

Old Street of Longzhen Town, Xinyi Town, the hometown of overseas Chinese in Guangdong

The structure and local tradition of the hometown of overseas Chinese in Guangdong

According to incomplete statistics, there are more than 6 million overseas Chinese, including more than 2 million in Guangdong. Overseas Chinese in Guangdong account for almost half, and play an important role in overseas Chinese. For example, many have Chaozhou Guild Hall. This association plays an important role in inheriting Chinese culture, spreading Chaoshan culture, rallying Chinese strength, enhancing Chinese knowledge, solving internal contradictions among Chinese, and enhancing the ability of dialogue with local people.

Because Guangdong is geographically facing the sea, bordering Hong Kong and Macao, influenced by the thoughts of modern Hong Kong and Macao colonies, and because of the poverty and backwardness of its hometown, it is no longer possible to maintain a family's livelihood by renting the landlord's land. At the same time, a large number of Cantonese people have followed the scholars to travel north and south, increasing their knowledge and understanding the outside world. These overseas Chinese who went overseas with scholars in the early days can be said to be the earliest overseas Chinese in Guangdong in modern times to receive cultural baptism and the earliest overseas groups. After some hard work overseas, they took root and took some villagers back home, thus forming the phenomenon of clan-style, fellow villagers helping each other, and constructing the overseas history of the whole clan and young people in the hometown of overseas Chinese in Guangdong.

In the early days, overseas Chinese in Guangdong started from scratch and became rich through hard work, which played an important role in developing the local economy. For example, Ah Loy Yap, Malaysia and Huiyang, Guangdong, were the heroes of opening ports in Kuala Lumpur. Cantonese-speaking Guangfu people landed at the Klang estuary in Malaysia and gradually landed in various parts of Kuala Lumpur, which not only provided space for their own survival and development, but also promoted the economic development of Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia. More and more Guangfu people have taken root in Klang, Kuala Lumpur and other places, and gradually formed the image of clan and villagers gathering in the same town, and established ancestral halls and academies in the way of clan, in order to strengthen the strength of their clan, enhance their ability to survive and develop, and form the phenomenon of overseas Chinese gangs.

In 1955, a China woman painted a wall outside a newly-built house in the suburb of Kuala Lumpur, Malaya.

Due to the constraints of the system and the special geographical location, Cantonese people lived in an environment with few mountains and land occupied by landlords, and arable land was scarce. However, due to the large population, heavy tenancy forced Cantonese people to look to the outside world.

At the same time, with the rise of industry and the development of the system, the colonists seized land and plundered wealth in the world, which required a large number of people to reclaim land and provide rich raw materials and other industrial minerals for the colonists. Therefore, Cantonese people with a large population but little land and hard work became the first choice for the colonists to introduce colonies.

Bangka Island in Nigeria is rich in tin mines. In order to mine these metals, in the era of lack of modern machinery, only manpower can be used to mine them. Therefore, the Dutch colonists introduced the Hakkas in Meizhou to Bangka by means of intermediary and assistance, and exploited tin mines for the Dutch colonists. Many Hakkas died tragically because of long-term fatigue, poor working environment and illness. But even so, overseas is full of gold opportunities and job opportunities, which still attracts Hakka people who want to make a fortune and engage in all kinds of hard work to develop opportunities and their relatives in China.

There are not many cash crops in the hometown of overseas Chinese in Guangdong. Farmers are generally engaged in the production of rice, sugarcane, oranges and other crops. All the year round, they work hard, but they can't feed themselves. Sometimes, when there is a drought, the local staple food is in a hurry, and farmers have to sell their children for money to pay the land rent. Job opportunities are scarce, and cruel exploitation prevails. People in the hometown of overseas Chinese in Guangdong are no longer willing to work for the landlords. They would rather bear heavy loans or even sign contracts and go abroad to make a living. Since then, they have embarked on a road. This way runs through the outward history of Guangdong in modern times.

thousands of years' farming culture has created a way of life in which farmers gather together, which has greatly strengthened the clan power. Only by relying on clan power can individuals have a greater say and seek protection of interests. As a result, clan forces have been involved in public life and even personal space, which has enhanced the powerful discourse power and decision-making power of clan forces with the same surname overseas. Help each other with the same surname, protect each other in the same village, and the rural rules and regulations are deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. Overseas Chinese hometown in Guangdong has formed groups with the same surname overseas, established clan associations with the same surname, and gradually formulated perfect rules and regulations. On the one hand, it restricts the behavior of each individual to conform to the interests of the clan, on the other hand, it enhances the right to speak and competitiveness of the clan among Chinese through the power of the clan. For example, in Xialu Village, Guangdong Province, where the author visited, Zhao was the majority, and a "Zhao Clan Association" was established in new york to carry forward Zhao's cultural tradition and establish a system of economic mutual assistance.

After 1949, the number of Cantonese overseas has decreased, and there are also various illegal immigrants, but the phenomenon still exists. Later, the relevant system was re-formulated, and people in the hometown of overseas Chinese in Guangdong used the relationship of overseas relatives, or applied for overseas job opportunities or applied for settlement, so there was another wave in the 198s.

Marriage and family members' chain

After 1949, overseas Chinese were basically restrained, which led to the unsmooth phenomenon between overseas Chinese and their relatives at home, and the way of overseas Chinese who went out through village matchmakers to complete marriage with village girls was interrupted for decades. After the arrival, the system was relaxed, and overseas Chinese who went out early rushed back to their hometowns to find unmarried girls to get married, so as to increase the labor force of overseas families and even have children for them to carry on the family line. At this time, a large number of marriages emerged. In order to seek better living conditions and environment, a large number of overseas Chinese girls have married overseas Chinese, made a living abroad, and provided income for family of origin. Once they have a firm foothold overseas, they will take other family members abroad when they return home, or provide documents overseas to help family members emigrate, thus forming a support mechanism within the family.

Diaolou and Village in Jiangmen City, Guangdong Province

In the early days, the people in China's hometown of overseas Chinese had very limited living channels and economic income, low living standards and few job opportunities. It was the wish of many families and girls to marry overseas Chinese and complete their "marriage", which was also a matter of face. Many families have the opportunity to improve their family economic conditions by marrying overseas Chinese, and girls also realize their desire to "marry" and the purpose of studying abroad through this kind of marriage.

For example, the author chose two villages-Xialu Village and Wenlou Village. Villagers' emigration overseas means that they successfully settle overseas through marriage, and help other relatives to emigrate overseas through various kinship relationships. There are 4,5 villagers in Xialu, with 1,1 households, 7-8% of them are Zhao, and the ancestor of Zhao Meixin, who was a member of the US Congress, is in this village. The villagers surnamed Zhao claimed to be descendants of the royal family in the Southern Song Dynasty. Their ancestors had no choice but to settle in this village when they were pursued by Yuan soldiers, and they have been thriving ever since. The village depends on planting sugar cane and raising fish for a living. The number of villagers in this village is close to that of 4 overseas Chinese, which shows that the villagers in this village have been keen on it.

in wenlou village, the surname Wu is the majority, with 4, villagers and 1,18 households, but more than 8, people are overseas, and the villagers are only half of the overseas Chinese. This also reflects that the villagers in this village started a wave of emigration in the tenth century. One way is to get married, and the other is to help relatives, that is, girls who have successfully emigrated overseas apply for green cards for their parents in China, and then their parents apply for other children to emigrate overseas. Some girls also apply for their brothers and sisters to emigrate overseas for other reasons.

according to the author's understanding, girls who emigrated overseas in the 198s basically adopted this kind of marriage. Some girls married chefs, helped their husbands, and after hard work, they opened small restaurants. Some girls work 1-3 jobs a day with their husbands and live a hard life. Some lucky girls marry overseas Chinese who are doing business and become proprietors in grocery stores. Because of the obvious living standard gap between domestic and foreign countries, marrying abroad is the glory of a family and a girl, and it is also an important way for many families to improve their family economy. Of course, some girls were deceived by the matchmaker because of poor information. The boys who married abroad didn't know much about the real economic conditions of the married families, and even married some elderly overseas Chinese. Only after they went abroad did they find out the real situation and suddenly regretted it. However, the raw rice has been cooked to maturity, so they can only make do with life and accept the reality.

No matter what industry they are in, these overseas Chinese girls who have been married abroad have gone through hard years. Eventually, through the baptism of years, they have opened a bright flower of life, gradually improved their lives, and trained the next generation into talents, thus fulfilling their long-cherished wish to some extent.

massive investment in education and mobility of future generations

In the process of household survey, the author found that the folks who went out in the 191 s were willing to spend money on raising children and cultivated many excellent talents. For example, a daughter surnamed Zhao in Xialu Village not only improved her living environment with her hands and brought her parents to live in the United States, but also trained a doctor and an undergraduate. It's just that this couple named Zhao can't adapt to life in the United States, but choose to go back to their hometown to spend their old age and give up their green card. He told the author that the American green card is of no use to him, and he still chooses to return to his hometown to live. An 8-year-old grandmother in Wenlou Village was accepted by her son to live in the United States. After living in the United States for three years, she chose to return to China, gave up her green card and lived in an old house in the village. Her son hired a nanny to take care of her daily life.

In the United States, the competition for talents is fierce. Although China can improve his life opportunities by virtue of his diligence, he has been at the bottom for a long time because of his lack of culture and academic qualifications. This situation forces us to think about how to change the status of the bottom, squeeze into the top, or at least leave the environment where we can earn our living by working day and night. They hope that future generations will not go back to their old ways, but can get ahead and start a new life.

According to the author's investigation, overseas villagers don't want their children to suffer from illiteracy like themselves, so they attach great importance to education and invest a lot of energy and money in children. Therefore, many children born overseas have received a good education, and some even graduated from famous universities such as Yale University. Some children are even more powerful, get a doctorate and achieve the goal of upward mobility of the class.

In the eyes of overseas Chinese, education is the only way to change the fate of their families and their children's future. Therefore, as long as children are willing to study, they will give everything they have, and they will also want their children to go to school. The concept of "everything is inferior, only reading is high" is deeply rooted in China. They are proud of their children's achievements, but also show off their children's achievements and their further studies in famous universities to others. In the investigation, the author found that many family members mentioned the learning situation of their grandchildren and even great-grandchildren, as well as their achievements in famous universities, and they felt a sense of relief and felt that their children had finally got ahead.

according to the author's investigation, families generally pin their hopes on their offspring, so the role of reclamation cows and the cases of doing their best for future generations and dying are all better.

The information flow and the use of new media have not changed their local culture and China cognition

From the perspective of communication, how much information a person has will affect his wealth production capacity. Then, will you receive more from the contact with new media, thus enhancing the channels of interaction with the outside world, and keenly perceive the dynamics outside by understanding the outside world, so as to get more information about getting rich?

In the investigation, the author found that the contact between information flow and new media is helpful to improve the user's environment, but it will not provide more help for users to get rich. Rarely use social media such as Facebook and Twitter to browse information, but use social media such as WeChat to talk to relatives who are still in China. To some extent, social media is only a tool to reduce the cost of talking to relatives and enhance feelings, and has not formed a close relationship with wealth production. The new generation of Chinese often use social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Tubing to browse food, tourism and other information, but they are relatively indifferent to the local ecology. This shows that the generation has not changed their local culture because of the use of social media, nor has it enhanced their ability to get rich. The author's investigation found that they were not influenced by the local media on China, but changed their cognition of China. This may be closely related to their lack of leisure time, ignorance of English and local languages, or limited ability to use local languages. However, for the new generation of Chinese born abroad, due to the lack of mother tongue education, they do not actively participate in Chinese associations, and their affection for China is far less than that of the previous generation, and this affection is fading.

The modern complex of overseas Chinese in Tingjiangwei (Meijia Dawu)

Although the use of new media such as social media has not brought them a lot of wealth, it has helped them not to live in an information island and not to fall behind in the information age. They also need it from social media, for example, by talking to their relatives in China, they know the development of China and the progress of the countryside.

In the interview, the author learned that a family member of overseas Chinese named Zhao owns a house of about 2 meters, with a main room, a miscellaneous room and about a hundred yards. Clean environment and comfortable living are many times better than urban residents. Their living environment also makes the author quite envious. Perhaps great changes have taken place in the hometown of overseas Chinese, changing the backward scene in the 198s. Many overseas Chinese who have emigrated overseas have the idea of returning home, but they are worried that they will not be able to find suitable jobs, adapt to the domestic environment and compete with others. Some people feel regret when they see the changes in their hometown and economic development, but things are unpredictable. They chose to settle overseas without hesitation, but they did not expect that such great changes and progress will take place in China more than 3 years later. Their desire to return to China is getting stronger and stronger, but they are hindered by many reasons, which not only shows that the development of China has attracted them, but also shows that some overseas Chinese who are accepting overseas Chinese to return to China have affected their overseas return. magnificent