If you haven't already, please read part one of this personal portrait about a Uyghur doctor.
Matt is only 10 years old right now and as the son of Mansur, a relatively wealthy Uyghur doctor in the city, he is provided for in every way. Matt is his English name, but he also has a Chinese name to go along with the Uyghur name he was given at birth.
Which Language...Uyghur or Mandarin?
Not surprisingly, Matt speaks both Uyghur and Mandarin without the trace of an accent in either. This is due to the way most Uyghur like Mansur now raise their children: they go to a Han school where all their classes are taught in Mandarin, but they speak only Uyghur in the home in order to preserve their dying culture.Why does he do this? As Mansur explains, this is the only way to ensure that his son will have better opportunities than he did when he was growing up. “My son speaks better Mandarin than I do. Because of this, life should be easier for him.”
While it is difficult for a Uyghur to obtain a good job in any situation in Xinjiang, poor Mandarin is practically a nail in the employment coffin.
Looking for Better Opportunities
Most surprising, though, is that Mansur hopes to eventually move not only his son abroad, but also both sets of parents. Surprising, that is, because according to most analysts the Uyghur are unhappy due to their economic disparity compared to the Han Chinese. If he lives a prosperous life, why would he want his son to leave the country?“There is no future here. I love my job, but here I have no opportunity for advancement. No future.”
Mansur may have a good job with a good paycheck, but as a Uyghur he’s hit his ceiling. Han doctors have the same paycheck but unlike Mansur they are eligible for both promotions and yearly bonuses.
Life as a Uyghur Professional
Another reason Mansur is so adamant about moving his son abroad is the difficulties he faces as a doctor in Xinjiang. Although the details of his story are specific to his profession, similar problems are faced by any Uyghur professional in China.Take, for instance, his patients. While Mansur will treat patients from any ethnic background, the majority of them are Uyghur. Ever since the riots in July of last year many Han have refused to be treated by a Uyghur doctor. The reason for this, Mansur explains, is that there is “…no trust. Many Uyghur don’t trust the Han now, and the Han don’t trust the Uyghur”.
It’s also difficult for Uyghur professionals like Mansur because of their dietary restrictions. As a part of the Islamic religion certain rules must be followed when cooking or eating, most notably the absence of pork. Since hospital cafeterias aren’t halal (meaning they don’t offer foods permissible for Muslims to eat) Mansur usually doesn’t eat at all during his 12-14 hour shift.
If he does eat, it’s usually when a friend brings him food from a local Uyghur restaurant or from home. “I’m very, very hungry when I get home” he says.
Never Giving Up
The key to Mansur’s success, he says, is his work ethic. Not to say that most Uyghur are lazy, only that he works extra hard. He plans to use that same mentality to get his family better opportunities elsewhere.As expected, the government has denied all his requests to move. When asked what reason the government gave for denying his request, he smiles and shrugs. “I just can’t”.
That never stopped him before, though.
16 Comments:
Josh
Is the culture of the Uyghur really dying?
But I do always see the culture and dancing of the ethnic Uyghur being perform everywhere in China and they even bring the performance out of China to introduce and present to other nations as well. Even one of my favorite folk music is a Uyghur music which I even learn to play it with my own traditional musical instrument.
I remember during the year 2006 when Beijing CCTV organized a few days presentation of the 56 ethnic groups of Chinese in China, Uyghur was one of the ethnic group came with a huge group of performers… there are even some famous Uyghurs host and entertainers…
Erkin Abdulla the professional pop Uyghur singer is one of the entertainers who also perform traditional Uyghur music in China. He also appeared a few times in CCTV during the Chinese New Years huge celebration program in Beijing.
When I went to Hainan, the most southern province of China with my family for holiday… I even bought from there a video CD which teaches the traditional Uyghur dance for my kids…
As what I know, Uyghur do have the privilege to learn their mother tongue in the government school of Xinjiang. And I can say almost all of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang can speak their own mother tongue language. Mandarin is the China’s national language, so it’s important for them to learn Mandarin as for their communication with other ethnic groups of people.
Just imagine, when a Uyghur meet up with a Tujia or Nakhi ethnic groups of people during an emergency moment… having a common language for them to communicate is very important.
Even in America, where not all of the present American are “English”… but they learn and speak the language in order for their communication.
I came from a small country… and there are only 3 to 4 different ethnic groups living in our country and none of our race is “English”, but our government made “English” as our important language and makes our own individual mother tongue as our secondary language. Though I really love my mother tongue which I always make sure my kids speak it well, I understand the importance of learning a common language in our country in order for communication with other races and to “understand” each other more deeply as to promote harmony. Moreover in our country, we have more than 4 different religious groups living together.
So personally, I don’t think it’s a threatening for the Uyghur to learn Mandarin when they do also have the privilege to learn their own mother tongue.
You're absolutely right and I look forward to beginning a friendly debate on this subject in the near future.
The debate over language in Xinjiang carries a lot of baggage, yet it is absolutely essential that Uyghurs learn to speak Mandarin, and to speak it without an accent. This fact by itself is not enough to claim that the Uyghur culture is dying.
But something is happening to the Uyghur culture, no doubt. What exactly is happening and who is to blame are the ultimate questions.
hey there, I've been following your articles for quite a long time since I accidentally discovered it on my cell phone. But this is my first time dropping a comment. I guess you need a uyghur's perspective also. Well, Xinjiang, what a topic! Yes, you can find all kinds of discriminations there, and if you are a uyghur, the chances that you get a job after your interview is slim. Nothing else, just because you are who you are. I just think chinese government is so stupid that they don't know how to govern Xinjiang. If people are treated fairly, equally, I don't think there will be so much unrest going on. My point is no matter who is governing a stretch of land, as long as you are fair and good for the people, there won't be many asking for independence. It just doesn't make sense to me that you (chinese) came to Uyghurstan and totally occupied it and sucking up all the resources you can, reaping all the benefits, left the native uyghur people so confused. And you(this blog writer) are just appreciating the beauty of Xinjiang and trying your level best to avoid taking sides, well, I don't know if it's so nice to depict a land all about its natural beauty and ignore the natives. I saw some comments talking really nonsense for they don't know the truth.
Personally I feel that regarding with the discrimination problem in Xinjiang, we can’t just jump into conclusion but also listen to the view of both the Han and the Uyghur. That’s more of a social problem which will happen anywhere. I think it’s mainly due to the different of culture background, language and religion between the people there which will always cause many misunderstandings…
Still, there are many ethnic Uyghurs living in Xinjiang who view positively on the society there and live in harmony with the Han which we can’t deny.
Regarding whether Xinjiang is an occupied land? the world history had already proven it… so I think it shouldn’t be argued anymore.
Though there is some unhappiness in Xinjiang during the past and the present… I think we should still always hope for the best for their society and look at the positive side of Xinjiang… and appreciate the natural beauty there.
Blind Men and the Elephant
(by John Godfrey Saxe)
It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind
The First approached the Elephant,
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
"God bless me! but the Elephant
Is very like a wall!"
The Second, feeling of the tusk,
Cried, "Ho! what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me 'tis mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a spear!"
....
And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!
Moral:
So oft in theologic wars,
The disputants, I ween,
Rail on in utter ignorance
Of what each other mean,
And prate about an Elephant
Not one of them has seen!
Sorry to break it to any of you who are unhappy with this piece, but this is an INTERVIEW not an OP-ED.
The opinions expressed were those of the doctor who has lived here his entire life and the few facts added are (for the most part) indisputable.
I have no problem with criticism, but I do wish to hear WHAT you're cricizing, not just an oft-quoted poem expressing your feelings. Thanks!
Uyghurs were, are and will always be unhappy to live side by side peacefully with other people. Not just Han people. They have problems with their Mongol, Tajik, and Muslim neighbors also.
Please read a little about Uyghur's history to understand the whole picture of this so called Uyghur problem.
It is absolutely un-appropriate for an American to tell Asians what to do, especially when Americans do not understand the history of this part of the world.
All Uyghurs aren't peaceful? Don't you think that's a bit overreaching and unreasonable?
I haven't told China or "Asians" what to do. The Uyghur doctor hasn't either, he merely pointed out the difficulties that arise from two colliding cultures. This man is one of the most soft-spoken, gentle men I know.
I think it's absolutely inappropriate (not "un-appropriate") for any person to judge a man like this who has obviously overcome quite a few cultural obstacles to get where he is now.
Re: the ever-cryptic Cao Mengde:
Sure, I'm willing to admit I'm frequently a blind man incompletely observing an elephant.
However, I think we need to ask who's the one who blinded me in the first place.
If the delightful gov would allow more transparent journalism and scholarship in Xinjiang, we'd get a better view of the elephant. Or at least be able to more intelligent analyze and criticize the view of the other guy.
Until then, I'll go on blindly groping, but you'll notice on my site I'm frequently quite open about my blindness and factor it into my analysis.
Beh, it's hard to distinguish all the Anonymous'.
Anyway, I think Mansur is an excellent illustration of the frustration Uyghurs in Xinjiang face. Even the Uyghurs who are willing to try to advance themselves within the system walk straight into brick walls eventually; as with Mansur's case and the desire to move.
As for Mansur's comment on work ethic, I think the idea is not just that Uyghurs have to work hard, but frequently Uyghurs have to work *harder* to achieve the same social or economic position as Han people in the upper echelons of Xinjiang society. Case in point, Uyghurs who have to spend an extra two years in college taking mandatory Mandarin classes just because they had their primary education in Uyghur - even if said Uyghur speaks Mandarin just fine.
Porfiriy,
I am not responsible for actions of Chinese government, and hopefully neither do you. Yes all the censorship crap might make the task of understanding a sensitive subject harder, but it just require a little more effort to ferret out the truth. It's cliche, but the truth is out there.
I happened to understand little bit better about China's recent past than say couple years ago. Not much but better. With web 2.0, even with censorship, tons of information have been made accessible. I find myself overturning my old viewpoint almost every three years base on continuing stream of new evidences coming to light. I actually enjoy the detective work to uncover events of the past buried underneath propaganda and half-truth.
Watch Rashomon. There is an old Chinese saying, "listening to all then the path is bright, listening to one all shall remain in the dark".
Of course, if your goal is not to understand the truth but rather cause advocacy. Then please ignore what I wrote above.
Cao, have you every tried conducting research in Xinjiang? Openly or surreptitiously? Without knowing who I am or what I've done you can't a priori accuse me if not trying.
I know personally and professionally several scholars and journalists who have been ejected from Xinjiang from even *trying* to "ferret out the truth," to quote you. People "ferreting out the truth" being completely banned from China - forever - is a well documented phenomenon, see here and here.
So no, it's not really about being lazy. You either toe the party line, or you go in, do your research, and get banned for life, thus isolating your research to one context; can't be updated, can't even check if it's obsolete. And if "Web 2.0" is the answer to all the research questions, I really think we should question who's being "lazy" here. I would say, perhaps unfairly?, that somehow assuming that information gleaned from "Web 2.0" can construct a reliable picture as lazy. I would call considering the web as a reliable "stream of evidence" without any on-the-ground verification as "lazy" - unless you've been able to conduct some totally awesome survey or ethnographic research in Xinjiang without getting nailed by the government, in which case, I'll be the guy to pin the awesome intellectual medal to your chest.
And, well, like on our blog, insinuating that you're a veritable Internet Sherlock Holmes and then dropping an "I'm too cool for this" when actually being asked what you know... isn't that "lazy" too? Methinks it is.
I'm too cool for this, but I will try.
I read the articles that you linked. It's unfortunate that these scholars have been blacklisted and denied visa. But none of them were actually ejected from Xinjiang from even *trying* to "ferret out the truth,". They are denied entry because they published... See the difference?
Unless you are a China scholar planning to to publish, you are free to "ferret". Got it?
There are so many ways of getting info nowadays.
Do you know that US just celebrated 30 year anniversary of the CIA monitoring stations in Xinjiang as example of successful Sino-American cooperation. Think about it.
MengDe Out
Ah, I see, so what you're supposed to do is get the "truth" off of the Internet and then hop around blogs like a wandering Daoist sage dropping gnostic hints of the truth you've uncovered? No, I don't get it.
It's interesting how individual and unscrutinized your truth is. Is it true because you found it? I'm not sure what truth you've found at all because we're bound to get a MengDe Out before you actually say anything. Even your comments on Kraus' blog indicate that you've *read* alot - your fond of dropping the names of Chinese sources, and that's useful - but, I guess the question is, what's your point?
You don't have to put ferret in scare quotes. You're the one that used that word.
There are many ways of getting information. However, verifying the information is a completely different issue. I suppose you could just sit there and tell yourself what you find or have cobbled together is the "truth" - it seems to have worked well enough for you, but forgive me for being a little more critical than that. I mean, if the goal is not to find out the truth but rather convince yourself you've got a monopoly on it... then please ignore what I've wrote above.
Did you know that the Holy Roman Empire was neither Holy nor Roman? Think about it.
;D
Since you brought up Daoism, why does everything have to have a point?
Can't we all just get along?
MengDe Out
Sure, we can. Please keep on coming to our blog though. I like the links you share and I'm sure if I get enough MengDe I'll be able to figure it all out. :)
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