Educational Journeys, Struggles and Ethnic Identity: The Impact of State Schooling on Muslim Hui in Rural China PDF
Preview Educational Journeys, Struggles and Ethnic Identity: The Impact of State Schooling on Muslim Hui in Rural China
Educational Journeys, Struggles and Ethnic Identity The Impact of State Schooling on Muslim Hui in Rural China XINYI WU Palgrave Studies on Chinese Education in a Global Perspective Palgrave Studies on Chinese Education in a Global Perspective Series editor Fred Dervin Department of Teacher Education University of Helsinki Helsinki, Finland Xiangyun Du Confucius Institute Aalborg University Aalborg, Denmark “This remarkable volume offers deep insights into the lives of children from the Hui minority in China, a unique Islamic group of over ten million with their own autonomous region in China’s northwest. Extensive field work using critical eth- nography in an impoverished southern county of Ningxia highlights the dilemmas they face between state schooling and religious education. As both insider and outsider, the author depicts their struggles in ways that are both vivid and authentic.” —Ruth Hayhoe University of Toronto, Canada The transformation of China into a global super-power is often attributed to the country’s robust education system and this series seeks to provide a comprehensive, in-depth understanding of the development of Chinese education on a global scale. The books in this series will analyze and prob- lematize the revolutions, reforms, innovations and transformations of Chinese education that are often misunderstood or misrepresented beyond its own borders and will examine the changes in Chinese education over the past 30 years and the issues as well as challenges that the future of Chinese education faces. For more information or to submit a proposal please contact Eleanor Christie ([email protected]) More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/14568 Xinyi Wu Educational Journeys, Struggles and Ethnic Identity The Impact of State Schooling on Muslim Hui in Rural China Xinyi Wu University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA, USA Palgrave Studies on Chinese Education in a Global Perspective ISBN 978-3-319-57053-2 ISBN 978-3-319-57054-9 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57054-9 Library of Congress Control Number: 2017952318 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2018 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the pub- lisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institu- tional affiliations. Cover credit: Old Images / Alamy Printed on acid-free paper This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by Springer Nature The registered company is Springer International Publishing AG The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland A bstrAct This book examines how state schooling in China has economically, cul- turally, and ideologically impacted and gradually transformed a traditional Muslim Hui village in rural northwestern China. By discussing the inter- pretation and appropriation of dominant educational discourse of “qual- ity” in the rural context, it illustrates the dichotomies of poverty and prosperity, civility and uncivility, and religiosity and secularity as they are perceived and understood by teachers, parents, and students. Based on an original ethnographic research conducted in a secondary school, it further touches upon Muslim Hui students’ negotiations of filial, rural, and eth- noreligious identities when they struggle to seek a life of their own in the educational journey to prosperity. The book captures the changing rural–urban dynamic as state school- ing continues to guide local formal educational activities, as well as creat- ing tension and confusion for both teachers and parents. It also introduces audiences to multiple ways in which Muslim Hui students construct and negotiate identities through state schooling, especially the educational heterogeneity experienced by various Muslim youths, as more Muslim Hui parents have developed diverse perceptions of compulsory education. Most importantly, the book challenges stereotypes about Muslim Hui stu- dents across China being assimilated into mainstream culture. It demon- strates how Muslims in some parts of rural northwestern China find ways to maintain their religion through living, studying, praying, and fulfilling the five pillars of Islam while being educated with mainstream ideologies in school. It will be highly relevant to students and researchers in the fields of education, anthropology, sociology, and religious studies. v P rologue Born and raised in a Muslim Hui family in an urban Han-dominated region, I always felt that I was not one of “them,” the people with whom I grew up and studied in school. My middle-school classmates were sur- prised to find out that I was a “Hui” and I did not eat pork like they did. This little incident has remained deep in my consciousness and constantly reminds me of how I downplayed my minority identity in school because I did not want people to know that I was different. I also felt that I was not capable of explaining my differences because of my own poor knowl- edge of Islam. Over the years, I became accustomed to not talking openly about my minority identity, unless I was with my family, relatives, or close friends. Thus, my identity as a Muslim Hui minority was often displaced by my other identities as an urban resident, a diligent student, a good caring daughter, a nice friend, and many more. However, during the years of my early adulthood, I never forgot this part of myself, though it was sub- merged and I seldom brought it up. When needed, I used the ethnic term “Hui” to identify myself and shied away from the Islamic part of Hui nationality, though ethnic and religious aspects of being Hui are inte- grated in China (when you are a Hui, you are a Muslim). I am hesitant to identify myself as a Muslim because I have limited knowledge of Islam and have not followed the Islamic doctrines besides keeping the dietary restric- tions and occasionally learning about Islam through reading the Koran, visiting mosques, and discussing Islam with my father. My personal understanding of Huiness is thus not aligned with societal views of Hui as a radical and violent group of Muslims which often causes vii viii PROLOGUE political unrest and cultural rivalry. Whenever I mention that I am Hui, people ask, “Are you a Muslim? Do you believe in Islam?” In my experi- ence, Hui is often a religious label attached to Chinese Muslims who have some association with Muslims in other parts of the world, and the ethnic nature of Huiness seems reserved only for official recognition and catego- rization. The search for my own identities continues, but I continue strug- gling to identify and hesitate to reveal myself as a Muslim Hui. In recent years, studying and living in the United States, I usually pri- oritize my identity as Chinese, and it often gets complicated to explain myself as a member of a Chinese ethnic and religious minority, even to Chinese people. My journey of finding, negotiating, and choosing my identities became the impetus for my research topic around identities and motivated me to study Muslim Hui and my cultural roots and religious origins. Being an urban Muslim Hui, I am more interested in Muslim Hui living in rural northwestern China where the Silk Road passed through and where the first group of Muslim businessmen traveled through and introduced Islam into China. I believe that this region, with its large Muslim Hui population, preserves many Islamic traditions, though it is less known to outsiders. While I was formulating my research, a Muslim Hui friend recom- mended to me an English book entitled The Diaries of Ma Yan: The Struggles and Hopes of a Chinese School Girl published in 2005, an autobi- ography of a schoolgirl from an impoverished rural village in the Xihaigu region of Ningxia. In this book, Ma Yan describes her struggle against hunger and poverty, as well as her wishes to continue her education for a better life and to lift her parents and the children alike in her community out of poverty. I was moved by her determination to get out of rural pov- erty and her desire to take care of her parents through education. Inspired by the schoolgirl’s autobiography, the terms Muslim Hui identities, rural- ity, poverty, education, and filial piety converged in my mind and became the topic of this research. A place unknown to me seemed to reveal a little of itself in the book. I am propelled to find out if education has changed the lives of the Muslim Hui as Ma Yan had wished during the ten years since her diaries were published to the outside world. Reflecting on my own experience with identities, I am also eager to know how Muslim Hui in that region cope with their identities in the context of state schooling. Therefore, this research is partly a fulfillment of my childhood dream to take a personal journey and learn more about ethnic Muslim Hui in north- western China. Most importantly, the study seeks to present stories of a PROLOGU E ix rural ethnic group that is less known but struggles against poverty while maintaining the practices of Islamic traditions. State schooling, believed by the government as a pathway leading to prosperity, is questioned and challenged by local Muslim Hui students about its promised value of edu- cation. The dichotomies between mainstream ideologies and Islamic teachings never cease to shape Muslim Hui students’ heterogeneous expe- riences, as they manage to construct different educational journals to prosperity through negotiating their multiple identities. A cknowledgements In writing this book, I have benefited enormously from the assistance and support of many people. My foremost gratitude is to the teachers, stu- dents, families, and community members in the village and county in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region where I conducted my fieldwork. I want to thank them for giving me the opportunity to listen to their life stories and experience a new world in their classrooms, at their homes, and on their roads. I am especially indebted to two local scholars, Jinbao Ma of The Journal of Muslim Hui Minority Studies and Genming Wang of Ningxia University, who facilitated my access to the research site and ensured my safety during my fieldwork. Special thanks also goes to Professor Huaizhong Yang of Ningxia Social Science Academy for his mentorship and long-term support of my study. Because of the people’s hospitality, genuineness, and sincerity, the months of staying in a village surrounded by barren mountains, blown by sandstorms, and constrained by water shortages were pleasant and enjoyable. The weekend meals pre- pared by every family I visited kept me warm and encouraged me to persist through the bad days. I would also like to express my gratitude to an outstanding circle of mentors, colleagues, and friends at University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, who inspired me to use qualitative inquiry to pursue my scholarly interest and challenged me in my thought process. My greatest indebtedness goes to my co-advisors, Dr. Joan DeJaeghere and Dr. Frances Vavrus, whose stimulating comments and insights constantly illuminated my ideas and thoughts at different stages of my research and writing. Their encourage- ment, guidance, and support during the time I was in the field were xi
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