东南亚苗学中“苗人”的“民族与族群”问题

在我国的学术传统或一些学者的译介作品里,许多学者往往居于本土的实际情况而以中国的＂民族＂标准去划分那些已经融入西方世界且发生变迁了的族群,从而把问题带向＂民族中心论＂的巨大误区。从＂民族与族群＂两者概念的关联以及东南亚各国＂苗人＂群体的实际情况来看,这些跨国分布在不同国家的＂苗人＂群体,它们缺乏共同的政治机构基础,并且它们迁出之时,皆在中国民族识别工作之前。因此,把他们称之为＂苗族＂,不大符合学理的推导。他们之中,不仅包含了自称为＂Hmong＂的支系,也有自称qa33nau24、mhu33等的群体,显然,用＂苗人＂这个概念也许更宽泛、更具包容性一些。此外,在东南亚各国,＂苗人＂群体从属于不同国家,虽然在他者的构建中呈现出不同的认定,但在族源、宗教信仰、语言、生活习俗等一系列文化上却强烈地具有一种＂自觉为我＂的自我认同。因此,＂族群＂的概念应该比＂民族＂更加适用于描述东南亚＂苗人＂的实际状况。

The Debate over the Miao People as Hmongs or Miaos: An Issue Concerning Nation and Ethnicity in Southeast Asia Miao Research

In the Chinese versions of western academic publications ＂nation＂ tends to refer to a ethnic group that has been assimilated into another nation.It is thought that nation and ethnicity are related but different from each other.Given that Hmongs are only a branch of the Miaos living in the world,it is argued that ＂Miaos＂ is a better term for describing the Miao people,particulary in the case of Southeast Asia.