(October 8th) Dr. Nguyen Van Thang gives a presentation on ethnic identity.

Topic: The ambiguity of ethnic identity: The case of the Miao people in Northern Vietnam

PresenterDr. Nguyen Van Thang (Institute of Ethnology - Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences)

Time9:00 AM, Wednesday, October 8, 2008

LocationMultimedia Room - Museum of Anthropology - 3rd floor, Building D - 336 Nguyen Trai Street - Thanh Xuan - Hanoi.

Summary of content:

According to the results of the ethnic classification recognized by the Vietnamese State in 1979, the Miao are one of the five subgroups of the Hmong people. However, the Miao consider themselves a separate subgroup. Furthermore, in interactions with other ethnic groups, outsiders find it difficult to distinguish who is Miao. So, who are the Miao? Who are the Miao people? Why is their identity so difficult to define? While answering these questions, the author will compare and clarify the differences in the concept of 'ethnic identity' in Vietnam and the East Asian and Southeast Asian regions. At the same time, the author will present approaches related to this topic in Western anthropological traditions and Vietnamese ethnology, thereby analyzing and discussing their influence on the study of ethnic identity.

KeywordsMiao people, Hmong, Ethnic composition, Classification of ethnic groups, Ethnic identity, Theoretical approaches to ethnicity, Northern Vietnam.