Constable

rif. B9780520338661 — Paperback / softback. New. How do the people of a village that is both Chinese and Christian reconcile the contradictions between their religious and ethnic identities This ethnographic study explores the construction and changing meanings of ethnic identity in Hong Kong. Established at the turn of the century by Hakka Christians who sought to escape hardships and discrimination in China Shung Him Tong was constructed as an "ideal" Chinese and Christian village. The Hakka Christians translate "traditional" Chinese beliefs-such as ancestral worship and death rituals-that are incompatible with their Christian ideals into secular form providing a crucial link with the past and with a Chinese identity. Despite accusations to the contrary these villagers maintain that while they are Christian they are still Chinese. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice reach and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893 Voices Revived makes high-quality peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1994. paperback