Karina
“
I never said that I was Dungan because they wouldn't have understood. Too long to explain.
Karina is a young woman of 22 with big brown eyes and long, silky hair. She speaks so fast and lively that one can barely keep up with her. Karina was born in Beijing, China, and spent her teenage years in the States. At 16, she came to Kyrgyzstan, her parents’ homeland.
Crisis
"In Kyrgyzstan, I felt out of place because my Russian had an accent. I haven't learned or practiced it for a long time. In the States, I felt different, too."
Karina experienced a self-identity crisis two years ago. By reaching adulthood, she had lived in three different societies with vastly different cultures: China, the United States, and Kyrgyzstan. She didn’t know where she belonged.
Karina’s transitional years happened to be in the US; as she commented, nothing particularly distinguished her from others. She knew she was Dungan but didn’t know what it meant. Learning the Dungan language wasn’t a priority in her family. Now, she knows only a few phrases and can’t speak fluently. She remembers how people would assume that she was Chinese, so she had to repeat, “No, I’m not Chinese.”
Karina’s transitional years happened to be in the US; as she commented, nothing particularly distinguished her from others. She knew she was Dungan but didn’t know what it meant. Learning the Dungan language wasn’t a priority in her family. Now, she knows only a few phrases and can’t speak fluently. She remembers how people would assume that she was Chinese, so she had to repeat, “No, I’m not Chinese.”
“
I never mentioned that I was Dungan because people wouldn't have understood. I only said that I was born in China, I'm from Kyrgyzstan,
I speak Russian.
I speak Russian.
She started to talk more openly about her ethnicity during her exchange semester in Europe, where people were genuinely interested. During those talks, she realized how rare and unique her culture is.
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Rahima Ismaeva, founder of the digital Dungan newspaper “Hueizu Bo” and researcher at The National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic, claims that the presence of the Dungan community influences an individual’s ethnic identity development.
“Everything comes from the family. If traditions and customs are observed in the family, if they speak their native language, the children will absorb this with their mother’s milk. Also, the presence of peers of the same ethnicity has a significant influence on the development of personality. I think it even affects an individual’s mental discourse. Those who grew up outside the compact residence of the Dungans, without daily communication with the Dungan community, already have a different mindset.
To explore Dungan culture, I advise [young people] to immerse themselves more in the environment, make Dungan friends, and study the traditions themselves. The historian and researcher Ali-John has written good books – read them,” suggests Rahima.
“Everything comes from the family. If traditions and customs are observed in the family, if they speak their native language, the children will absorb this with their mother’s milk. Also, the presence of peers of the same ethnicity has a significant influence on the development of personality. I think it even affects an individual’s mental discourse. Those who grew up outside the compact residence of the Dungans, without daily communication with the Dungan community, already have a different mindset.
To explore Dungan culture, I advise [young people] to immerse themselves more in the environment, make Dungan friends, and study the traditions themselves. The historian and researcher Ali-John has written good books – read them,” suggests Rahima.
weddings
“It’s crazy. My other cousin has two children and is only one week younger than me. It's normal for them. But I think they do not understand what they're signing up for because they're kids themselves."
Karina moved to Kyrgyzstan from the States at age 16. That year, she attended the Dungan wedding for the first time with her grandmother. Everything looked strange and unfamiliar, as many people spoke Dungan, and even though Karina understood what they were saying, she couldn’t respond.
While visiting her relatives, Karina unconsciously became a witness to Dungan customs. She saw how 9-year-old girls would wake up in the morning, sweep the yard, cook, and wash dishes. When Karina’s female cousin got engaged at 19, she was shocked.
While visiting her relatives, Karina unconsciously became a witness to Dungan customs. She saw how 9-year-old girls would wake up in the morning, sweep the yard, cook, and wash dishes. When Karina’s female cousin got engaged at 19, she was shocked.
After visiting a few festivities, Karina realized that she would sooner or later have a Dungan wedding.
The entire process can be divided into pre-wedding, wedding and post-wedding.
The first pre-wedding ritual is Matchmaking. When a man finds a woman he wants to marry, his family selects a matchmaker, “Myizhyn,” who is close to the future bride's family and has weight in society. In the old days, only a man was chosen as a matchmaker; today, men and women can be matchmakers.
According to the rules, the matchmaker makes two visits, but the bride’s family doesn’t make any agreements. The bride's family uses this time between the matchmaker's visits to inquire about the groom and his family. After a positive answer, the groom sends gifts and kalym, and families set the wedding day.
About a day or two before the wedding, families read a prayer and invite relatives to assign responsibilities. This ritual is called “Che dungja”—inviting workers. Since the resettlement of the Dungans, some families have changed this name to "chy besh"—eat beshbarmak, due to locals' influence.
On the wedding day, the bride is dressed in a dress and jewelry and has her hair done. The hairstyle is richly decorated with flowers and gold and silver jewelry. After that, the bride sits in the room with her girlfriends, and guests come in to look at her.
Another vital role at the Dungan wedding is a “cashier”, who collects guest money and writes down their names. It’s an honorable work for any man.
The wedding at the bride's house takes place in the first half of the day. In the afternoon, the groom's party picks up the bride; she is accompanied by two women. The groom’s aunts throw a scarf over her to symbolize a talisman against evil spirits, then sprinkle coins, candies, nuts, and dried apricots on her head. Young women collect them to get married successfully.
The culmination of the wedding celebration is the reading of nikahar (nike) - a prayer sanctifying marriage.
The bride is covered with a scarf - she is on her way to the groom's house
Photo credits: Yam G-Jun
“
I will need to go through this turmoil of who to invite, what to do, how to do it, and all of that. It seems unnecessary to me, but I understand that it's important for the culture and my parents.
From childhood, Karina knew she would need to marry a Dungan man. The moment that affected her viewpoint of marriage happened when her grandma scolded Karina's brother for dating a girl who wasn't Dungan.
"It was ingrained in me, and I never considered the possibility of it being otherwise. I think people should do what they want, but, on the other hand, it's still sad that this pure Dungan bloodline won't exist anymore in 50-100 years. We'll all be mixed-race people," shares Karina.
Right now, Karina is planning her future, exploring Dungan traditions she missed out on in her childhood. Having met a Dungan man, she envisions a family.
"It was ingrained in me, and I never considered the possibility of it being otherwise. I think people should do what they want, but, on the other hand, it's still sad that this pure Dungan bloodline won't exist anymore in 50-100 years. We'll all be mixed-race people," shares Karina.
Right now, Karina is planning her future, exploring Dungan traditions she missed out on in her childhood. Having met a Dungan man, she envisions a family.
"Hua he" - Traditional female wedding shoes
“
I don’t see myself promoting Dungan culture simply because I don’t specifically know about it. It would just be cool to try and understand what it is. If I don’t like this style of living, I will try another. I’ll continue to live, be myself, and do whatever I want. It seems to me that my journey is just beginning.
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