Ambiguity of Identity: The Mieu in North Vietnam

How have the Na Mieu (Mieu people) of North Vietnam adapted to a world in which other peoples—the Tày and the Kinh—are dominant, and how has the modern state increasingly reshaped the conditions in which they live? This book examines the pressures on the Mieu as they adjust to this non-Mieu world, by considering the relations between the Mieu and the Tày, the Kinh, and the central state. It identifies the extent of the Mieu’s adaptation in light of the policies of integration and modernization imposed upon them by the modern state. It also considers the changes undergone by the Mieu as they reconstruct their identity and present themselves as a distinct people. Finally, by placing the transformation of Mieu identity in the broader context of multi-ethnic nation-states, it discusses the general nature and processes of change in ethnic identities.

About the Author

Nguyen Van Thang has worked for the Institute of Anthropology at Vietnam’s Academy of Social Sciences since 1979. At present, he is the head of the Department of Transborder Ethnographic Studies. He earned an MA in Anthropology in 1997 and a PhD in Anthropology in 2001 from the University of Washington.