Today my grandma and I traveled to National Central University in Zhongli for an interview with Professor Hanbi Chang. It was a 30-minute bus ride away, and my grandma, being from Zhongli, knew how to get there.
Professor Hanbi Chang is a professor at the graduate institute of Hakka social and cultural studies. NCU’s College of Hakka Studies, established in 2003, is the first of its kind, and the Department of Hakka Language and Social Sciences is only about two years old. According to Chang, there are about 75-80 students in the department. Chang specializes in sociology, Hakka women and economic/ethnic relations.
The building for the Hakka studies department was huge, which surprised me a lot. It was seven stories tall! We went to the sixth floor to interview Professor Chang.
Professor Chang talked about how in urban areas, Hakka youth are less likely to know how to speak the Hakka language, compared to rural areas. She also talked about the motivations behind why her students choose to major in Hakka studies or pursue graduate studies in Hakka studies. She said many of her students are Hakka and want to learn more about their culture, social sciences and ethnic studies. Many of her graduate students do research in various social sciences relating to Hakka people in Taiwan, especially ethnic relations in Taiwan. She believes it is important to preserve Hakka culture not only for the Hakka people, but for all of Taiwan, as it is a part of Taiwanese culture.
After the interview, I asked if she could introduce me to some of her students. Two of her graduate students were at a nearby office, so she introduced me to them, and I told them I would contact them to set up an interview. It will be interesting to hear their perspective, especially since they are pursuing research in the field.
After the interview, my grandma and I just missed the bus, so we walked around the lake that is near the Hakka studies building.
Finally we took the bus home. For dinner, my grandma made bamboo soup, and we also ate kong xin cai, chicken claw, dried tofu, fish and mangoes.
Tomorrow is a free day, so I will work on transcribing interviews and story pitch research.
