OCCUPATIONAL PATTERNS AND ENTmPRENEURSRIP OF THE CHINESE IN THAILAND, INDONESIA AND CANADA BEFORE THE SECOND WORLD WAR A Dissertation Submitted to the College of Graduate Studies and Research in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Sociology University of Saskatchewan BY Nianshao Chen Spring 2000 O Copyright Nianshao Chen, 2000. Al1 rights reserved. National Libraiy Bibliothèque nationale du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et ûibliographic Services services bibliographiques 395 Weiiinglon Street 395. rue Wellington OnawaON K1AON4 WwaON K1AW canada Canaaa The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence dowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microforrn, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de rnicrofiche/nlm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d 'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son pemission. autorisation. In presenting this thesis in partial tiilfilment of the requirements for a Postgraduate degree fiom the University of Saskatchewan, 1 agree that the Libraries of this University may make it fieely available for inspection. 1 fürther agree that permission for copying of this thesis in any manner, in whole or in part, for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor or professors who supervised my thesis work, or, in their absence' by the Head of the Department or the Dean of the College in which my thesis work was done. It is understood that any copying or publication or use of this thesis or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University of Saskatchewan in any scholarly use which may be made of any materid in my thesis. Requests for permission to copy or to make other use of material in this thesis in whole or part should be addressed to: Head of the Department of Sociology University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N SA5 ABSTRACT This dissertation attempts to explain the different occupational patterns and business entrepreneurship arnong the Chinese in Thailand, Indonesia and Canada before the Second World War. Evidence presented in this study indicates that in spite of a simiIar concentration in private business, Chinese in different corntries were engaged in different types of business and achieved different levels of success. Contemporary literature offers two major types of explanation to the phenornena of ethnic employment and self-employment. The transplanted cultural thesis argues that traditional values, which are brought to the host society by immigrants or an ethnic group, play an important role in the formulation of this group's occupational patterns and entrepreneurship. The blocked mobility thesis, in contrast, contends that racial discrimination restricts the access of ethnic minorities to the mainstream labour market, which in tum forces them into certain types of business or occupation. This study shows that traditional Chinese culture cannot account for the persisting concentration of the Chinese in commerce in Thailand and Indonesia since the fourteenth century. On the other hand, while the blocked mobility thesis is usefùl in understanding the concentration of the Chinese in food and personal services businesses, this study finds no evidence to suggest that racial discrimination prevented the Chinese in Thailand and Indonesia fiom entenng certain sectors of the economy. This study credits the middleman minonty theory for its contributions to the understanding of ethnic occpations and businesses. Nevertheless, it also reveals that there are actuaily different types of middleman minorities. Under a colonial system, a middleman minonty also performs important social hctions for the ruling class in the subordination of the indigenous people. Furthermore, this dissertation argues that historical and structural factors, such as the patterns of immigration, the occupational backgrounds of Chinese immigrants, and the economic system and social stratification of the host countries, exerted significant influence on the occupational patterns and entrepreneurship of the Chinese in Thailand, Indonesia and Canada before the Second World War. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My research would have been impossible without the guidance of Dr. Peter S. Li. Dr. Li gave me the inspiration to pursue a doctoral degree, and guided me through the program with his insightful theoretical and practical advice. During the six years of the Ph.D. prograrn, the members of my advisory cornmittee, Dr. B. Schissel, Dr. S. Bolaria, Dr. M.K.Leung, have provided me with al1 the patience, understanding, and supp0t-t 1 have needed. 1 must also extend my most sincere thanks to my extemal examiner, Dr. Franz Schunnann. His starvation for knowledge, in spite of his outstanding academic achievements, made me realize that my research is only the beginning of a life-long joumey . 1 am deeply indebted to my father. He sent me to Canada eight years ago with my first year of tuition and a few hundred dollars. 1 did not learn to hlly appreciate his vision and expection until the moment 1 passed the oral exarn. 1 also owe my wife, Wen Guo, more than I can ever repay. Wen sacdiced a promising career and went through al1 the barriers and dificulties to ensure my success. At times, her conf~dencein me was the only force pushing me through. The staff at Calibre Strategic Services Inc., especially Mr. C Arthur Battiste and Ms. Anne T. Ballantyne, also deserve my gratitude. Their unconditional support and professional accomplishments motivate me to excel. Last, but not least, 1 wmt to express rny appreciation to Ms. Jeanette Dean for her friendship and help. PERMISSION TO USE ............................................................................................... 1 ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................. II AC KNO WLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................... IV CHAPTER 1 THE EMPIRICAL PROBLEM .................................... .... ................. 1 1.1. INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................. 1 1 .2. A COMPAR~SONOF THEOCCUPATIONAL PATTERNS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP OF THECHINESE IN THE THREE COUNTRIES ..................................................... 4 1 .2.1. The occupations of the Chinese in Thailand. Indonesia and Canada ....... 4 1.2.2. The Chinese in commerce in Thailand. Indonesia and Canada ................8 1.2.3. The Chinese in personal services in Thailand, Indonesia and Canada ... 12 CHAPTER1: ENDNOTES.......................................................................................... 15 CHAPTER 2 THE THEORETIC AL PROBLEM .................................................. 1 6 CHAPTER 3 SOURCES OF DATA AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES .....41 3.1. SOURCESOF DATA.......................................................................................... 41 3.1.1. Census data, government documents and chronicles ............................. 42 3.1.2 Books, reports and manuscripts. written by former government officiais, travelers. and commissioners ................................................................. -48 3.1.3 Literature written by scholars of ethnic relations and Southeast Asian studies .................................................................................................... 30 3.2. RESEARCH METHODS.................................................................................... 33 CHAPTER 4 THE OCCUPATIONAL PATTERNS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP OF THE CHINESE IN THAILAND .................................................. 57 4.1. THECONCENTRATION AND DOMINATIONOF THE CHINESE IN TRADEAND COMMERCEIN THAILAND............................................................................... 57 4.2. THE NATUREAND COMPOSITIONOF THECHNESE POPULATION ................... 65 4.2.1. Chinese immigration before the eighteenth century ............................... 66 4.2.2. Chinese immigration between 1700- 1850 .............................................. 73 4.2.3. Chinese immigration between 1850- 1930.............................................. 80 4.3. THESOCIO-ECONOMIC CONDITIONS FOR CHINESE CONCENTRATION AND DOMINATIONIN TRADEAND COMMERCE ...................................................... -89 4.3.1. Sino-Siamese trade before the second half of the nineteenth centwy ....90 4.3.2. Commercial competition against the Europeans &er 1850 ................. 100 4.3.3. Mode of economic production in Thailand up to the early twentieth century .............................................................................................. 105 4.4. CONCLUSION................................................................................................ 1 OS CHAPTER~:ENDNOTE .......................................................................................... 113 CHAPTER 5