TRANSNATIONAL WEBS: OVERSEAS CHINESE ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL NETWORKS IN COLONIAL VIETNAM, 1870 - 1945 A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Cornell University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Tracy Christianne Barrett May 2007 © 2007 Tracy Christianne Barrett TRANSNATIONAL WEBS: OVERSEAS CHINESE ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL NETWORKS IN COLONIAL VIETNAM, 1870 - 1945 Tracy Christianne Barrett, Ph. D. Cornell University 2007 This dissertation is a study in ethnicity and transnational networks with the primary focus on the Chinese in Indochina, including Cochinchina, Cambodia, and Tonkin, which were under French colonial rule. It is the product of research undertaken at Hanoi’s Vietnamese National Archives #1, the Vietnamese National Library in Hanoi, Saigon’s Vietnamese National Archives #2, the Centre des Archives d’Outre-Mer in Aix-en-Provence, London’s Public Record Office, and the Australian National Library and National Archives in Canberra. Access to these archives has allowed me to place overseas Chinese networks within the contexts of both Chinese and Southeast Asian history. As a result, this work has theoretical implications for transnational studies of borders inside and outside of Asia. This dissertation is the first transregional study of institutions organized by the overseas Chinese population of Indochina during the French period. These Chinese formed their original organizations in China, and then reached across the China- Indochina border, expanding across Indochina. In China, native-place ties inherited from their fathers bound them together, and after they reached Indochina, they established bases, most often in Saigon-Cholon, and then expanded into other cities and towns where their networks competed for commercial gain and political influence. Narratives of the lives, crimes, and political and economic ventures of scores of overseas Chinese living and working in Cochinchina, Tonkin, and Cambodia provide the backbone for my arguments. At the time, all of these places were under French colonial rule, and Chinese networks negotiated the pathways and pitfalls of French colonial law to achieve their own agendas and maintain multidirectional ties, not only with all of their branches in Indochina but with their native places in China as well. By concentrating on the points where Chinese, Vietnamese, and French interests intersected, I show how they cooperated and came into conflict with each other. Ultimately, I conclude that even while the French held official authority in the colonies of Indochina, Chinese transnational networks exercised unofficial control over decision-making, not only in commerce but also in the wider arenas of politics, law, and society as they pertained to local Chinese communities. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Tracy Barrett was born in Waco, Texas, in 1972. As the daughter of a Foreign Service family, she spent her childhood in Germany, Tunisia, North Yemen, and Jordan before finally settling near Washington, DC. From 1990 to 1994, she attended the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, from which she graduated with majors in History and East Asian Studies. During that time, she also spent 8 months as a student at Beijing Normal University in the People’s Republic of China. From 1994 to 1996, Tracy Barrett continued her study of China at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, where she earned one Master’s degree in Chinese Literature and Linguistics and another in Chinese History. After completing her Master’s degrees, she moved to Gunma Prefecture in Japan, where she taught English in the cities of Maebashi and Takasaki for a year and a half. In 1998, she became a graduate student at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. She earned a Master’s degree in History in 2001 and then spent three years pursuing dissertation research abroad, including work in France, Viet Nam, and Australia. Tracy Barrett is married and has two sons. iii To my husband, Michael Learn, whose love and dedication have touched every single page of this dissertation iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work could not have been completed without the unflagging patience, help, and support of my dissertation committee. In addition to initiating me into the intricacies of Southeast Asian history, David Wyatt’s constant kindness and bottomless supply of fascinating historical anecdotes brightened many a dreary Ithaca day. His unfortunate passing just a few days after this dissertation was defended has left a void in our hearts and has made Ithaca a sadder place. I also owe a great debt of gratitude to Eric Tagliacozzo, who, on a moment’s notice, graciously stepped in as Professor Wyatt’s locum during my dissertation defense and offered numerous valuable suggestions to add sophistication and depth to this manuscript. Professor Keith Taylor introduced me to the nuances and vagaries of Vietnamese history, but more importantly, informed my theoretical approach to the discipline of history with his keen intellect and insightful contributions to the various phases of my work. My advisor, Sherman Cochran, a man with the patience of a saint, displayed a constant willingness to read my work at any stage of completion and to offer critiques at once provocative and kind, encouraging me at every step of my graduate experience and providing me with high standards of congeniality and professionalism that I am honored to use as measures of my own success. Finally, I cannot forget Maria Cristina Garcia, whose warmth, thoughtfulness, and good cheer made her one of the more pleasant surprises of my graduate career. For financial assistance during the research and writing stages of this dissertation, I am grateful to the Cornell History Department for providing me with supplemental research funding and the Knight Biggerstaff Award. I must also acknowledge the generosity of Cornell’s East Asia Program, which facilitated my research through the Lam Family South China Travel Grant as well as Foreign Language Area Studies Fellowships. Cornell’s Southeast Asia Program provided me v with funding for summer travel and intensive foreign language study. The Fulbright Program, Luce Foundation, and Mellon Foundation also contributed substantially to my research and writing, both at home and abroad. From 2001-2003, I carried out research in France and in Vietnam. I am grateful to the staff of the Centre des Archives d’Outre Mer in Aix-en Provence for all of their assistance. I am also grateful to Chris Goscha, both for his help in navigating the French archival system and for the good company he provided in many a foreign city. In Vietnam, I would like to thank the following facilities for their assistance: National Archive No. 1 (Hanoi), the Vietnamese National Library (Hanoi), the Social Sciences Research Library (Hanoi), National Archive No. 2 (Ho Chi Minh City), and the Tong Hớp Library (Ho Chi Minh City). I must also express my appreciation to Vietnam National University, especially Phan Huy Le and Pham Xanh, for their kindness in facilitating my stay in their country. Finally, I am indebted to Sean Malarny for his assistance in navigating the National Library in Hanoi, and I owe a special debt of gratitude to Chris Giebel, whose assistance in Hanoi proved instrumental to arranging my eventual research tenure in Vietnam. In 2003-2004, I profited greatly from my appointment as a Luce Fellow in the Pacific and Asian History division of Australia National University’s Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies. Marion Weeks and Dorothy McIntosh patiently introduced me to the ways of the Coombs Building and helped to facilitate our transition to antipodean life. Philip Taylor, David Marr, and Ben Kerkvliet offered valuable critiques of and assistance with my early writings as well. But I cannot mention ANU without expressing my deep and heartfelt gratitude to Li Tana and Nola Cooke, whose enthusiastic support, constant encouragement, and careful criticisms have added depth and sophistication, as well as enjoyment, to my work. I must also thank the staff of the Sir James Matheson Library Rare Books Collection at vi Melbourne’s Monash University, in particular, Brian Gerrard and Richard Overell, for allowing me unrestricted access to the crates of uncatalogued materials in their basement. In Adelaide, Yen Ching-hwang generously gave of his time to discuss the overseas Chinese with me, and finally, in Christchurch, New Zealand, Bill and Di Willmott gave me taste of Kiwi hospitality, kindly inviting me into their home for dinner and a lovely evening of discussing Indochina’s overseas Chinese. At Cornell, I benefited from the assistance of Kim Paschke, Barbara Donnell, and Judy & Nelson Burkhard in the History Department. The Kroch Library provided me with ample material and a perfect environment for all manner of research and writing; in particular, Allen Riedy was of invaluable help in navigating the library’s Southeast Asia collections. In the East Asia Program, Laurie Damiani offered sound advice and frequently assisted me with program-related matters, eventually becoming a treasured friend as well. In fact, many friends have come into my life since I first began this project and each of them, by sharing wisdom and providing good company, has impacted the final product in a special way. In particular, I would like to mention Don Adams, Ben Brower, Marcia Butler, Olga Dror, Laura Free, Mary Gayne, Hoang Ngoc Bich, Hou Xiaojia, Amy Kardos, Peter Lavelle, Cate Mellen, Vu Pham, Soon Keong Ong, Frank Varney, Wynn Wilcox, and Laura Yoder. Two friends and colleagues deserve special mention. In Hanoi, our housemate and friend, Nhung Tran, made every day interesting, and life would not have been the same without her. In Canberra, Lorraine Paterson and I began a friendship that continued uninterrupted when we both returned to Ithaca. Her good humor, fondness for conversation, and unwavering pursuit of Taoist principles have ensured her a permanent place in our hearts.