Talk:Li people
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The article stated the Li people use latin alphabet for their language. Some minor groups in China use romanized pinyin to represent their language. Romanized pinyin is a more specific system than just Latin alphabet. It would be helpful if someone can verify one way or the other.
Name of this ethnic group
True, this ethnic group is known as the Li in Chinese (Mandarin), but this is not the name they use to refer to themselves.
In a gesture of respect, could they be referred to under their own name, which is Hlai?
See also the Ethnologue review of the Li or Hlai language.
Also missing from this article is a coverage of Hlai history. For instance, the fact that they were the original inhabitants of the island; they were pushed back by Han settlement; they resisted vigorously for many centuries until a major battle in the late 18th century put an end to their resistance. The Miao were apparently sent into Hainan specifically to fight the Hlai.
Why is all Chinese history so emasculated, even for Western audiences?
Also, while the Li may have a latin alphabet for their language, this does not appear to be used (Li people I know tell me that they plough straight into Mandarin and Chinese characters, causing considerable educational difficulties, and possibly one of the factors behind the atrocious educational level of the Li). So is this alphabet a reality on the ground, or is it more window-dressing by the Chinese government?
Furthermore, I would question the statement that the Li have a lot of contact with the Han Chinese _therefore_ they speak Mandarin.
This doesn't make sense. The local Han Chinese speak Hainanese (unless they speak Lingaonese or Junhua). Logically speaking, the Li should all be speaking Hainanese, not Mandarin, if their language ability is a result of 'contact'. The fact is, however, that the Li often prefer speaking Mandarin to speaking Hainanese, which I suspect is a legacy of historical hostility between the two groups.