Mizo diaspora

Last updated
Mizo diaspora
Ram Danga Mizote
Mizo diaspora map by Jokomarel.png
Total population
200,000+
Flag of India.svg  India (outside of Mizoram)107,603+ (2011)
Flag of Myanmar.svg Myanmar 300,000 (2010) [1]
Flag of Bangladesh.svg Bangladesh 70,000 (2010) [2]
Flag of the United States.svg  United States 50,000 [3]
Flag of Singapore.svg  Singapore 20,000 [4]
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 15,000 [5]
Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea 8,000
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 7,000 [6]
Flag of France.svg  France 6,000 [7]
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 6,000 [8]
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel 5,000 [9]
Flag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia 3,000 (2011) [10]
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China 900 (including Taiwan) [11]
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 35
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada N/A
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany N/A
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden N/A
Languages
Standard Mizo
Hmar · Lakher
Religion
Christianity · Judaism in Israel.
Related ethnic groups
Mizo, Zo

The Mizo diaspora consists of Mizo people, or people of Mizo descent residing outside of Mizoram, the native land of the Mizos.

Contents

Myanmar

Mizo people migrated to Myanmar during the 19th and 20th centuries due to the demand and popularity of joining the Burmese Army and other factors. By 1972, there were over 30,000 Mizos in Myanmar. [12]

United States

The first Mizos to arrive the United States is the family of Pu Darrikhuma from Champhai in the 1960s to study theology. [13] During 1990 and 2000s, Mizo immigration to America skyrocketed. Most Mizos are situated in Indianapolis, Tulsa, and Washington D.C.. [14] Most Mizos in America are Burmese Mizos.

In 1985, the Mizos in America founded the Mizo Society of America (MSU) to preserve the Mizo culture and language. It has commenced events like Chapchar Kut, Miss Chapchar Kut since then. [15]

Israel

The Bnei Menashe are a group of self-claimed Jews of Mizo ancestry. In early 1989, over 100 members of the Bnei Menashe migrated to Israel, which was the first batch. During the 2023 Israel-Hamas war, over 1,000 members of the Bnei Manashe were said to be displaced and 1 killed. [16]

Others

During the First World War, 2100 Mizo men were taken by the British Army to France to fight against Nazi Germany. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mizoram</span> State in northeastern India

Mizoram is a state in northeast India, with Aizawl as its seat of government and capital city. The name of the state is derived from "Mizo", the endonym of the native inhabitants, and "Ram", which in the Mizo language means "land." Thus "Mizo-ram" means "land of the Mizos". Within India's northeast region, it is the southernmost landlocked state, sharing borders with three of the Seven Sister States, namely Tripura, Assam and Manipur. The state also shares a 722-kilometre (449 mi) border with the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Hmar is an Kuki ethnic group living in Northeast Indian state of Manipur, Mizoram, Assam and western Myanmar (Burma) and eastern Bangladesh. They use Meitei language as their second language (L2) in Manipur. They speak Mizo language as their L1 in Mizoram.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mizo music</span>

Mizoram is a region in India. Its folk music consists of vocals (singing) accompanied by traditional drums, gong and other native percussion instruments. There is also a long history of flute-playing which is now defunct. The drums are made from a hollow tree trunk with membrane made from cow hide and the gongs, made of brass, are very similar to those found in Myanmar.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bnei Menashe</span> Group of Jews from northeast India

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mizo people</span> Ethnic group native to northeastern India

The Mizo people, historically recorded as the Lushais, are an ethnic group native to the state of Mizoram in India and neighbouring states of Northeast India. The majority of Mizos outside of India reside in the town of Kalay in Myanmar, making up 55% of the town's population. The Mizo are made up of different tribes that united under the Mizo umbrella such as the Lusei, Ralte, Sailo, Hmar, etc. They speak the Tibeto-Burman language of Mizo, the official language and lingua franca of Mizoram. The state has one of the highest literacy rates in India, at more than 90%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chin people</span> Ethnic group native to Myanmar

The Chin people are an ethnic group native to the Chin State and Rakhine State of Myanmar. Strictly speaking, the term "Chin" only refers to the 53 sub-tribes of the Chin ethnic group, divided and recognized by the Burmese government. They speak the Kuki-Chin-Mizo languages, which are often mutually unintelligible but are closely related.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Mizoram</span>

The history of Mizoram encompasses the history of Mizoram which lies in the southernmost part of northeast India. It is a conglomerate history of several ethnic groups of Chin people who migrated from Chin State of Burma. But information of their patterns of westward migration are based on oral history and archaeological inferences, hence nothing definite can be said. The recorded history started relatively recently around the mid-19th century when the adjoining regions were occupied by the British monarchy. Following religious, political and cultural revolutions in the mid-20th century majority of the people agglomerated into a super tribe, Mizo. Hence the officially recognised settlement of the Mizos became Mizoram.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mizo language</span> Tibeto-Burman language of India, Myanmar and Bangladesh

The Mizo language is a Tibeto-Burman language spoken mainly in the Indian state of Mizoram, where it is the official language and lingua franca. It is the mother tongue of the Mizo people and some members of the Mizo diaspora. Other than Mizoram, it is also spoken in Manipur, Tripura, and Assam states of India, Sagaing Region and Chin State in Myanmar, and Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. It is mainly based on the Lusei dialect but it has also derived many words from its surrounding Mizo clans.

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Lalchhanhima Sailo was the founder of Chhinlung Israel People Convention (CIPC) and a leader in the Bnei Menashe community in Mizoram, India. His widow, Lalthlamuani, contested in the Lok Sabha Election 2019 from the Mizoram as an Independent, but lost to C. Lalrosanga of the Mizo National Front.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian Jews in Israel</span> Immigrants of Indian Jews communities that reside in Israel

Indian Jews in Israel are immigrants and descendants of the immigrants of the Indian Jewish communities, who now reside within the State of Israel. Indian Jews who live in Israel include thousands of Cochin Jews and Paradesi Jews of Kerala; thousands of Baghdadi Jews from Mumbai and Kolkata; tens of thousands from the Bene Israel of Maharashtra and other parts of British India and the Bnei Menashe of Manipur and Mizoram.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rih Dil</span> Lake in Myanmar

Rih Dil is a natural lake located in northwestern Chin State in Myanmar. It lies at about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from Zokhawthar, the nearest village situated at an Indo-Burma border. It has a heart-shaped outline. It is about 1 mile (1.6 km) in length, .5 miles (0.80 km) in width, about 3 miles (4.8 km) in circumference and about 60 feet (18 m) in depth.

The Chapchar Kut is a festival of Mizoram, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christianity in Mizoram</span>

Christianity is the largest religion in Mizoram. The majority 87% of Mizoram population are Christian in various denominations, predominantly Presbyterian. More than 98% of the Mizos are Christians by faith. The Government of Mizoram declared that Christianity plays a very important role among the daily life of Mizo community and therefore further declared that Christianity as the religion of the state. The culture of Mizoram is mainly influenced by Christianity. Hence, Christianity was given a special status on the state by the government while maintaining a minimum level of secular environment and approach. In June 2018, the government of Mizoram including Vanlalruata, president of anti-corruption organisation-turned-political party, People's Representation for Identity and Status of Mizoram claim that Mizoram is a Christian state. Hindus form a small minority (3.55%) mainly of Manipuris and there are also around (7.93%) Buddhists according to the 2001 census, mostly made up from Chakma settlers of Arakan origin. There are about 8,000 mostly ethnic Mizo followers of a Judaic group Bnei Menashe, who claim descent from the biblical Menasseh. Muslims make up about 1.1% of the state population.

Edwin Rowlands was a Welsh Christian missionary in northeast India and Burma. He was a professional teacher, singer, composer, poet, translator and literary figure among the Mizo people. He was regarded as the most beloved of all British missionaries in Mizoram. He was more popularly known as Zosapthara. He made the major hymns in Mizo and Khumi which are still in use. He modified the original Mizo alphabet and his system became the standard in Mizo language. He created written language for Khumi people in Burma, and for Bhil people in Maharashtra. His literary works are the foundation of Mizo literature. He was the first administrator of education in Mizoram as Honorary Inspector of Schools. Despite objection from various corners he married Thangkungi, a Mizo girl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Christianity in Mizoram</span> Christianity in Mizoram

The history of Christianity in Mizoram covers the origin and development of all forms of Christianity in Mizoram since the British occupation at the end of the 19th century. Christianity arrived as a consequence of tribal warfare, raids of British plantations, and the ensuing punitive British military expedition called the Lushai Expedition of 1871. The subsequent annexation of the erstwhile Lushai Hills to the British Empire opened the gateway for British Christian missions to evangelise the Mizo people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in Mizoram</span> State in Northeast India, India

Mizoram is a state in the northeast of India. Mizoram is considered by many as a beautiful place due to its landscape and pleasant climate. There have been many attempts to increase revenue through tourism but many potential tourists find the lack of amenities to be a hurdle. However, the State continues to promote itself and many projects have been initiated. The tourism ministry continues to maintain or upgrade its tourist lodges throughout the state. Foreign tourists are required to obtain an 'inner line permit' under the special permit before visiting. The permit can be obtained from Indian missions abroad for a limited number of days or direct from Mizoram Government authorities within India. The state is rich in bird diversity, which has the potentiality to make it a major birding destination. Mizoram is a stronghold for Mrs. Hume's pheasant. There is also a rare record of the wild water buffalo from the state. There are several past records of the Sumatran rhinoceros from Mizoram, then Lushai Hills. The small population of wild elephants can be seen in Ngengpui and Dampa Sanctuaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laltluangliana Khiangte</span> Mizo academic, playwright and poet

Laltluangliana Khiangte is a Mizo academic, playwright and poet of Mizo literature. He was the principal of the Serampore College and a former professor at Pachhunga University College and the North Eastern Hill University. He is presently serving as the senior most professor at the Department of Mizo at Mizoram University. He is a recipient of the Pu Buanga Award, the highest literary award of the Mizo Academy of Letters. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2006, for his contributions to Indian literature.

The Mizo people in Myanmar, historically Burma National Lushais are Myanmar citizens with full or partial Mizo ancestry. Although various Mizo tribes have lived in Myanmar for the past centuries, the first batch of Mizos migrated back to Myanmar starting from the mid-19th century till the 20th due to the Mizo National Front uprising.

References

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  17. "NAIK SABINGA BAWITLUNG". March 4, 2015.