The Isan people ( th, คนอีสาน, , ; lo, ຄົນອີສານ; my, အီသန် လူမျိုး) or literally Northeastern people are an
ethnic group group native to
Northeastern Thailand with an estimated population of about 22 million.
Alternative terms for this group are ''T(h)ai Isan'',
''Thai-Lao'', ''Lao Isan'',
or ''Isan Lao''. Like
Central Thai (Siamese) and
Lao, they belong to the linguistic family of
Tai peoples
Tai peoples are the populations who speak (or formerly spoke) the Tai languages. There are a total of about 93 million people of Tai ancestry worldwide, with the largest ethnic groups being Dai, Thais, Isan, Tai Yai (Shan), Lao, Tai Aho ...
.
In a broader sense, everyone who comes from the 20 northeastern provinces of Thailand may be called ''khon isan''. In the narrower sense, the term refers only to the
ethnic Lao who make up the majority population in most parts of the region. After the failed
Lao Rebellion in 1826, the region witnessed mass forced population transfers of ethnic Lao into Isan. Following the separation of Isan from the historical Lao Kingdom, its integration into the Thai nation state and the central government's policy of "
Thaification", they have developed a distinct regional identity that differs both from the Laotians of Laos and the Thais of Central Thailand.
Integration of this identity into Thai national identity began around 1900,
accelerated during the fascist era, was aggressively pursued during the Cold War,
and is maintained today, although in 2011, Thailand officially recognized the Lao identity to the United Nations.
Even during the height of the Cold War, the level of this integration was very high,
as measured by expression of nationalist sentiments. Even today, the Isan people are some of the most nationalist in Thailand; they are more nationalist than the Central Thai. As such, during the height of Thailand's 'color wars' in the late 2000s and early 2010s, the mainly Isan-based
Red Shirts were not calling for separatism but a return to democracy, in support of the
Pheu Thai party.
Almost all inhabitants of Thailand's Northeast are Thai nationals. Yet a majority of them (approximately 80%) are ethnically Lao and speak a variant of the
Lao language
Lao, sometimes referred to as Laotian (, 'Lao' or , 'Lao language'), is a Kra–Dai languages, Kra–Dai language of the Lao people. It is spoken in Laos, where it is the official language for around 7 million people, as well as in northeas ...
when at home (the three main Lao dialects spoken in Northeastern Thailand are summarized as the
Isan language
Isan or Northeastern Thai ( th, ภาษาอีสาน, ภาษาไทยถิ่นตะวันออกเฉียงเหนือ, ภาษาไทยถิ่นอีสาน, ภาษาไทยอีสาน, ภ ...
). To avoid being subjected to derogatory stereotypes and perceptions associated with Lao-speaking people, most prefer to call themselves ''khon isan''.
Official status
Thailand's longstanding policy was not to regard Isan as a separate ethnicity, based on the principle of considering all Tai groups living in Thailand as part of the
Central Thai people
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
. This successfully downplayed the majority Lao ethnicity and led to the development of a distinct regional Isan identity, which is, nonetheless, multi ethnic.
In 2011, Thailand recognized almost all its ethnolinguistic identities. The following table shows all the officially recognized ethnolinguistic groups of Northeast Thailand.
The source, a 2011 country report to the
International Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, uses revised (2004) Mahidol University ''Ethnolinguistic Maps of Thailand'' data (1997), which provides population numbers for most Northeast Thailand
ethnic groups
An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history ...
.
Subsequently, in 2015, the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security's 2015 ''Master Plan for the Development of Ethnic Groups in Thailand 2015-2017
'' officially recognized the majority of the Northeast's peoples, the main exception being the 'Thai Lao' group. Further, it did not recognize the 'Isan' ethnic identity.
Ethnology
The first Western scholar to identify and study the distinct "ethno-regional" identity of ''khon isan'' was the US anthropologist
Charles F. Keyes
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...
in 1967. He chose to categorize them as a "ethno-regional" group rather than an
ethnic minority
The term 'minority group' has different usages depending on the context. According to its common usage, a minority group can simply be understood in terms of demographic sizes within a population: i.e. a group in society with the least number o ...
, given that their "cultural differences have been taken to be characteristic of a particular part of the country rather than of a distinctive people." He has, nonetheless, consistently described them as being formed mainly of the
ethnic Lao group.
Language
About 88% of the people habitually speak the Isan language at home, while 11% say they speak both Isan and Central Thai among themselves, and only 1% speak Central Thai exclusively.
"Isan", "Lao" and "Thai" languages form a
dialect continuum
A dialect continuum or dialect chain is a series of language varieties spoken across some geographical area such that neighboring varieties are mutually intelligible, but the differences accumulate over distance so that widely separated varie ...
, in many cases the linguistic varieties do not coincide with the geographical and political boundaries. Defining and differentiating these three "languages" according to objective, linguistic criteria is impossible. The different terms are rather used for political and emotional reasons. In official contexts as well as in school and university classes, only Standard Thai is allowed. There are hardly any mass media publishing or broadcasting in Isan. Many Isan people, especially the younger and well-educated ones as well as those living in towns or outside their native region, master standard Thai on a native or near-native level. Some of them are even shy to speak their original language with their own parents,
and in public or in the presence of Thais from other regions
due to the low social
prestige.
Many Central Thais, but also some Isan speakers, associate the Isan language with being uneducated and backward.
Therefore, many Isan practice
diglossia
In linguistics, diglossia () is a situation in which two dialects or languages are used (in fairly strict compartmentalization) by a single language community. In addition to the community's everyday or vernacular language variety (labeled " ...
(i.e. Isan in familiar and informal contexts, standard Thai in public and official ones) or
code-switching
In linguistics, code-switching or language alternation occurs when a speaker alternates between two or more languages, or language varieties, in the context of a single conversation or situation. Code-switching is different from plurilingual ...
in their everyday lives. Despite effectively being banned in official discourse, since at least the 1997 Thai constitution, the Isan language has been used publicly within the Northeast for communicating Thai discourses, including political discourses, and there has been a recent resurgence in assertion of the Lao identity, including language.
Process of acculturation
From the late nineteenth century into the 1930s, the Siamese and then
Thai states employed diverse means to integrate the people of the former Lao principalities into the Thai state, including military conscription, forced labour, the introduction of Thai provincial administrative systems, the
Siamese monarchy, the Siamese religious
sangha
Sangha is a Sanskrit word used in many Indian languages, including Pali meaning "association", "assembly", "company" or "community"; Sangha is often used as a surname across these languages. It was historically used in a political context t ...
and Buddhist calendar (as opposed to the Lao sangha and religious calendar or ''hit sipsong khong sipsii''), and a national education system and bureaucracy.
Thai sociopolitical integration of the Isan people into Siam was in some cases met with insurrection in the form of the
Holy Men's Rebellions. In the late 1930s, the
Thai Cultural Mandates were deployed; by this period, acculturation included the burning of ancient Lao Buddhist manuscripts and records, in order to eliminate Lao culture, especially Lao literacy. In the 1950s, during the
Cold War, acculturation accelerated, incorporating more determined and institutionalized state development that included a sacralized bureaucracy, economic development, mandatory primary and then secondary education, health programs, infrastructure (roads and rail) and media (print and radio, followed by television) programs, inspired by
Thai nationalism and utilizing the Thai monarchy as a unifying symbol. The overall result was a significant shift towards the Thai language and Thai dress norms, combined with a greater awareness of Thai national identity as defined by adoption of national symbols (e.g., the Thai flag and photographs of the Thai monarch in homes) and reverence towards the Thai Sangha and the Thai monarchy. The integration of Isan people into Thai national identity was generally successful, though with significant structural inequalities remaining, meaning socioeconomic and political integration remain problematic.
However, cultural assimilation in terms of, for example, food, music and language was never complete, more hybridized, and in more recent years, there has been a resurgence in some of the local Isan regional and ethnic cultural identities, such as Phu Thai and Lao.
This has been due in part to greater multiculturalism and political decentralization beginning in the late 1990s, following the
1997 Constitution and 1999 Education Act, as well as the work of institutes working on language and cultural maintenance and revitalization, such as Mahidol University'
Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia(RILCA).
Around the 1990s, although the perceived political oppression continues and Thaification policies remain, attitudes towards regional languages relaxed. Academics at Isan universities began exploring the local language, history, culture and other folklore, publishing works that helped bring serious attention to preserving the Lao features of the language and landscape, albeit under an Isan banner. Students can participate in clubs that promote the local music, sung in the local Lao language, or local dances native to the area. Knowledge about the history of the region and its long neglect and abuse by Siamese authorities and resurrection of pride in local culture are coming to the fore, increasing expressions of 'Isan-ness' in the region. However, Thaification policies and the
language shift
Language shift, also known as language transfer or language replacement or language assimilation, is the process whereby a speech community shifts to a different language, usually over an extended period of time. Often, languages that are percei ...
to Thai continue unabated. Recognition of the Isan language as an important regional language of Thailand did not provide any funding for its preservation or maintenance other than a token of acknowledgement of its existence.
Migration
Millions of people have migrated from Isan to the
Bangkok agglomeration seeking work and they constitute at least one-fourth of the capital's population. About 8,000 from Isan live in Laos on the eastern bank of the
Mekong
The Mekong or Mekong River is a trans-boundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's twelfth longest river and the third longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , discharging of water annuall ...
River, which forms much of the border with Thailand. Others have emigrated to Malaysia, Singapore, and western countries such as Australia and the United States.
Migrant workers from Isan in Bangkok filled the role of construction workers, taxi drivers, cleaners, vendors, dishwashers, domestics, sex workers and other menial professions, often settling in shanty towns on the outskirts of the city. The Isan people faced discrimination for their humble, Lao origins, funny accents, darker features and low-class professions but the extra money earned was sent to support family back home, and remittances such as these remain an important part of the Isan Region's GDP today. The seasonal migrations were also spurned by the economic crash at the end of the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
, when large air bases were built in Isan and large numbers of US military stationed there provided a brief window of prosperity in the region.
Politics
Air bases built in Isan and US troops stationed there exposed the Isan people to direct westernisation and adoption of more liberal social attitudes, helping foment a unique identity. Identification with 'Lao' identity became even more problematic, as the Isan people were always viewed as a fifth column ready to support their Lao brethren. Although the fear was exaggerated, members of the
Lao Issara were able to find refuge in Isan during World War II, and communist supporters of the
Pathét Lao often crossed and gained recruitments from the local Isan people.
Isan politicians tended to be mistrustful of Bangkok, believed in decentralisation of government and promoted strong development of regional economies and tended to be more leftist than the parties in power. Political repression of Isan included the assassination of political leaders in the 1930s and 1950s, the disrobement of monks in the 1970s critical of the government's role in the sangha and the return of military leaders. Crackdowns of political dissidents occurred throughout the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s until the threat of communism was diminished. The continued outlawing of parties supported by or purportedly funded by
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra ( th, ทักษิณ ชินวัตร; ; ; Chinese: 丘達新; cnr, Taksin Šinavatra; born 26 July 1949), is a Thai businessman, politician and visiting professor. He served in the Thai Police from 1973 to 1987, ...
, who was widely popular in Isan, was seen as continued affront to both democracy in Thailand and representation of Isan people in Thai politics, thus many Isan people were avid supporters of the
Red Shirts.
Discrimination
Until the 1980s, when the road infrastructure and more relaxed attitudes towards regional cultural awareness began to take root, it was common for Isan people to face severe prejudice and discrimination. Isan culture, although similar, was at the same time quite exotic, with the pungent foods and rural people referred to as 'stinky' and the people 'stupid' and 'lazy'. The isolated rural region continues to be Thailand's least educated, least urban, least developed and least integrated region of the country, which can be seen in the numbers. More than three-fourths of Isan's people are engaged in agriculture despite the challenges of floods, droughts and infertile soils but only generated 10.9 per cent of Thailand's
gross domestic product
Gross domestic product (GDP) is a money, monetary Measurement in economics, measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjec ...
in 2013. Isan culture and language immediately conjure up images of ignorant yokels, backwards traditionalists and country bumpkins.
Beginning in the mid twentieth century, as new lands to develop were no longer available, Isan people began to migrate to Bangkok and other tourist areas or major cities to seek work during the dry season, when there was little activity on the farms, or permanently, sending occasional remittances to family members back home. Restricted by prejudice and lack of skills and education beyond farming, Isan people competed with migrant workers for jobs in construction crews, street sweepers, janitors, domestics, nannies, taxicab drivers, porters, shoeshine boys, vendors and the sex industry. Many establish residences on the outskirts of the city in unofficial shanty towns and urban slums. As a result of their rural roots and the ranks of Bangkok's urban poor, Isan people are often depicted as ignorant buffoons, ''naïve'' rural people, domestics in a Thai home or dimwitted, petty criminals.
[Lee, Hugo, Y.-H. (2014).]
Speaking like a love entrepreneur: Language choices and ideologies of social mobility among daughters of peasants in Thailand’s tourist sites
. ''Language, Discourse and Society'', 3(1), pp. 110-143. Madrid, Spain: International Sociological Association.
Socioeconomic position
The socioeconomic integration of the Isan people is an unfinished and ongoing project, and the ethnic minorities of Northeast Thailand are heavily affected by the regional disparities that plague Thailand in terms of, for instance, socioeconomic and educational outcomes.
For the period of the 1970s and 1980s, the lower outcomes experienced by the Isan people has been described as
internal colonialism due to Isan people filling a cultural class role as construction workers, gardeners, and maids for the Central Thai. More recently, it has led to the integration of Isan people being characterized as 'integration without inclusion'. A 2019
Asia Foundation report highlighted that Isan people were less affected by poverty than in the past, except in rural areas; that their incomes were stagnant, though they were optimistic for the future; that most people still owned land, but that it was unproductive; they experienced extremely high levels of household debt; that fewer of them were now migrating to other regions of Thailand; that a high percentage of survey respondents supported greater development and industrialization in the region; that most were actually satisfied with educational quality; and that Thailand's universal health courage scheme was greatly benefiting them. The report concludes by pointing out that, contrary to stigma, Isan people are not "unsophisticated peasants".
See also
*
Isan#Demographics
*
Lao people#Lao in Thailand
*
History of Isan
*
Northern Khmer people
Further reading
* Asia Foundation (2019).
Thailand's Inequality: Myths & Reality of Isan'. The Asia Foundation.
*
The Isaan Record(online magazine).
*
*
*
References
{{Ethnic groups in Thailand
Ethnic groups in Thailand
Tai peoples