By Vera Peng, a Hakka Descendant
I’m a full-blooded Hakka. On both sides of my family—Mom and Dad—every generation has considered themselves Hakka. According to my grandma, I’m the 32nd generation of Hakka in the Peng family.
Growing up, I didn’t think much about being Hakka. I knew I was Hakka, but it wasn’t something that felt particularly important to me. I just knew that my grandparents occasionally spoke Hakka to each other, and my parents would use it to say things they didn’t want my sister and me to understand. But with me, they always spoke Mandarin. The only Hakka phrase I distinctly remember from my childhood is my grandma yelling “sik pon le” when dinner was ready.
As I got older, there were times when I wanted to learn this mystical language, but it never quite worked out. I grew up hearing Mandarin, so suddenly trying to learn a new way of speaking—where some words sound completely different—was challenging. I still try to get my mom to teach me, but it just hasn’t clicked yet. Even if I can’t speak the language fluently, I want to at least understand it and have a way to communicate with my grandparents.
I associate Hakka culture with its language and its food. As I mentioned, the language remains a challenge for me. So, I find myself turning to food as a way to feel connected to my heritage. Since returning to Taiwan for the first time, my favorite Hakka dish has been Ban Tiao, a rice noodle dish that can be served dry or in soup. Along with other traditional Hakka dishes, food has become the main way I connect with my culture.
Being Hakka has grown to hold great importance for me and is now one of the central aspects of my heritage. As I continue to grow, I hope to learn more about Hakka culture and share its customs and way of life with others.
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