China Minorities

China Minorities

All people who are not part of the Han Chinese population are considered ethnic minorities in China. Currently, there are 55 different minorities recognized by the Chinese government. These groups are protected under China's constitution, guaranteed equal rights, and entitled to special privileges intended to help promote economic and cultural development. Some of these privileges include exemption from the One Child Policy, expanded rights to govern in "ethnic autonomous areas," economic aid, and special consideration when applying for certain jobs and to certain universities. China officially guarantees minorities the freedom of religion. However, the realities of this freedom are the subject of intense debate, both within China and internationally. The exact definitions of the 55 groups are also controversial. In addition to the estimated 730,000 people in "undistinguished ethnic groups," groups that have not yet been officially recognized, there are many who have been include in existing groups who deny their classification.

Fast Facts

55 officially recognized minority groups in China
Total population: Over 123 million
Minorities comprise 9.44% of China's population
Officially recognized ethnic groups are exempt from the One Child Policy
25 of China's minorities reside in Yunnan Province

Categories

News | Groups and Organizations | China | East Asia

| View Note History

Also try: History of China | Han Chinese | Muslim Uighurs | Tibetan Independence | China Human Rights

The Mahalo Top 7

Official Site: Guarantee of Rights and Interests of Ethnic Minorities
Wikipedia: Ethnic Minorities in China
Chinese Culture Center: Ethnic Minorities in China
People's Daily: China's Ethnic Minorities
Country Studies: China: Minorities
Human Rights in China: China: Minority Exclusion, Marginalization and Rising Tensions (April 25, 2007)
BBC News: China's Minorities Challenge (October 29, 2004)

China Minorities Recent News

Google News: China Minorities
Xinhua News: "Official: Medicine of China's Ethnic Minorities Faces Challenge Ahead" (December 18, 2007)
BBC News: "China Boom 'Threatens Minorities' (April 25, 2007)
NPR: Chinese Muslims in the Year of the Pig (February 18, 2007)

China Minorities Background and Profiles

Ethnic Groups in Chinese History

Mahalo's Guide to the History of China
Wikipedia: Ethnic Groups in Chinese History
All-China Women's Federation: Empresses of Minority Groups in Chinese History (January 7, 2008)
Ohio State University: Representations of Ethnic Minorities in Chinese Propaganda Posters (2000)

Manchu

Ethnologue: Manchu
China.org: The Manchu Ethnic Group
Wikipedia: Manchu and Manchu Language
U.C. San Diego: Sinicization vs. Manchuness: The Success of Manchu Rule (2003)

Miao

Wikipedia: Miao People
Chinese Culture Center: The Miao Minority
Paul Noll: Miao Minority
Asia Pacific Arts: Life Among the Miao (January 25, 2008)

Naxi

Ethnologue: Naxi
China.org: Naxi Ethnic Minority
Wikipedia: Nakhi and Naxi Language
Library of Congress: Selections from the Naxi Manuscript Collection
Omniglot: Naxi Scripts

Uyghurs

Mahalo's Guide to Muslim Uighurs
Wikipedia: Uyghur People and Uyghur Language
University of Washington: History of the Uighurs
University of Toledo: Introduction to Uyghur Culture and History
Radio Free Asia: Uyghurs in Forced Labor To Grow China’s Almonds (March 29, 2007)
Asian Music Circuit: Music of the Uyghurs (2002)

Mongols

China.org: The Mongolian Ethnic Minority
Wikipedia: Ethnic Mongols in China
Macro History: China from Mongols to the Ming
Language Politics in Inner Mongolia: The Cultural Revolution in Inner Mongolia (February 4, 2000)

Tibetans

Mahalo's Guide to Tibet
China.org: Tibetan Finery Brightens An Austere Land
Wikipedia: Tibetan People
Imaging Everest: Tibetan People
Preserving Tibet: People and Culture

Koreans

Wikipedia: Ethnic Koreans in China
Asia Times: South Koreans Find the Good Life in China (April 8, 2006)
IIE: The Economic Status and Role of Ethnic Koreans in China (2003) (518KB)

China Minorities Videos and Media

YouTube: China Minority Dances (Time 04:33)
YouTube: Tibetan Children Dancing (Time 07:01)
YouTube: The Animal Market - Kashgar (Time 03:58)
Google Image Search: China Minorities
Yahoo! Image Search: China Minorities
Live Search Images: China Minorities
Flickr: China Minorities

China Minorities Blogs and Commentaries

China History Forum: About Ethnic Minorities in China
Policy Innovations: The Melting Pot, the Salad Bowl, and the Confucian Ideal (January 31, 2008)
National Review: Saving the Uyghurs (May 11, 2005)

China Minorities Issues and Controversies

Recognition

Wikipedia: Undistinguished Ethnic Groups in China
Paul Noll: The Chinese Definition of a Nationality
Carnegie Council: Identity, Recognition, and Group Rights (December 5, 1996)

Education

China Education and Research Network: Education for Ethnic Minorities in China
People's Daily: China Forms Minority Education System (May 25, 2005)
The Guardian: China's Minorities Learn a Difficult Language Lesson (February 11, 2005)

Preserving Culture

Official Site: China to Spend More on Culture Preservation
Official Site: Importance of Cultural Preservation Emphasized
China Gate: Preservation and Development of National Minority Cultures in China (September 21, 2006)
Hong Kong University: Culture Change and Ethnic Identity Among Minorities in China (2003) (3.34MB)

Related Pages on Mahalo

China | History of China | China Human Rights | Tibetan Independence | Free Tibet | Myanmar's Rohingyas