The Assimilation of Chinese Minorities in the Henan Province of China — The Hui Community

Author: Senyao ZHAI
Year: 2021
Title: The Assimilation of Chinese Minorities in the Henan Province of China — The Hui Community
UKM Ethnic Studies Paper Series No. 67 (August)
ISBN: 978-967-0741-69-7

In the history of mankind, as a historical process, nation-states have experienced long stages of emergence, development and extinction. In this process, there is not only the division of the ethnic groups themselves but also the reintegration between ethnic groups. Differentiation and integration, as the variation of national attributes in the process of national development, is a relatively common phenomenon in Chinese history and one of the basic laws and characteristics of the development of national relations. There are 55 ethnic minorities in China, and the Hui is the second largest ethnic minority. This paper mainly studies the assimilation of the Hui ethnicity. According to Ashraf & Galor (2007), cultural assimilation is the process by which a relatively weak, primitive culture, and a relatively strong, advanced, and sophisticated culture come into contact with each other, where the former gradually becomes introduced to, and learns from the advanced culture, and then, under the latter’s influence, and acquire the characteristics of the advanced civilization. According to Cooke (2008), under the common theme of peace and development, the development of national culture has become the focus of attention for all countries and nations, and national culture is an important expression of a country’s image and comprehensive national strength. In the background of the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics in a new era, realizing the development and prosperity of all nationalities is one of the themes in the efforts of the Chinese nation.

Keywords: Hui Chinese community, Chinese minorities in China, cultural assimilation

Click here to see full list of UKM Ethnic Studies Paper Series