Project Host: Professor Mei-hua Lan
That 8% of non-Han people distributing over 60% of border regions is a special feature of China; either without the 60% of lands or without the 8% of minority, China is not completed. The significance of the fact is obvious not only in 19th century but also in 20th. However, when it comes to discussion on the formation of modern China, researchers mostly adopt the perspective of Han people and focus on the impacts from foreign powers or China’s responses. Few
researchers choose to adopt the view from non-Han people/ethnic minority and overlook the dialectic relation of opposition and complement between “myself/ourselves” and “the other.” Not only in China, in Taiwan as well, when trying to form the new national identity, people should avoid neglecting the role Taiwan’s aboriginals play during the formation. In order to understand the meaning and value of the presence of modern China, it is necessary to inspect into ethnic minority/aboriginal’s actual positions and influences on this political entity.
As a result, this project intends to observe the formation of modern China from the perspective of ethnic minority. From the view of “concept” and “entity,” the researchers purpose to discuss non-Han people’s development in the country during the hundred years, interactions with Han people, and influences on China’s politics, economy, society, culture and other aspects. Through this research project, the researchers hope to envision the possibility of that modern China’s ethnic politics corresponds to contemporary multiculturalism.