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Joe Cichosz
Anthropology / Chinese

Theresa O'Nell, Mentor
Diane Baxter, Mentor

An Investigation of Minority Identity in China: The Structuring of Minority Identity in the College Experience

China’s policy regarding its ethnic minority groups has prompted what scholars often term a resurgence in ethnic minority identity. The same minorities that the government once strongly discouraged from practicing their cultural traditions are now touted as an important part of the Peoples Republic and are encouraged to re-learn those traditions. Provided the government recognizes them as official minorities, these groups receive various benefits. In the area of education, the government established special minority schools and offered these groups preferential admission into higher education institutions. These minority college students are the focus of this study, which has three related purposes: to detail the process whereby states delineate legitimate ethnicity, to observe how these groups respond, and to explore how individuals place themselves within this system. The bulk of this research stems from personal observations and interviews conducted in China between October 2001 and May 2002.