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In 1911, the last Imperial Dynasty (established 300 years before by the Manchu minority) was unseated by the Nationalist Party of Sun Yat-sen. Dr. Sun himself saw China as a "Republic of Five Nationalities" (which are represented by the five stars on the national flag of the People's Republic of China). After his death, the Nationalists denied the existence of different ethnic groups. | In 1911, the last Imperial Dynasty (established 300 years before by the Manchu minority) was unseated by the Nationalist Party of Sun Yat-sen. Dr. Sun himself saw China as a "Republic of Five Nationalities" (which are represented by the five stars on the national flag of the People's Republic of China). After his death, the Nationalists denied the existence of different ethnic groups. | ||
After the Communist Party came to power in 1949, an earnest effort to investigate and categorize minorities began. Although over 400 | After the Communist Party came to power in 1949, an earnest effort to investigate and categorize minorities/ethnic groups began. Although over 400 groups answered a call to register, studies found that there was a lot of overlapping, and a significant number of groups that claimed to be separate were actually the same only with different names. After four years of detailed research and field work, 54 ethnic groups were officially recognized as independent nationalities. A 55th was added in 1979. | ||
=== Ethnic Group Determination === | === Ethnic Group Determination === | ||
*Distinct Language: While hundreds of Chinese dialects are spoken across China, a minority language is not simply a dialect. Rather, it is a language with distinct grammatical and phonological differences from Chinese. Language families include Sino-Tibetan, Altaic, Indo-European, Austro-Asiatic, and Austronesian. Twenty-one ethnic minority groups have unique writing systems. | *Distinct Language: While hundreds of Chinese dialects are spoken across China, a minority language is not simply a dialect. Rather, it is a language with distinct grammatical and phonological differences from Chinese. Language families include Sino-Tibetan, Altaic, Indo-European, Austro-Asiatic, and Austronesian. Twenty-one ethnic minority/ethnic groups have unique writing systems. | ||
*A Recognized indigenous Homeland: A territory within the national boundaries of China, from which the group originated. Native history and mythologies are interwoven into this native land. | *A Recognized indigenous Homeland: A territory within the national boundaries of China, from which the group originated. Native history and mythologies are interwoven into this native land. | ||
*Distinctive Customs: Ranging from dress, marriage rituals, cuisine, religion, and so forth. | *Distinctive Customs: Ranging from dress, marriage rituals, cuisine, religion, and so forth. | ||
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=== Minority Names === | === Minority Names === | ||
Many of the original Chinese names for minorities come from a long history of contempt. In 1951, the use of derogatory names was abolished. However, the new, currently used names were set by Han Chinese. As the Communist Party has relaxed its iron grip in recent years, | Many of the original Chinese names for minorities come from a long history of contempt. In 1951, the use of derogatory names was abolished. However, the new, currently used names were set by Han Chinese. As the Communist Party has relaxed its iron grip in recent years, ethnic groups have been given flexibility in choosing their own official names. | ||
=== Ethnic | === Ethnic Groups === | ||
The following is a distribution of Ethnic | The following is a distribution of Ethnic Groups in China, based on the Census of 1 July 1990. | ||
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