IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/poprpr/v38y2019i5d10.1007_s11113-019-09543-0.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Racial Revolution: Understanding the Resurgence of Ethnic Minority Identity in Modern China

Author

Listed:
  • Andrew Francis-Tan

    (National University of Singapore)

  • Zheng Mu

    (National University of Singapore)

Abstract

Chinese ethnic minorities are enjoying an era of resurgence, as their share of the population has risen by 50% from 1964 to 2010. Demographic forces alone cannot account for the rise. In this paper, we describe trends in ethnic minority identification and explore the determinants of identity with emphasis on the One-Child Policy, which raises the incentives to identify as a minority. Using nationally representative census data, we find that the policy significantly increases minority identity. The effects are especially large for persons in households with low socioeconomic status. This paper contributes to research on the history and demography of Chinese ethnic minorities, the impact of fertility policies, and the social construction of ethnoracial identity.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrew Francis-Tan & Zheng Mu, 2019. "Racial Revolution: Understanding the Resurgence of Ethnic Minority Identity in Modern China," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 38(5), pages 733-769, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:poprpr:v:38:y:2019:i:5:d:10.1007_s11113-019-09543-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s11113-019-09543-0
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11113-019-09543-0
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11113-019-09543-0?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zheng Mu & Yu Xie, 2016. "'Motherhood penalty' and 'fatherhood premium'? Fertility effects on parents in China," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 35(47), pages 1373-1410.
    2. Francisca Antman & Brian Duncan, 2015. "Incentives to Identify: Racial Identity in the Age of Affirmative Action," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 97(3), pages 710-713, July.
    3. Emily Hannum & Yu Xie, 1998. "Ethnic stratification in Northwest China: Occupational differences between Han Chinese and national minorities in Xinjiang, 1982–1990," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 35(3), pages 323-333, August.
    4. Leticia Marteleto, 2012. "Erratum to: Educational Inequality by Race in Brazil, 1982–2007: Structural Changes and Shifts in Racial Classification," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 49(3), pages 1155-1155, August.
    5. Ahn, Namkee, 1994. "Effects of the One-Child Family Policy on Second and Third Births in Hebei, Shaanxi and Shanghai," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 7(1), pages 63-78.
    6. Hongbin Li & Junjian Yi & Junsen Zhang, 2011. "Estimating the Effect of the One-Child Policy on the Sex Ratio Imbalance in China: Identification Based on the Difference-in-Differences," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 48(4), pages 1535-1557, November.
    7. Wang Feng & Yong Cai & Baochang Gu, 2013. "Population, Policy, and Politics: How Will History Judge China's One-Child Policy?," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 38, pages 115-129, February.
    8. Rachel Margolis & Mikko Myrskylä, 2011. "A Global Perspective on Happiness and Fertility," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 37(1), pages 29-56, March.
    9. Zhenjie Yuan & Junxi Qian & Hong Zhu, 2014. "Between God and Caesar? Christianity, Ethnic Identity, and Resistant Politics in Shimenkan, China," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 46(7), pages 1620-1637, July.
    10. Carolyn A. Liebler & Sonya R. Porter & Leticia E. Fernandez & James M. Noon & Sharon R. Ennis, 2017. "America’s Churning Races: Race and Ethnicity Response Changes Between Census 2000 and the 2010 Census," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 54(1), pages 259-284, February.
    11. Carolyn Liebler & Timothy Ortyl, 2014. "More Than One Million New American Indians in 2000: Who Are They?," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 51(3), pages 1101-1130, June.
    12. Leticia Marteleto, 2012. "Educational Inequality by Race in Brazil, 1982–2007: Structural Changes and Shifts in Racial Classification," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 49(1), pages 337-358, February.
    13. Pei‐te Lien & M. Margaret Conway & Janelle Wong, 2003. "The Contours and Sources of Ethnic Identity Choices Among Asian Americans," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 84(2), pages 461-481, June.
    14. Avraham Ebenstein, 2010. "The "Missing Girls" of China and the Unintended Consequences of the One Child Policy," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 45(1).
    15. Loveman, Mara, 2014. "National Colors: Racial Classification and the State in Latin America," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199337361.
    16. Andrew M. Francis & Maria Tannuri-Pianto, 2012. "Using Brazil’s Racial Continuum to Examine the Short-Term Effects of Affirmative Action in Higher Education," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 47(3), pages 754-784.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Casey F. Breen, 2023. "Late-Life Changes in Ethnoracial Self-identification: Evidence from Social Security Administrative Data," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 42(1), pages 1-18, February.
    2. Yao, Yuxin, 2017. "Essays on economics of language and family economics," Other publications TiSEM 0093bc8e-e869-4f87-8ff8-8, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    3. Raymundo M. Campos-Vazquez & Eduardo M. Medina-Cortina, 2019. "Skin Color and Social Mobility: Evidence From Mexico," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(1), pages 321-343, February.
    4. Junsen Zhang, 2017. "The Evolution of China's One-Child Policy and Its Effects on Family Outcomes," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 31(1), pages 141-160, Winter.
    5. Jerônimo Muniz & Aliya Saperstein & Bernardo Lanza Queiroz, 2024. "Racial classification as a multistate process," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 50(17), pages 457-472.
    6. Wei Huang, 2017. "How does the one child policy impact social and economic outcomes?," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 387-387, September.
    7. Wang, Xuebo & Zhang, Junsen, 2018. "Beyond the Quantity–Quality tradeoff: Population control policy and human capital investment," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 222-234.
    8. Jerônimo Muniz & Stanley R. Bailey, 2022. "Does race response shift impact racial inequality?," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 47(30), pages 935-966.
    9. Antman, Francisca M. & Duncan, Brian, 2023. "American Indian Casinos and Native American Self-Identification," IZA Discussion Papers 15861, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Gaurav Datt & Cun Liu & Russell Smyth, 2022. "Missing Women in China and India over Seven Decades: An Analysis of Birth and Mortality Data from 1950 to 2020," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 58(9), pages 1807-1830, September.
    11. Astghik Mavisakalyan & Anna Minasyan, 2023. "The Role of Conflict in Sex Discrimination: The Case of Missing Girls," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 71(2), pages 443-484.
    12. Pauline Rossi & Yun Xiao, 2024. "Spillovers in Childbearing Decisions and Fertility Transitions: Evidence from China," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 22(1), pages 161-199.
    13. Natália S. Bueno & Thad Dunning, 2016. "Race, resources, and representation: Evidence from Brazilian politicians," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2016-144, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    14. Wang, Qing & Zhang, Shiying, 2022. "Gender inequality in nutrition intake: Evidence from a large assistance program," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 45(C).
    15. Yiming Liu & Yi Han, 2023. "Responsibility-Shifting through Delegation: Evidence from China’s One-Child Policy," Rationality and Competition Discussion Paper Series 400, CRC TRR 190 Rationality and Competition.
    16. Veras, Henrique, 2022. "Wrong place, wrong time: The long-run effects of in-utero exposure to malaria on educational attainment," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 44(C).
    17. Lin, Siyuan & Argys, Laura M. & Averett, Susan L., 2023. "Exposure to the One-Child Policy and Fertility among Chinese Immigrants to the US," IZA Discussion Papers 16329, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    18. Hanzhi Hu, 2023. "The Consequences of Fertility Decline on Educational Attainment in China," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 42(6), pages 1-30, December.
    19. Li, Bingjing & Zhang, Hongliang, 2017. "Does population control lead to better child quality? Evidence from China’s one-child policy enforcement," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(2), pages 246-260.
    20. Patrick Broman & Tahu Kukutai, 2021. "Fixed not fluid: European identification in the Aotearoa New Zealand census," Journal of Population Research, Springer, vol. 38(2), pages 103-138, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:poprpr:v:38:y:2019:i:5:d:10.1007_s11113-019-09543-0. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.