At the heart of modern Chinese nationalism and national identity is the "minzu" concept and the "Zhonghua minzu" paradigm. The Chinese Communist Party has employed minzu, alternatively translated as "people," "nation," "nationality," "race," or "ethnicity," as a key building block of Chinese society since 1949, if not earlier, and argues that the "Zhonghua minzu" is the correct formulation for "Chinese people." Where did the minzu concept come from? Who belonged (or belongs) to the Zhonghua minzu? What did it mean? What kinds of policies were devised and inspired by the Zhonghua minzu paradigm? This tutorial will examine a range of primary documents concerning the "national question" in China from the late 19th through the early 21st centuries. We will also consider theories of translation and the movement of concepts across linguistic frontiers.
- Trainer/in: Max Oidtmann