Southwestern Ethnic Minority Intellectuals, Expression ofChinese National Conception in the Journal of Xinyizu

JOURNAL OF ETHNOLOGY， VOL. 15， NO.02， 70-77， 2024 （CN51-1731/C， in Chinese）

DOI：10.3969/j.issn.1674-9391.2024.02.008

Abstract：

During a pivotal epoch in modern history， amidst an existential threat facing the Chinese nation from foreign invasion， the establishment of modern newspapers and periodicals represented by Xinyizu （or New Ethnic Minorities） seems to have played a positive role in shaping the collective identity of the Chinese nation and arousing a national consciousness among ethnic minority compatriots. "The intellectuals of ethnic minorities in the southwest were the first beneficiaries of modern education and thus became the intellectual elite of the ethnic groups who came into contact with nascent concepts and thoughts such as the Chinese nation relatively earlier.In addition， using the social influence of modern print media， this trailblazing elite promoted the awakening of the Chinese nation consciousness among their ethnic minority counterparts in southwest China， endeavoring to foster unity among all ethnic groups within China， propelling joint efforts to seek rejuvenation and development and strive for the liberation of the Chinese nation. The understanding of these pioneers of the southwestern ethnic minorities regarding the Chinese nation， the relationship between the southwestern ethnic peoples and the Chinese nation， and the role of the southwestern ethnic minorities in the process of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation "have all been preserved in the form of texts in the journal of Xinyizu. As the first journal locally founded by ethnic minorities in modern times， a systematic study of Xinyizu may be helpful in understanding the evolving consciousness of the Chinese national identity among ethnic intellectuals in southwestern China during the Republic of China era， showing their efforts to spread knowledge of the Chinese nation among ethnic minorities in the southwest of China.

The Xinyizu journal is

the first publication independently founded by southern ethnic minority intellectuals，thereby standing as a testament to its significance. Records also indicate that the purpose of its founding was to “1）awaken national consciousness; 2）discuss national issues; 3）spread national culture; 4）communicate national feelings ; 5）publicize the Three People，s Principles; 6）inculcate political education; 7）study social economy; 8）guide the life trajectories of the Yi people; 9）promote public intellectualism of the Yi people; and 10）elevate the morals of the Yi people.” It is worth noting that the concepts of “Minzu”， “Yi Ren”， and “Yi Min” as employed within the publication， the “Minzu” are understood to correspond to the Chinese nation， while “Yi Ren” and “Yi Min” would encompass the Yi ethnic people and other southwestern ethnic minorities. This method appears to have been influenced by the prevailing political and academic circles dating back to the late Qing Dynasty which seemed to distinguish between “big nationalism”， that is， the Chinese nation， and “small nationalism”， that is， the various ethnic groups within the Chinese Nation. Therefore， despite the diverse composition of its authorship， the Journal of Xinyizu， the content of its writing remained closely focused on the above issues. Each issue contains a trilingual translation of Sun Yat-sen，s will in the Chinese， Yi， and Miao languages. Moreover， the types of articles cover a wide range of issues such as national history， regional culture， folk literature and art， border crises， local realities， and the significance of southwestern ethnic minorities to national development. In fact， it can be argued that the journal，s editorial vision reflects a resolute determination to transform the perceived socio-economic marginalization of southwestern ethnic minorities， arouse the Chinese national consciousness among its readership， and improve the strength of the Chinese nation， and consolidate the foundation of the motherland.

Key Words：

the journal of Xinyizu; southwestern ethnic minority intellectuals; conception of the Chinese nation