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Han chauvinism (simplified Chinese: 大汉族主义, 汉沙文主义; traditional Chinese: 大漢族主義, 漢沙文主義) or Hanism (simplified Chinese: 汉本位; traditional Chinese: 漢本位) is a term which is used in mainland China and Taiwan. Referring to people carrying ethnocentric viewpoints that favor the Han Chinese majority ethnic group in China at the expense of the other minority ethnic groups, often under the assumption of cultural superiority. Han chauvinists in the People's Republic of China often invent enemies of Manchus, Tibetans, Mongols and members of the Han nationality that oppose a monolithic view of the nationality. Han chauvinism is also sometimes manifest as nostalgia in the expansionist exploits by past Chinese dynasties, especially those identified with the Han nationality, but in some contexts also including the Qing Dynasty, a Manchu dynasty. Actions and speech that constitute the ethnocentric and ideological aspects of Han chauvinism (such as hate speech against minorities) are illegal in the People's Republic of China and are either banned or censored.

Han chauvinism historically

Those espousing chauvinistic attitudes often revive ancient pejorative and anachronistic terms to refer to other ethnic groups as "barbarians". In ancient times, the following terms were used by various peoples of the Zhongyuan (North China Plain) to refer to those peoples not under the political control or cultural influence of the main Chinese dynasty. (hence the below terms as used historically were geographic and cultural labels, rather than racial in the modern sense). The terms below, however, were also used by the Japanese to various extents, hence diluting the claim of their links specifically to Han chauvinism.

Historical terms

• "Nanman" (simplified Chinese: 南蛮; traditional Chinese: 南蠻) – literally barbarians of the South - typically referring to southern ethnic groups in present-day South China, Southwestern China and Indo-China. Most of what were considered Nanman then are now Han Chinese, after Chinese colonizers mixed with the original inhabitants (for example, the inhabitants of the province of Nanyue were originally labeled as Nanman, and today represent the Cantonese and various other subgroups of Han Chinese). However due to racial mixing the Cantonese are not pure Nanman, as the sentence is oversimplifying the complicated history of this region, they are descendants of mixed Han and Nanman ancestry. This term was used by the Japanese to refer to European traders in Japan.
• "Xirong" (西戎) – originally an ancient ethnic group (Rong), this term was later used to refer to all non-Han ethnic groups in today's Northwestern China, who were mostly nomadic horsemen,
• "Beidi" (北狄) – originally an ancient ethnic group (Di), this term was later used to refer to all non-Han ethnic groups in today's Northern China, Mongolia, and Siberia, especially those who lived beyond the Great Wall.
• "Dongyi" (simplified Chinese: 东夷; traditional Chinese: 東夷) – literally barbarians (or archers) of the East, referring to ancient ethnic groups who lived in today's eastern China along the coast, including groups which have now been assimilated into the Han nationality^[1].

Taiwanese Han chauvinism

In Taiwan, Han chauvinism is also used to accuse a preference for the culture and languages of Mainland Chinese over the local cultures of Taiwan, both Han Chinese and non-Han. It is most often used by pro-independence groups to attack pro-reunification groups and the Nationalists (KMT) who came from the mainland after their defeat to Communist Party of China in 1949.

In the People's Republic of China, the term Han chauvinism is also used by some members of ethnic minority groups as justification for separatist movements.

See also

China portal

• Chauvinism (general concept)
• anti-Manchuism
• Chinese nationalism
• List of tributaries of Imperial China
• List of recipients of tribute from China
• Hui pan-nationalism
• Xungen movement
• Sinocentrism

References