Exploring the educational experiences and identity of ethnic minority Korean and Yi individuals in China

Thesis

To explore the intersection of ethnicity, language, and identity, this study examines the educational experiences and identity of 19 ethnic minority individuals in China. 13 participants are ethnic Korean, and 6 participants are ethnic Yi. Through the semi-structured interview, this study investigates the following research questions: What are the similarities and differences between the educational experiences of the ethnic Korean and Yi? How do Korean and Yi individuals perceive that minority education and language exposure to their minority languages, Korean and Yi, has affected their identity? Drawing from the qualitative data, this study reveals that the two groups of participants vary in their educational experiences and heritage language exposure. Nevertheless, their perception of ethnic identity is prominent in a similar way. Under trends of Sinicization, urbanization, and structural discrimination, the ethnic Yi and Korean suffer from inadequate social language affordances, the breakdown of traditional ethnic boundaries, and a crisis of heritage language loss.

Authors: Zhang, X

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-o1104gzwy
• Type of award: MSc
• Level of award: Masters
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: ethnic minorities; Korean; Chinese Korean; Yi; heritage language; minority language
• Subjects: applied linguistics