China's Diversity Doesn't Mean Multiculturalism

Clad in brightly-coloured costumes, 56 children paraded through the Bird's Nest at last month's Olympic Opening ceremonies.

Each child represented one of China's 56 ethnic groups. All smiles, they carried the Chinese flag to a group of soldiers who hoisted it up the mast.

The symbolism was evident to anyone watching -- the state protecting the culture of each child.

When the ceremonies were over, the hoax was revealed. The children were actually part of an acting troupe and all where Han Chinese, which makes up about 92 percent of the population.

Yes, the children represented a scandal that caught headlines. But, the symbolism may be the bigger deception.

About 112 million people make up China's minorities, a population more than three times the size of Canada. But, these minorities are largely neglected by the state. The 56 ethnic groups are strictly defined by the state. Others simply don't exist.

"The official categories aren't really the way people live their lives," says Edward Friedman, a professor of Chinese politics at the University of Wisconsin. "The Chinese state has an official set of categories and you shouldn't take them seriously."

China says it's a "united socialist multiethnic state." In reality, it is one of many countries with a wealth of diversity but virtually no embrace of multiculturalism.

Multiculturalism promotes the celebration of ethnicity, helping to enrich cultures and break down social barriers. When it is not embraced the risk is losing the diversity altogether.

China's economic boom has created centres of wealth around the country. The areas populated by minorities like the Tibetans and the Uighurs still experience extreme poverty.

The promise of wealth has led some minorities to the cities where often their cultural ties are lost. The Chinese state has also taken to moving Han Chinese to areas that were once populated by the minority.

Dermod Travis, the executive director of the Canada Tibet Committee, says this practice is diluting the culture.

"In Lhasa, there used to a very large public square where the Tibetans would sell their wares - jewelry, artworks and things like that," he says. "Today if you go to that market, it's virtually all Han Chinese."

Visitors to the Olympics games would no doubt have seen pamphlets advertising excursions to traditional villages. But, what they saw was actually a display.

"The state is telling them which dances to dance and which clothes to wear. The state defines that," he Friedman. "But, that's not how human beings live. They can't promote their own culture they way they want."

Those who do are often met with harsh consequences.

Travis says the Chinese government is fearful their state could dissolve if regions like Tibet seek sovereignty. Their solution is to enforce the "One China" policy to stop the minority groups from developing politically.

So, the Hakka, a culture with between 30 and 45 million people worldwide, are not included in the 56 categories.

Tibetan children face corporal punishment and abuse by authorities for wearing traditional dress and singing Tibetan songs.

More recently, the Muslim Uighur population has clashed with authorities. Resentment has grown towards the government which discourages the practice of Islam. At job fairs in the mineral-rich region, signs often read, "Uighurs need not apply."

With so many cultures, China has potential to truly flourish culturally. To some extent, they are as Cantonese operas play in city centres while Szechuan art is sold in markets.

Instead, a categorized system of 56 defined groups only limits the opportunities to learn and grow.

"The 56 categories get in the way of full cultural prosperity," says Friedman. "They are flourishing in little ways but obviously, to have freedom would help them more."