The Ethnic Identity And Ethnic Relationship In Social Change

Miao is a worldwide multinational ethnic group with largepopulation and wild distribution. Miao people in China and Hmongpeople in Laos share the same origin. In the early19th century, someMiao people migrated out of southwestern China into the Laos.Currently, their population is300,000,6%of total Laos population,ranking the third biggest ethnic group in the Laos.Xieng Khuang province is the most concentrated residence forMiao people in Laos. Influenced by the Laos’ ethnic policy, localMiao people have shown the typical scattered and mixed residentialmodel in the cause of merging into the local main ethnic group----Lao. Taking Miao people of Ban Vieng Village, Xieng Khuangprovince as the research object, with the description of Miao people’sdaily life, the paper analyses the current situation of their ethnicidentity and ethnic relationship with the ethnic theory of culturalism,primordialism and instrumentalism. From the background of thechanging residential patterns and language convergence, the paperalso discusses the way to integrate their ethnic identity and ethnicrelationship to adapt to the local environment and their sustainabledevelopment. The paper concludes that the ethnic identity and ethnicrelationship are influenced by and connected with each other. Theyboth exert influence on local Miao people’s daily behavior, and can beregarded as the dynamic cause of their behavior choice and model.