Uncovering the Story of Chaoxianzu Resilience: the Korean Minority in China under Mao

Abstract

A researcher studying the first Korean immigrants to China in the 1800s might have reasonably concluded that the immigrants would not survive for long. Immigrant cultures were often assimilated into the dominant Han Chinese majority, or even completely destroyed. Many earlier Korean immigrants faced the same fate, getting absorbed into larger ethnic groups in North China. However, the Korean immigrants defied this cycle and became an outstanding example of resilience, adapting and surviving the changing political environment of Mao’s China (1949-1976). Moreover, there are 55 minority ethnicities in China, most of which have peaceful relations with the Han majority and the government. Yet Mao singled out the Korean immigrants as the state’s model for all other minority groups—a model minority. This raises the question: what made the Korean Chinese population so special? There are varying names for this minority: some sources refer to the group simply as “Korean Chinese,” yet others refer to the community as the “Chaoxianzu,” or “Joseonjok.” Despite the romanization differences between the Chinese (Chaoxianzu) and Korean (Joseonjok) terms, both phrases signify “the People of Joseon,” distinctly identifying the origins of these people as Ancient Korea. This essay will refer to the community as the Chaoxianzu to celebrate their impressive resilience in adapting to their surroundings while maintaining their rich Korean culture to survive the changing political climate of China.