Literature needs to reflect true evolving ethnic cultures

The rise of cultural pluralism in China can be seen as a form of "delayed modernity". Cultural pluralism had become a hotly debated topic in Europe and North America by the late 1980s.

In fact, all cultures are mixed for all practical purposes. Western culture, with its inclusiveness — of heterogeneous coexistence — embraces cultural pluralism primarily to foster a fragmented multitude that lacks the cohesion necessary for unity.

As to cultural diversity in ethnic minority literature, cultural pluralism has indeed gained widespread recognition, and diversity has been perceived negatively, causing ethnic minority literature to withdraw from efforts to achieve both universality and contemporary significance. In a bid to establish symbolic value and secure a place in the cultural market, ethnic minority literature often emphasizes its own distinct characteristics, inevitably resulting in a form of self-exoticism.

In the creation of literature, this can be seen in the narrow themes, the clichéd plot structures, the flat character images, the self-exoticization of the aesthetic style, and the limitation of the value concepts. Similarly, in research, issues such as the mechanical application of identity and ethnicity theory, outdated methodologies and the lack of paradigm shifts have all become bottlenecks for the development of ethnic minority literature in China.

We can easily find certain patterns in the creation of ethnic minority literature since the late 1990s: history-themed works often adopt the individualistic view of history formed by new historicist novels, replacing the previous history of arduous revolutionary and liberation with the history of family, of emotion, and of life. By linking ethnicity with locality, these works construct narratives that are in contrast to those of the Chinese nation, thereby severing the connection between specific ethnic groups and the broader national historical process and creating an imaginary pattern of closed narrative.

Some realist works often focus on the impact of modernity on the traditions of ethnic minorities in frontier areas, characterized by the urban-rural dichotomy. In these works, rural areas, ethnic groups, kinship and communal ties are often portrayed as victims of modernization, and the emotional structure centers on nostalgia for the old culture on the one hand, and resentment and melancholy toward the new culture on the other.

Some film and literature, as well as poetry, often indiscriminately embrace certain outdated elements, leading to the creation of stereotypes and literary images with stale ideas and contents. As a result, the real social problems of ethnic minorities are largely reduced to cultural problems, and culture is reduced to a dying "tradition" without contemporary relevance. Such literary works represent a narrow imagination, detached from the broader reality and life, and thereby unconsciously echo the ideas of Orientalism.

In essence, these issues are rooted in the "diminishment" of worldviews and values. From its inception, ethnic minority literature in China has never existed in isolation from the broader historical process. As contemporaries, ethnic minorities and the Han people share the same societal, technological and everyday challenges. Their consciousness, experiences, emotions and expressions should not be restricted by a specific ethnic identity, which is created in history, evolves over time, or may disappear in history. Presenting ethnic identity and culture as static, defined by fixed characteristics, fundamentally contradicts the dynamic nature of historical evolution.

When viewed dialectically, different ethnic groups have different, unique historical trajectories, cultures, traditions, religious customs and rituals, which are intricately linked to their local environments. But these connections must also be understood in the broader context of fluidity.

While influential works may begin with the detailed depiction of individuals, events, objects and emotions, they should not be content with remaining at that level; instead, they should strive to convey universal human experiences and thoughts.

Moreover, they should have the ability to address the major issues of our times. This ability is the true source of confidence in ethnic minority literature of China.

The author is a professor at the School of Chinese Language and Literature, University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

The article first appeared on DeepChina, which is an elite academic initiative that offers objective and rational analyses on a broad spectrum of topics related to China, encompassing politics, economics, culture, human rights, diplomacy, and geopolitics.

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