Hua-Yi Distinction

Hua-Yi Distinction

The distinction between Hua (華) and Yi (夷) (Sino-barbarian dichotomy) is an ancient Chinese conception that differentiated a culturally defined "China" (called Hua, Huaxia 華夏, or Xia 夏) from cultural or ethnic outsiders (Yi "barbarians"). Although Yi is often translated as "barbarian", it could also refer to generic "others," to groups perceived as culturally different, to "non-Chinese," or to foreigners in general.

The Hua–Yi distinction was basically cultural, but it could also take ethnic or racist overtones (especially in times of war). In its cultural form, the Hua–Yi distinction assumed Chinese cultural superiority, but also implied that outsiders could become Chinese by adopting Chinese values and customs. When this "cultural universalism" took a more racial guise, however, it could have harmful effects