ABSTRACT
There are 55 minority groups in China (Y. Ma, 1984), each with its own history and culture. For many complex reasons, the culture of some minorities is continuously disappearing; some are even on the edge of extinction (Yang & Liu, 2006). The Hui minority is one of the strongest minority groups in the country; they are widespread in certain areas, especially in northwestern China. The Hui minority has been able to maintain and further develop their traditions, culture, and customs better than most minorities. Even so, the Hui minority is greatly affected by the Han. How can the Hui continue to coexist with the Han, and why are other minorities’ conditions so different? The dropping out of Hui minority girls is an important issue in contemporary Chinese society (F. Ma, 1997). This phenomenon appears in the rural areas of China, especially in minority residential areas. We selected a Muslim residential area for our research, focusing on the drop-out incidence among Hui minority girls. One researcher, Ye Yuhua, is a student of Northeast Normal University. She is a Hui and is fl uent in the Arabic language. In addition, she was born and raised in the Muslim residential area of Qinghai Province. She is knowledgeable in the research fi eld and can communicate with the local people in Arabic. In contrast, the other researchers are strangers to this research fi eld, but we were interested in participating in their world. This research can be viewed from two different viewpoints: as an outsider and as an insider. Although we play different roles, we have the same purpose. We want the voices of Hui minority girls heard in the US (i.e., the origin of multicultural education) and in Chinathis is the purpose of our study.
