How Chinese hukou system shapes ethnic dissimilarity in daily activities: a study of Xining, China

Abstract Social differences in China tend to be complicated by the hukou system that ties welfare entitlement to a person's hukou status. There is no exception for the differences between ethnic minorities and majorities in Chinese cities. This study examines the interaction between ethnic dissimilarity and hukou division in urban China. It investigates whether ethnic dissimilarity of people's daily activities manifests more strongly among migrants without a local hukou than among residents with a local hukou. The study presents an empirical analysis in Xining based on population census and activity diary data. Using ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions with cross-model comparison of coefficients to investigate how ethnic dissimilarity of daily activities varies by respondents' hukou status, the analysis yields several findings. The disadvantage of ethnic minorities in activity spaces is further intensified by a marginalized hukou status. Ethnic minorities who are per se migrants without local hukou have lower exposure to ethnic diversity. Ethnic minorities with local hukou participate in fewer religious activities than migrant ethnic minorities without local hukou. By adding a hukou dimension to studies of ethnic dissimilarity, this study enriches our understanding of the multifaceted social divisions in developing countries such as China.