Introduction

Abstract

In multiracial and multiethnic societies, de facto inequalities always exist. More often than not, racial and ethnic minorities not only confront discrimination, they also experience disadvantages in education, employment, housing, and everyday life. “Positive” policies, more familiarly known in the West as “affirmative action” policies, have been widely adopted by modern states to redress historic inequalities among ethnic groups, to reduce the potential for ethnic conflict, and, at times, to enhance opportunities for the dominant group itself (Jaladi and Lipset 1992–93, 603). The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is no exception and has, since its founding, deployed positive policies in education and employment, and, lately, in support of minority entrepreneurs.