Between Tibetan and Chinese: Identity and language in Chinese South-West

International audienceThis paper focuses on the ongoing process of changing local ethnic identities in the South-West of China. The analysis is based on a comparison of two ethnic groups: Xumi and Baima, both officially classified as Tibetans. While the experienced ethnic identity of the Xumi is in conformity with their official classification, the Baima feel their own identity as being distinct from the classification imposed by the state. The related changes in local identities are examined with special emphasis on the role played by the Xumi and Baima languages in creating and assessing group identity. I conclude that for both groups, albeit for various reasons, language is neither the major constructive element of ethnic boundaries nor an exclusive marker of ethnicity, which confirms Haarmaan's (1986) postulation that language is not a necessary criterion of ethnicity