Research On Social Adaptability Of Urban Ethnic Minorities

China is a multinational country. The inter-ethnic relationship has a direct impact on China’s stability and development, and the solidarity and harmony between ethnic groups is the foundation of social harmony. As the capital city of Northwest China, Lanzhou has always been a multi-ethnic region. After the reform and opening up, especially with the advancing of urbanization, an increasing number of ethnic minorities from all over the country, especially from Northwest China, has swarmed into Lanzhou for working or settling down. These ethnic minorities’ adaptability and their relationship with the mainstream have deeply influenced their life. Furthermore, their ability to adapt to city life which is dominated by Han nationality will directly influence their living standard, psychological state and the development of society. Therefore, this article select Lanzhou Hui Nationality settlers as the study subject to investigate their social adaptability, encountered troubles and barriers, and further to discuss about solutions, using a combined method of questionnaires and interviews.By observing and studying the subject’s performance in economic life, social life, religion and cultural life, intermarriage and psychological state, this article comprehensively analyses their social adaptability. Studies indicate that ethnic minorities will generally experience a process starting from struggling living to gradual adaptation, which determines the imbalance of their social adaptability levels. Studies also have respectively shown that in economic life, ethnic minorities perform a moderate social adaptability, with significant internal polarization of wealth; in social life, these groups have basically adapted to urban life, from language to entertainments; in social contacts, they rarely communicate with the mainstream; in religion and cultural life, ethnic minorities pay more attention to inherit and preserve their own ethnic culture,even though performing randomly under some circumstances; and in psychological state, they show great differentiation. Concerning these conditions, this article suggests that government should strongly facilitate multicultural policy, and all ethnic groups should tackle conflicts legally and rationally. Only by doing so can we better promote the social adaptability of ethnic minorities.