Abstract:In anthropological ethnology research, ethnic group and nationality are two terms with delicate distinctions to refer to a group of people; both refer to a group of people with certain characteristics and capable of self-identification and external differentiation. However, there is a big distinction between them in the strict academic research, which could provide us with different research perspectives and channels, and are often confused to incur a series of problems. Since the 1980s, academic circles have differentiated and analyzed the evolution of the concepts of ethnic group and nationality, the people they refer to, the relationship between them and their use, and gradually developed 'Minzu', a Chinese-English transliteration of academic term. In these discussions, the importance of conceptual research has been emphasized. One of the first scholars to distinguish the concepts of 'ethnic group' and 'nation' is Professor Stevan Harrell, an American anthropologist. In his book Ethnic Relationships and National Identity in the Field: Investigation and Study of Yizu community in Southwest China, he made in-depth and detailed discussions based on his own field experiences.