221 B.C., the Qin ruler Shi Huangdi unified China and ruled by harsh Legalist principles. The Han Dynasty ruled over a large and successful land. The Han Chinese way of life is reflected in Chinese life today. Strong government remains important in Chinese life today. the mid 19th century. The politicization of the field under the concept of racism in the 20th century led to a decline in racial studies during the 1930s to 1980s, culminating in a poststructuralist deconstruction of race as a social construct.
