Abstract: Cultivation of the sense of community for the Chinese nation is important for ethnic work in the new era， and cultivating the sense of community for the Chinese nation among college students in ethnic areas is an important part in the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and in fostering character and civic virtue in college and university education. Southwest China has many ethnic minorities， diverse ethnic components and ethnic cultures， with the typical ethnic distribution pattern of ”mixed residence alternating with small concentrated ethnic residence”， which poses a strong need for the cultivation of college students’ sense of community for the Chinese nation. In the cultivation of college students’ sense of community for the Chinese nation in southwest ethnic areas， we must adhere to the education of national outlook， ethnic outlook， historical outlook and cultural outlook， and make great efforts in promoting the coordinated development of southwest ethnic minority areas， optimizing the educational environment in southwest ethnic minority areas， giving full play to the educational role of colleges and universities in southwest China， and paying attention to the cultivation of family education style in southwest China.

Key words: ethnic area, college students, sense of community for the Chinese nation, ethnic education, ethnic outlook