In China’s rural southwest, left-behind children—particularly those from ethnic minority communities—face profound emotional challenges rooted in long-term parental absence, intergenerational caregiving, and socio-cultural displacement. This study presents the development and first implementation of a culturally responsive emotional intelligence (EI) curriculum designed for Tujia and Miao minority students in Xiushan County, Chongqing.

Grounded in the principles of social justice and indigenous pedagogy, the curriculum aims to strengthen emotional resilience, self-awareness, and social empathy through four thematic modules: Knowing Myself, Managing Myself, Connecting with Others, and Rooted & Rising. Each module integrates local cultural resources—such as the Sheba Festival, Miao folk music, and ancestral altar rituals—to foster emotional expression within a framework of cultural pride and national belonging.

The research employed a participatory action research (PAR) design over one semester, involving 1,500 students (grades 7–9) across 20 classrooms in one township school, with contributions from 12 teachers trained in culturally responsive pedagogy. Data were collected through classroom observations, semi-structured teacher reflections, and 456 student journaling entries, supplemented by pre- and post-semester surveys on emotional awareness and national identity.

Findings indicate that students demonstrated measurable growth in emotional self-regulation, peer empathy, and positive classroom behavior. Teachers reported increased engagement when local cultural symbols were embedded into learning activities. Quantitatively, there was a 5% increase in students’ self-reported sense of national belonging and a 7% rise in their confidence to articulate emotions in Mandarin and Tujia/Miao dialects by the semester’s end.

These outcomes suggest that culturally grounded socio-emotional curricula can not only enhance individual emotional development but also reinforce collective identity and civic connectedness among marginalized youth. The work offers a replicable model for culturally sustaining socio-emotional education in under-resourced global contexts, contributing to international dialogues on emotional equity, inclusive education, and nation-building through culturally embedded schooling.

Keywords: Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), Emotional Intelligence, Left-behind Children, Indigenous/Minority Education, Emotional Resilience, Participatory Action Research, Culturally Responsive Curriculum, China, National Belonging.