Emotions and Strategies in the Face of the Border(ing): The Lived Experiences of Filipino Migrants in Mainland China

Abstract

Even though the People’s Republic of China is still considered a country of emigration rather than immigration, there is a growing number of foreigners who move there for work. In this article, I explore the lived experiences of migrants originating from the Philippines. I focus on their understanding of and affective encounters with the border and with bordering practices. Furthermore, I analyze the strategies these migrants employ to navigate their situations and secure their stay in the country. By doing so, I aim to contribute to the flourishing literature on the situation of migrants based in Mainland China, and to an understanding of the on-the-ground consequences of the Chinse immigration system’s regulations and practices. Based on 20 in-depth interviews, I argue that migration is not merely related to the migrants’ rational decisions and their execution thereof, but rather, that the whole process is accompanied by a range of emotions, varying in kind, intensity, and anchorage. For the Filipinas and Filipinos interviewed here, despite their differences, the strongest reactions were caused by the shape of the state regulations in place, which were perceived as a source of the sense of insecurity and instability.