Living together or apart? International migrants and family coresidence in Yiwu, China

Abstract

ABSTRACT Most studies of migrant family separation and reunification concern migration to Europe or North America, where many migrants settle permanently and some institutions facilitate their integration. Among migrants to China, permanent residency and naturalization are rare and integration is limited. How can we understand migrant family separation and coresidence in this kind of destination? Through a survey of 367 international residents and in-depth interviews, we investigate characteristics of migrants in single, sole, couple, and family arrangements in Yiwu, a trading hub and host city to more than 13,000 international migrants. We find that when a male migrant lives with a fellow-migrant wife, the wife is rarely employed, and the employment rate among fellow-migrant wives in Yiwu is lower than the employment rate among wives who remain in the origin. This suggests maximizing household income is not the purpose of the wife’s migration to China. We use logistic regression to identify factors associated with family coresidence among male migrants who have at least one dependent child and a wife who is not a Chinese national. High income, professional occupation, having preschool-aged children, years in the destination, and being from a country at war are associated with family coresidence, while the more children the migrant has, the less likely he is to live with his wife and children. This study offers evidence that where settlement is restricted and integration of migrants is limited, some migrants still pursue family coresidence, but affordability is a major constraint on this arrangement, especially in connection with the cost of children’s education.