Transformation of a New Chinese Immigrant Community in the United States: A Case Study in Flushing, New York (美國新華人移民社區的轉型—以紐約法拉盛為探討中心)

Abstract

Early Chinese immigrants in America centered on the Chinatown, which had fixed blocks and scope of activities. The distinguishing features of its ethnic culture and economy were formed by the ethnic Chinese immigrants who dwelt there. The Chinatown has become identified with the early Chinese immigrants and become one of the most unique residential areas for any ethnic group. Ever since the 1965 amendments to the American Immigration and Nationality Act, however, new Chinese arrivals no longer inhabit Chinatowns after they reach the United States. Without stationary blocks and scopes of activities, new Chinese immigrant communities have become enclaves accommodating multiple ethnic groups instead of one particular ethnicity. These communities are closely connected to a variety of ethnic features and have a tremendously different appearance from that of Chinatown. This transformation is still in progress and has been widely-considered by many scholars researching overseas ethnic Chinese immigrants. Flushing, in New York, is the largest Chinese immigrant community in the twenty-first century. This essay takes it as a case study to look into the evolution of Chinese immigrant communities in the United States. 早期美國華人移民以唐人街為中心，它有固定的街區，一定的活動範圍。老移民住在這個範圍內，形成它鮮明的族裔文化和經濟特色，贏得了早期華人移民的認同，成為美國最具特色的族裔聚居區之一。自1965年新移民法修改後，新移民移入美國，不再以唐人街為居住區域，新華人移民社區無固定的街區，無固定的活動範圍，無單一的族裔聚集區，甚或是多族裔聚集的區域，靠著族裔特色融匯在一起，與過去的唐人街特色迥異，這種改變正在持續中，也是現今研究海外華人的學者關注的課題。本文欲藉由21世紀全球最大的華人移民社區—紐約的法拉盛（Flushing） 為例，探討美國華人移民社區的演變。 (This article is in English).