Understanding Chinese immigrants in Africa from the perspective of national identity

Abstract

ABSTRACTIn Africa, the number of small and medium-sized businesses owned by Chinese entrepreneurs is rapidly growing. However, the consequences of their economic interaction and social self-isolation are a topic of great debate in academia. This article seeks to explain their activities from the perspective of national identity. Everyday nationhood is the key conceptual framework used to explain how national identity restricts immigrants and their initiative to consume national identity. The main argument is that their domestic developmental situation drives them to open businesses so that survival is the leading force for everything they do, and to survive, they have to use various strategies to retain their advantages, such as opportunism, involution, the manipulation of relationships and internal competition. This article may contribute to research on the Chinese presence in Africa by examining the issue of national identity and its correlation with Chinese entrepreneurship.