Chinese Migrants Research Articles

From subjects to subversives: Chinese migrants and the evolution of the French colonial surveillance regime in Sài Gòn-Chợ Lớn, 1874-1930

ABSTRACT In 1874, the French colonial state introduced an extensive regime of ethnic surveillance in the port cities of Sài Gòn-Chợ Lớn. This pioneering system in Vietnam relied on an innovative anthropometric science to target Chinese migrants, whose mobile networks posed ongoing concerns for the imperial authority. This article explores the strategies employed by Chinese migrants to navigate the enforced ethnic classifications and regulations imposed by the colonial administration, exploiting the uncertain boundaries between subjects, foreigners, and citizens. It argues that Chinese subversions emerged through a dynamic interplay with the evolving French bureaucratic practices, shaped by the coexistence of two overlapping imperial systems: a decentralized Chinese empire and a French colonial state aiming to consolidate its rule in Cochinchina. The article reveals that French colonial surveillance was not a one-sided, rigid process of panoptic imperial dominance, but rather a complex landscape characterized by negotiated coexistence, mutual collaborations, and acts of resistance.

Relationships between Health Education, Health Behaviors, and Health Status among Migrants in China: A Cross-Sectional Study Based on the China Migrant Dynamic Survey.

Managing the health of migrants has become a crucial aspect of promoting social harmony and cohesion in China. This study investigates the impact of public health education on the health status of migrants in China using cross-sectional data from the China Migrants Dynamic Survey 2017. A total of 169,989 migrants in China were selected as samples for empirical test. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, logistic regression, and the structural equation model. The findings show that health education significantly influences the health status of migrants in China. Specifically, health education related to occupational diseases, venereal diseases/AIDS, and self-rescue in public emergencies had a significant positive impact on migrants' health, while health education regarding chronic diseases had a significant negative impact. Health education delivered through lectures and bulletin boards had a significant positive impact on migrants' health, but online education had a significant negative effect on the health status of migrants. The effects of health education differ by gender and age, with a stronger positive impact on female migrants and elderly migrants aged 60 and above. The mediating effect of health behaviors was significant only in the total effect. In conclusion, health education can effectively enhance the health status of migrants in China by modifying their health behaviors.

Social justice and migrant children: Exploring the design and implementation of education policies for migrant children in China

AbstractDrawn from 14 educational policy documents and 26 interviews with educators of internal migrant children in China, this paper examines the design and implementation of educational policy for Chinese internal migrant children in the past three decades through the theoretical lens of social justice. Taking Guiyang city as the focus, this study demonstrates that educational policy and provision for migrant children are part of an evolving process impacted by interrelations between issues, such as the hukou system, (lack of) government funding and tensions between central and local governments. Although migrant children increasingly have access to improved opportunities, their outcomes remain poor relative to their peers from urban areas. New policies aiming to mitigate the disadvantages of migrant children are needed.

Who runs the world? Gender performances and racialized branding among young foreign women digital entrepreneurs in China

ABSTRACT This article studies young foreign female entrepreneurs in China involved in online businesses, focusing on how the intersection of race and gender mediate their business strategies and success stories. Existing literature on foreign migrants in China describes the transnational corporate and entrepreneurial sector as male oriented. While a few studies of foreign women in China examine their experiences as trailing spouses, little attention has been paid to young women, millennials, and Gen Z, pursuing an independent business career in China. This research is based on semi-structured, long-distance interviews with twenty-seven foreign women in their early twenties to early thirties. The article attends to the recent transformations in China’s business sector, where the number of young foreign female entrepreneurs is rising. I identified two main themes in my respondents’ reflections on their entrepreneurial experiences. First, gender plays a role in how women negotiate doing business in China and escaping the so-called glass ceiling. Second, women strategically perform a racialized white identity, or desirable qualities associated with whiteness, to market their products. Such dynamics must be understood in relation to recent migration flows to China, including the negotiations and challenges that mainly women face to cope with business.

Healthy immigration effect among internal migrants in megacities: a cross-sectional study in Shanghai, China.

To verify the healthy immigration effect on self-rated health (SRH) among Chinese internal migrants, identify the determinants of SRH, and provide recommendations for the Chinese government to formulate effective intervention strategies to improve population governance and health management in megacities. A sample comprising 1,147 white-and blue-collar migrant workers was randomly selected through an online survey conducted in Shanghai from August to December 2021. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to verify the healthy immigration effect as well as determinants of the effect among internal migrants in Shanghai. Among 1,024 eligible internal migrants, 864 (84.4%) were aged between 18 and 59 years, 545 (53.2%) were men, and 818 (79.9%) were married. When confounders in the logistic regression models were adjusted, the odds ratio of SRH for internal migrants who had lived in Shanghai for 5-10 years was 2.418 (p < 0.001), whereas the odds ratio for those who had lived there for ≥10 years was not statistically significant. Additionally, marital status, a postgraduate or higher degree, income level, number of physical examinations in the past 12 months, and the number of critical diseases they were suffering from, were significant contributing factors for favorable SRH among the internal migrants. Furthermore, a cross-sectional analysis revealed that SRH demonstrated a healthy immigration effect among blue-collar internal migrants from the manufacturing industry but not among white-collar internal migrants. A healthy immigration effect was observed among internal migrants in Shanghai. The migrant population that had lived in Shanghai for 5-10 years had more health advantages than the locals, whereas those who had lived there for ≥10 years did not. The Chinese government should understand this effect and enact measures accordingly, such as implementing physical examinations, improving acculturation, addressing individual characteristics, and improving socioeconomic conditions to improve the physical and mental health of internal migrants. Enacting such changes could facilitate the integration of migrants into the local culture of megacities.

Geography, ethnicity, genealogy and inter‐generational social inequality in Great Britain

AbstractThis paper documents population‐wide inequalities of outcome in Great Britain amongst and between long‐established and more recently arrived family groups. ‘Establishment’ is defined using family group presence in the 1851 Census of Population as a benchmark, and the ethnicity or nationality of more recent migrants is determined through classification of given and family names. Inequalities of outcome are measured using a harmonised indicator of neighbourhood deprivation (hardship). White British individuals tend to live in the best neighbourhoods, but within‐group inequalities reflect regional locations in which different family names were first coined 700 or more years ago. The living circumstances of White Irish and Chinese migrants are observed to be in line with long‐established White British family lines, but other conventionally defined ethnic groups fare worse, some very markedly so. Disaggregation of conventional ethnic groups used by the Office for National Statistics such as White Other and Other Asian reveals stark within‐group inequalities. These findings suggest: (a) regional origins of inter‐generational inequalities amongst the White British; (b) comparable neighbourhood environments experienced by the White Irish, Chinese and some White Other groups and (c) significantly worse neighbourhood circumstances within and between other more recently arrived immigrant groups. This work has several implications for understanding economic assimilation of migrants and the existence of inequalities amongst and between populations.

Chinese Migrants as a Social Group in Socio-Humanitarian Knowledge: Theory and Practice

The modern world is characterized by dynamism, changing social, economic, and political realities. Migration is becoming one of the phenomena developing rapidly due to new forms of communication, digital ways of transmitting information and interaction. The result of migration processes is the creation of social groups of migrants in the host country, which perform the functions of ensuring the adaptation of their members in a new social space for them. In this regard, the theoretical study of migrants as a social group, the description of the functional characteristics of Chinese migrants as a social group is relevant. The purpose of the article is to identify in scientific concepts and social reality the main characteristics and functions of migrants as a social group, to highlight the system-forming features of the social group of Chinese migrants. In the article, social groups are considered as associations of people interacting with each other in the course of their life on the basis of tional and innovative values, norms and rules of behavior, associations of people performing certain functions in society. As a result of the conducted research, the system-forming features of the social group of Chinese migrants are identified, including interaction, consideration of oneself as a member of this social group, development of norms and rules of behavior, common goals and objectives of activity, etc. The study showed that the social groups of Chinese migrants mean diasporas, social communities, enclaves. The theoretical analysis of the social group allows us to conclude that there is no unified understanding of the concept of “social group” in the scientific literature. This is determined by the dynamism of the social reality itself, which makes certain adjustments to the research of the social group, as well as by the constant change in the role of social groups in the space of their life activity

Cultural diversity, social integration, and migrant entrepreneurship—evidence from the China migrants dynamic survey

Cultural diversity, social integration, and migrant entrepreneurship—evidence from the China migrants dynamic survey

Assessing the spatial heterogeneity of tuberculosis in a population with internal migration in China: a retrospective population-based study.

Internal migrants pose a critical threat to eliminating Tuberculosis (TB) in many high-burden countries. Understanding the influential pattern of the internal migrant population in the incidence of tuberculosis is crucial for controlling and preventing the disease. We used epidemiological and spatial data to analyze the spatial distribution of tuberculosis and identify potential risk factors for spatial heterogeneity. We conducted a population-based, retrospective study and identified all incident bacterially-positive TB cases between January 1st, 2009, and December 31st, 2016, in Shanghai, China. We used Getis-Ord Gi* statistics and spatial relative risk methods to explore spatial heterogeneity and identify regions with spatial clusters of TB cases, and then used logistic regression method to estimate individual-level risk factors for notified migrant TB and spatial clusters. A hierarchical Bayesian spatial model was used to identify the attributable location-specific factors. Overall, 27,383 bacterially-positive tuberculosis patients were notified for analysis, with 42.54% (11,649) of them being migrants. The age-adjusted notification rate of TB among migrants was much higher than among residents. Migrants (aOR, 1.85; 95%CI, 1.65-2.08) and active screening (aOR, 3.13; 95%CI, 2.60-3.77) contributed significantly to the formation of TB high-spatial clusters. With the hierarchical Bayesian modeling, the presence of industrial parks (RR, 1.420; 95%CI, 1.023-1.974) and migrants (RR, 1.121; 95%CI, 1.007-1.247) were the risk factors for increased TB disease at the county level. We identified a significant spatial heterogeneity of tuberculosis in Shanghai, one of the typical megacities with massive migration. Internal migrants play an essential role in the disease burden and the spatial heterogeneity of TB in urban settings. Optimized disease control and prevention strategies, including targeted interventions based on the current epidemiological heterogeneity, warrant further evaluation to fuel the TB eradication process in urban China.

The ‘Good’ Neoliberalism: E-Commerce Entrepreneurship and the Search for a Good Life in China

Neoliberalism has been widely criticised in the anthropological literature. While acknowledging its negative impacts, this study argues that the adoption of neoliberal mechanisms and ethos may contribute to the betterment of individual wellbeing in certain circumstances. Drawing from a group of Chinese rural migrant e-commerce traders’ entrepreneurial experiences, this study finds that they have acquired material benefits, techno-cultural capital, and a certain degree of political independence by taking advantage of the growing neoliberal e-commerce market and by practising a neoliberal ethos. The acquired resources enable these traders, formerly considered lower-class, to assert their status and dignity in Chinese society, and ultimately help them achieve a good life. In exploring how neoliberal elements may work to improve ordinary people's life conditions, this study offers a more balanced assessment of neoliberalism in its everyday manifestations.

The association between settlement intention and migrant entrepreneurship in China: Explanation from human capital and risk aversion

In the new era, one of the keys to promoting sustainable economic growth is to give full play to the main role of migrants in innovation and entrepreneurship, and improve the overall employment quality of society. Based on the 2017 China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS) data, this paper attempts to use the reference group theory, self-motivation theory, human capital theory, and risk preference theory to provide the theoretical framework. Then, the relationship between immigrants’intention and entrepreneurship is examined by using PSM, Heckman-two stage model and IV method. The results clearly show that settlement intention is negatively associated with migrant entrepreneurship for both necessity-based entrepreneurship and opportunity-based entrepreneurship. Further study shows that this negative effect is achieved by changing migrants’ human capital and their risk preference. The heterogeneity analysis shows that the negative effect of settlement intention on migrant entrepreneurship is among those migrants who are between 25 and 45 years old, who are female migrants, who have rural hukou, and who live in central and western China. In a sense, this study identifies a side effect of settlement intention that sublimates and complements the theory of migrant entrepreneurship.

Permanent Imaginaries of Return and Fluid Realities: On Return Aspirations and Ambivalence among Nepali and Chinese Migrants in Australia

ABSTRACT Extending the line of analysis on migrants’ desires and aspirations to return, this article examines the meanings and emotions attached to the question of return in the context of two migrant groups from Nepal and China in Australia. While studies have delved into aspects of return associated with reintegration into the labour market, adjustment upon return, or social remittances, here we examine return as an embedded migration experience rather than actual physical return. We draw on the cultural understanding of family, mainly the notions of Luoyeguigeng and filial piety to examine the common imaginaries of return among both migrant groups and situate our analysis within the ‘fluidity of return’ framework to show how return is continually postponed or how return might not materialise. We argue that despite the permanent imaginaries of return, shaped by similar cultural ideas of family, return remains fluid in reality, complicated by multiple factors attached to home and host country, including the levels of opportunities afforded by the home countries as well as the opportunities for careers, family and partnership/relationships in Australia. The data presented here draws on two qualitative studies conducted among Nepali education migrants and Chinese professional women migrants in Australia.

How Migration Behavior Affects the Contracted Land Disposal Methods of Rural Migrants in China: An Analysis Based on the Perspective of Geographical Differences

Migration leads to the separation of rural people from their contracted land and, thus, affects the human–land relationship, agricultural production, and food security in China’s rural areas. Using spatial autocorrelation analysis, GeoDetector analysis, and geographical weighted regression, the mechanism by which the migration behavior of the rural population impacts their contracted land disposal methods was analyzed in this study, and the spatial heterogeneity of this mechanism was further revealed from the perspective of geographical differentiation. The results of this study show that: (1) Chinese rural migrants exhibit pronounced geographical differences in the disposition of contracted land. The spatial distribution patterns of family operation, subleasing, and abandonment are different. (2) Migration behavior contributes to the differences in contracted land disposal methods across regions. Educational attainment, the number of cities migrated to, and the house purchase rate significantly contribute to the geographical differences among all three contracted land disposal methods. (3) The mechanisms by which migration behavior influences rural migrants’ land disposal decisions vary. The direction and degree of the influence of each factor on family operation are relatively consistent across regions. However, regarding the subleasing and abandonment of contracted land, the mechanisms by which migration behavior influences land disposal decision-making exhibit significant regional heterogeneity. The results of this study provide a useful reference for many countries to solve the problems of the human–land relationship and rural development.

The effect of rising food prices on nutrient intake among rural–urban migrants in China

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to assess the impact of rising food prices on food demand and nutrient intake among rural–urban migrants and whether such impact varies across income classes.Design/methodology/approachUsing data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS), this study adopts a quadratic almost ideal demand system (QUAIDS) for food demand elasticity and an indirect estimation method for nutrient elasticity to investigate the effects of rising food prices on food demand and nutrient intake among rural–urban migrants.FindingsThe estimated results indicate that an increase in the price of pork alone would lead to a larger reduction in most nutrients among rural–urban migrants than other single targeted food group, and a simultaneous rise in the price of all food groups would have a remarkably adverse effect on the nutritional status of rural–urban migrants in comparison to the nutritional effects of a rise in one targeted food group. In addition, the nutritional effects of food prices across income classes show that the nutritional status is particularly vulnerable to rising food prices among low-income rural–urban migrants.Originality/valueThis paper focuses on analyzing the impact of rising food prices on the nutritional status of rural–urban migrants, a topic that is very limited in the literature. This study provides a fresh look at the effect of volatile food prices on food demand and nutrient intake among rural–urban migrants. The results indicate that income growth would have a remarkable positive effect on nutrient intake for rural–urban migrants, especially for low-income rural–urban migrants. However, an increment in nutrients due to a growth in income would not be far from enough to cover the reduction in nutrients as a result of a simultaneous rise in price of all the studied food categories at the same rate.

Temporary migration and land renting behavior

This paper investigates the impact of temporary migration on land transfer (land renting) using a conceptual framework and empirical analysis based on nationally representative data from the 2017 China Migrants Dynamic Survey. Our key findings indicate that temporary migration significantly and negatively affects land transfer-out, after accounting for potential endogeneity issues using the PSM and 2SLS methods. Specifically, migrants with temporary intentions are at least 5.85 percentage points less likely to transfer-out land than their permanent counterparts. We also find that the adverse effect of temporary migration on land transfer is more pronounced in larger cities but diminishes over time as migrants stay longer. Furthermore, we observe that permanent immigrants are more likely to transfer land to acquaintances than strangers, whereas temporary immigrants are more likely to cultivate the land. Our results have significant policy implications for agricultural productivity and rural rental land market in China.

Menacing Chronicle of Covid-19 Patient

The 2019 dispersal of the new corona virus (2019-nCoV) presents the planet with a new emergency or health threat. In December 2019, this virus was spread by an unknown intermediate species to humans in Wuhan, China. Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-2019) has identified via 6,143,019, active cases in India till on 29 September 2019. The aim of this article is to educate people to avoid public places and near encounters with infected persons and pets. The virus is human-transmitted and has triggered a global pandemic. In the First Chinese New Year, the epidemic was caused by mass migration from China, the release of 2019 (2019-nCoV) is on the first day of the Chinese New Year, with dramatically Chinese migration fueled the outbreak. In Chinese Provinces and in people who returned Wuhan to other countries cases were registered. A total of 82, 990 cases, 33,582 recoveries and 2802 deaths have been registered in India on 15 May 2020 (BBC 2020). In Kerala on 30 January India announced the first COVID-19 case, which amounted to three cases, all returning students from Wuhan, China. There was no significant rise in accidents during the remainder of February. 28 new cases, including the cases of a group of 14 Italian visitors, were published on 6 March. A quick overview of the latest COVID-19 know-how will be presented and relevant clinical features will be outlined as currently reported in this first report.

Migration up and down the urban hierarchy: The mediating effects of geographic mobility on migrants' homeownership

AbstractIn the past two decades, migrants' homeownership has received increasing attention, as migrants have become increasingly heterogeneous in terms of socio‐economic status and choice of the destination city. However, how migrants move across the urban hierarchy and thereby affect their housing consumption has received scant attention. Using the 2017 China Migrants Dynamic Survey, this study examines the relationship between migrants' socio‐economic status and their geographic mobility along the urban hierarchy, as well as the impacts on their housing outcomes in the destination city. Employing generalised structural equation modelling, the results show that migrants with higher education levels and higher family income are more likely to make an upward movement, through which they accumulated their capital and advantages to overcome difficulties and settle in the destination. However, the steeper they climb along the urban hierarchy, the less likely they could own a home in the destination city. This study contributes to the existing literature by highlighting the divergence in migrants' geographic mobility and its importance in understanding the variegated housing outcomes among the migration population.

Does the immediate reimbursement of medical insurance reduce the socioeconomic inequality in health among the floating population? Evidence from China

BackgroundEnhancing health intervention for floating populations has become an essential aspect of public health around the world. China launched a policy reform aimed at implementing immediate reimbursement for trans-provincial inpatient treatments. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of this policy change on socioeconomic inequality in health among the floating population.MethodsThis study used two waves of individual-level data from the China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS) collected in 2017 and 2018 as well as administrative hospital data at the city level. The sample included 122061 individuals and 262 cities. Under a quasi-experimental research design, we built up the framework to employ the generalized and multi-period difference-in-differences estimation strategy. We used the number of qualified hospitals that could provide immediate reimbursement to represent the degree and intensity of the implementation of this policy change. We also calculated the Wagstaff Index (WI) to measure socioeconomic inequality in health.ResultsThis policy change and income level had a negative joint impact on the health status of floating population (odds ratio = 0.955, P < 0.01), that is, the lower the income, the better the number of qualified hospitals' effect on health improvement. Furthermore, as the number of qualified tertiary hospitals increased, the health inequality would decrease significantly on average at the city level (P < 0.05). In addition, inpatient utilization as well as total expenditure and reimbursement significantly improved after the policy change, and the magnitude of increase was greater in the relatively lower-income group (P < 0.01). Finally, only inpatient spending could obtain immediate reimbursement in the early stage, thus, compared with primary care, these impacts were greater in tertiary care.ConclusionsOur study revealed that after the implementation of immediate reimbursement, the floating population could obtain greater and more timely reimbursement, which significantly increased its inpatient utilization, promoted health, and reduced the health inequality caused by socioeconomic factors. These results suggest that a more accessible and friendly medical insurance scheme should be promoted for this group.

From Landscapes to Bonds: Exploring the Influencing Mechanism of Community Parks on Social Integration

The rapid increase in the number of migrants in China has resulted in a growing concern for social integration issues. This study aims to explore the methods and approaches of social integration using urban community parks as a carrier. Using community parks in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, as a case study, we utilized structural equation modeling to construct the influence mechanism of community parks on social integration, which provides theoretical support and a reference for the design of social integration-oriented urban community parks. Our research indicates that the affective effects generated by migrants and local residents in community parks are crucial for social integration, including landscape perception, place attachment, and destination loyalty. Among them, landscape perception does not directly affect social integration, it can have a significant impact through the mediation of destination loyalty and place attachment. Destination loyalty has a direct and positive relationship with social integration, and place attachment also has a direct and significant positive effect on social integration. The study suggests that community park design should prioritize enhancing the emotional experience of migrants and local residents in three aspects: sensory stimulation, experience, and atmosphere creation, to promote social integration. Additionally, community managers and related policies should jointly promote future construction efforts.

Signed Up with Family Doctors and Health Education among Internal Migrants in China: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study

Health education is one of the most effective and efficient ways to achieve the goal of universal health coverage and the sustainable development goals. The equity of access to health services (especially services from community healthcare centers) for internal migrants is an important issue of global concern. However, due to the registration system, long-term residence plan, education level, and other determinants, it is more difficult for internal migrants to enjoy equitable health education compared with local residents. At present, there is no research on signing up with family doctors mainly from community healthcare centers among internal migrants and their impact on access to health education services. In this nationwide cross-sectional study, we used the migrant population dynamic monitoring survey (MDMS) in 2018 to assess the disparities in signing up with a family doctor and its association with health education among internal migrants in China. Among the 151,892 participants, a total of 11.26% migrants had signed up with a family doctor and 81.37% internal migrants had received health education. There was a significant association between signing up with a family doctor and health education in the univariate model (aOR = 1.113; 95% CI: 1.095, 1.132) and the multivariate model (aOR = 1.107, 95% CI: 1.089, 1.126). Meanwhile, age (aORinteraction = 0.996, 95% CI: 0.994, 0.997), migration time (aORinteraction = 0.927, 95% CI: 0.907, 0.948), and migration range (aORinteraction = 0.994, 95% CI: 0.992, 0.997) also had an impact on the relationship between signing up with family doctors and health education. Due to the health education inequalities among internal migrants in China, we need to improve health education access and utilization of internal migrants. As signed up with family doctors was significantly associated with health education among migrants in China, we recommended that the government and healthcare facilities promote health education through family doctors. The number and professional ability of family doctors should also be improved especially in areas with weak healthcare service resources in the future.