Historical Trends and Sociological Implications of Chinese Immigration

Abstract

International migration among Chinese-ancestry people is centuries old. Long before European colonists set foot on the Asian continent, the Chinese moved across sea and land, seasonally or permanently, to other parts of Asia and the rest of the world to pursue better economic opportunities or alternative means of livelihood. They have now spread to more than 150 countries across the globe, with nearly 80% in Asia and 15% in the Americas. This article aims to examine how long-standing migrant communities and social networks interact with broad structural factors—colonization, or decolonization, nation-state building, and changes of political regimes—to shape the characteristics, processes, and directions of international migration. I argue that the distinct streams of emigration from China, and remigration from Chinese immigrant communities, are contingent upon the history, economy, and policy of both sending and receiving societies, as well as social developments in the Chinese diaspora. It is not solely up to the state to manage and control international migration; the power of ethnic institutions and social networks must be considered in policymaking.