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Looking for a new paradigm which encompasses salient elements of recent transmigration ... New Zealand: A social laboratory to examine migration. Small base population over 4 ...
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Slide 2: Looking for a new paradigm which encompasses salient elements of recent transmigration A 3-year Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation funded project on 3 cohorts (PRC, Taiwan, HK migrants to NZ)
Outline “Migration fever turned to homeward flights”
New Zealand: A social laboratory to examine migration Small base population –over 4 million Bicultural society – Pakeha & Maori Entry criteria – clearly stated & openly administrated No political tangle between China & NZ China: never a direct political threat to NZ NZ: free of the very bitter anti-Chinese history The trend of circulatory migratory movements best revealed over a longer time-frame. Chinese birthplaces 2006 census Conspicuous Absenteeism Rates of Long-Term Absence of Migrants Approved for Residence Between 1997/98 and 2007/08 Trends of Chinese absences: 1998-2009 Migration re-definedSlide 8:Project design
90 interviews (migrants from PRC, Taiwan, HK) Focus groups (conducted in Shanghai, Beijing, HK, Melbourne, and Sydney) 9 family interviews (multi-generational). Trying to avoid ‘snap-shot approach’ Aiming at comprehensive overview of big picture
Possible effect of host Country education Sense of Home (Transnational Interviewees) Identity & ChinesenessSlide 12:Deciding factor of further movements
Not the sense of identity Not the sense of home and belonging Pragmatic consideration of ‘family needs’ (career move, education needs, health issues)
477 respondents completed all the questions Survey target: From the PRC; NZ permanent residents or citizens; Arrived after 1987 (policy change) First-generation over the age of 20 Sub-categories of survey target: “settlers” (399) “transnationals” (45) “returnees” (26) “commuters” (13) Online quantitative surveySlide 14:Findings: Significance of economic factors
as shown - Changing employment status & income in “returnees” & “transnationals” before and after moving away from NZ confirmed by - evidences showing the reasons behind different categories of migratory trajectories
Employment status of respondents at various time and locations Income profile of online survey respondents Main reasons for “settlers” to stay in New Zealand Main reasons for “returnees” to return China Main reasons for “transnationals” to leave New Zealand Main reasons for being “commuters” Do you plan to go to another country to live or work in the immediate coming years? Where and when will you settle down eventually?Slide 23:Continued relevance of economic factors
Wage differentials triggering migration flows Personal fulfilment factor also important Needs of different generations of the migrant family. All factors to be weighed up in the context of globalisation.
Slide 24:New research paradigm
From the bounded framework (fixed locality/clear national borders) to deterritorialised populations. From examining ‘integration/settlement’ to examining the subjective lived experiences of migrants.
Slide 25:Transnationalism re-examined
Transnationalism does not imply ‘unsuccessful integration’. Re-location of the 2nd generation could be the utilisation of social & cultural capital. Different generations often have divergent mobility trajectories. Never ‘uprooted’, thus not needing ‘transplanting’.
Incessant transnational trajectory Returnees Step-/backdoor migrants settlers Various labels of convenience Thank You! Welcome comments my.ip@auckland.ac.nz liangni.liu@auckland.ac.anz