The Migration Policy Institute’s Online Journal, the Migration Information Source, Launches Special Series Exploring Migration To, From, and Within China and Taiwan
First Articles Explore China’s Major Internal Migration Movements and Chinese & Taiwanese Migration to South Africa
WASHINGTON — Recognizing the growing importance of China on the world stage politically, economically, and socially, the Migration Information Source, the online journal of the Migration Policy Institute, is releasing the first installment of a four-part series exploring migration to, from, and within China (including Hong Kong and Macau) and Taiwan.
The special issue, "Migration in the Modern Chinese World," timed to the Chinese New Year on January 23rd, is comprised of eight articles written by leading experts in the migration field and covering the following topics: the rural-to-urban migration of Chinese youth, Chinese and Taiwanese immigrants in South Africa, migration policy in China, the history and impact of migration in Taiwan, characteristics of the Chinese and Taiwanese immigrant populations in the United States, Chinese circulatory migration with New Zealand as a case study, and human trafficking policy in Taiwan. The articles will be published throughout January.
In the first of two features premiering today, China's Young Rural-to-Urban Migrants: In Search of Fortune, Happiness, and Independence, author Xiaochu Hu discusses the longstanding tradition of rural-to-urban migration within China, and shares research results indicating that modern-day rural-urban migrants — the majority of whom are part of a cohort of young people born after 1980 at a time of great social and economic change in China — have somewhat different motivations and expectations than their more traditional counterparts, such as the desire for excitement, fun, and career development independent of the needs of the family back home. The release of this article coincides with the annual migration currently taking place in China ahead of the Chinese New Year later this month, in which tens of millions of rural-urban migrants travel home only to return again to the cities some weeks later.
The second feature, Living In Between: The Chinese in South Africa, discusses Chinese and Taiwanese migrants in South Africa. Author Yoon Jung Park pays particular attention to the growth of these populations since the early part of the 20th century, how this historical context has affected relations both between South Africans and the Chinese as well as between the various Chinese communities themselves, and the overall experience of integration in highly stratified — and at times racially polarized — South African society.
The "Migration in the Modern Chinese World” series will continue next week with the publication of an analysis of data on the size and characteristics of the Chinese immigrant population in the United States and a profile of migration trends and policy in China.
The Migration Information Source provides fresh thought and authoritative data from numerous global organizations and governments, and global analysis of international migration and refugee trends. For more on the Source, visit www.migrationinformation.org. To sign up for the free, bimonthly Source e-newsletter, which includes a monthly feature on US immigration policy developments at the national and state levels, Migration Fundamentals and other features on international and US migration developments, and Spotlights providing demographic and other data on major immigrant populations to the United States, click here.
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The Migration Policy Institute is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit think tank in Washington, D.C. dedicated to analysis of the movement of people worldwide. MPI provides analysis, development and evaluation of migration and refugee policies at the local, national and international levels. For more on MPI, please visit www.migrationpolicy.org.