Work

‘Forced’ family separation and inter‐generational dynamics: multi‐generational new Chinese immigrant families in New Zealand

Year: 2020

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT In New Zealand (NZ), due to the immigration policy change against family reunifications, many ‘forced’ transnational immigrant families emerged between NZ and other immigration sending countries. Closely tied family members across generations now have limited choice but to live across different national, cultural, and linguistic localities. By taking the new Chinese immigrant families from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the case in point, and based on 45 in‐depth interviews with their multi‐generational family members, this paper examines how immigrant families adapt to the NZ immigration regime which does not easily accommodate their cultural preference to live as multi‐generational families. It also demonstrates the importance of family reunification for immigrant families in NZ, and the changing inter‐generational power relations caused by the evolving process of migration and settlement of these families.

Source: Kōtuitui New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences Online

DOI: 10.1080/1177083x.2020.1801772

Authors: Guanyu Jason Ran, Liangni Sally Liu

Institution: Massey University

Language: English

Topic: Diaspora, migration, transnational identity

Subfield: Demography

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: diamond

Funders: Royal Society Te Apārangi, Marsden Fund

Award: Floating families? New Chinese migrants in New Zealand and their multi-generational families_x000D_