Descendants of the dragon: racialized mixed Chineseness in immigrant China

Willy Sier*, Elena Barabantseva

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Following China’s rise as an economic powerhouse, the country’s immigrant population has quickly increased and diversified, leading to an increase in romantic relationships between foreign and Chinese citizens. This article analyzes the racialization of belonging and citizenship of Chinese nationals born into Chinese-foreign families living in China. Drawing on data gathered through analyzing online debates and media reports, supplemented by interviews and fieldwork observations, the article investigates how discussions about the identity of vloggers, pop stars, and athletes of mixed Chinese-foreign descent shed light on rising Chinese racial nationalism at a time when China has become a destination for international migration and a new frontier for racial knowledge production. We argue that this process is characterized by a tension between China’s emergence as an immigrant society and the hardening boundaries of its national identity.

Original languageEnglish
JournalEthnic and Racial Studies
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 10 Sept 2024

Keywords

  • China
  • migration
  • mixed identities
  • nationalism
  • online ethnography
  • Racialization

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