Comments on: Overseas Chinese

By: Omar Pradhan

Omar Pradhan — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 21:40:32 +0000

I agree that Chinese exceptionalism (and why not given their 5000 year unbroken cultural heritage) is likely at the heart of the phenomenon documented. Moreover, it seems to me that these folks remain optimistically connected (e.g. “blood that binds us is thicker…”) because 1) they have not done well at integrating (e.g. seemingly everywhere you go there’s a proud China town where non-integration is implicitly / explicitly championed) and 2) their separation affords perspective on the fragility of the existing political manifestation, which in turn kindles hope for a political reformulation and a fairytale homecoming… I look forward to exploring whether my characterization has any merit.

By: JP Salazar

JP Salazar — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 08:17:32 +0000

The story of the Loretta Chao and her grandfather reuniting with their family in mainland China is a heartwarming one. It highlights the intense and difficult decisions that young people had to make during the Cultural Revolution in China. Mr. Chao was forced to leave the country in which he had spent his entire life as well as break ties with his family in the face of social and political reform. As a result, his brothers and sister ended up living a life that was much different than the one he experienced.
But blood is thicker than water, as one traveler on their bus put it. No matter the time or distance that had separated the Chao family from each other, they are still connected by the bonds of family. Even though their lives had followed much different paths, as evident in the stark physical contrast of Mr. Chao and his brother, they were still brought together by their shared experience of growing up together.
I wish this type of feeling was more evident in the US. Family ties are usually not as important in American culture as they are in Asian ones. I am currently having some trouble with this and my little brother. He has been making choices lately that have been driving us apart. He definitely does not exhibit the same level of commitment to family that I do. I worry that the longer we are separated and not talking the harder it will be for us to reconnect down the line. I can only try to take some reassurance from the Chao family story that people can reconnect, even after long periods of time and over vast distances.

By: Chris F.

Chris F. — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 01:34:15 +0000

By that definition, I (along with all Chinese in this country)would be considered an overseas Chinese since I am descended from Chinese immigrants (my grandparents). However I personally think that the definition of overseas Chinese pertains to citizens of the PRC, ROC, Macau and Hong Kong living abroad. While the quote about the Chinese bond is true, I don’t know if I would (or could) possibly move back to the mother-country. But like the ancestors who has the opportunity to leave China to pursue economic possibilities or escape war, overseas Chinese are moving back to China because there is opportunity to do so. Some do it purely as a career opportunity; some also feel the “blood and cultural loyalty” (I have a bit of loyalty to China in general too). But I know it will never be truly home if I moved there. While I am ethnic Chinese, I am not Chinese - Chinese; I won’t fit in with the social norms over there.

In terms of geopolitical consequences, on the positive side, Chinese and their deep bond to one another do transcend great distances. My family have extended family over in Guangzhou, China and my family has recently visited. It has been a long time since my mother visited in the early 1980’s with her mother (my grandmother), but there is still family over there who remember. While I don’t personally know my extended family, communication does occur from time to time between those over there and those here in the United States. A negative consequence is that it drives the “One China” policy. Meaning that the Chinese government see it as their right to reunify the greater China under one flag and system. This means that there will eventually be friction between the U.S. and the PRC over Taiwan (ROC). How that event will turn out, no one can say for certain but it will definitely be something that will intertwine our societies in the near future.

By: J Vail

J Vail — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 20:44:01 +0000

I have heard several similar stories of ‘Cultural Loyalty’ by Chinese emigrants, but I think that people from all walks of life can appreciate the feeling of home. I think this might be further compounded by the fact that many people leave China for such a long period of time, as well as rural areas in china being so hard to contact. Blood is thicker than water – which is part of the reason why this article is so universal for anyone reading it. I think the return of the Chinese to their homeland isn’t surprising, there are easier means of getting there and the country is in a much better position than it was previously. I knew several Ecuadorians from working in a restaurant, and they often lamented the same desire to return home, but didn’t have enough money to get back and knew there would still be no opportunities for them there. Regardless the feeling is the same the world over; to better understand ourselves we have to reflect on (and at least visit) where we came from.

By: Ben Raymond

Ben Raymond — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 22:01:19 +0000

The overseas Chinese return to China for multiple reasons. Many of the elder overseas Chinese return to China to reunite with family, as was the case in the Loretta Chao story. Many people left the country due to the political situation and the vast number of opportunities outside of the country and haven’t been in contact with their homeland family. Chinese students who came to America for the education return to China with a knowledge of Western business and an increased value to companies. Even American born Chinese students are heading to China for the ever growing opportunity and the Wild West mentality that is manifesting in China. Their knowledge of the language and culture of China and the U.S. increases their value to U.S. companies and Chinese Companies alike.

Overall, it seems that they really have two reasons for returning, either family, or opportunity. As opportunities in China continue to rise I expect we will see a greater return of the overseas Chinese. If Americans are heading to China for the opportunity, it makes perfect sense that someone with a Chinese background would be even more eager to explore the new Wild West.

By: Kyle R.

Kyle R. — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 00:56:41 +0000

I believe overseas Chinese are returning to China for many different reasons. For some, it’s due to a sense of cultural loyalty, like the WSJ article on Ms. Chao’s grandfather. Her grandfather felt a great sense of loyalty to his Chinese culture and believed it was necessary to take his granddaughter there so she could see where her family came from. I can only imagine how tough it must have been for her grandfather to pack up everything and leave his family, not knowing if/when he would ever see them again. When looking at the sheer number of people who left China in the 19th century, I would imagine that there are many people in situations similar to Ms. Chao’s grandfather. However, some people might just might be returning to China to explore their ancestry and where their family came from, not necessarily with an emphasis on cultural loyalty.

The second WSJ article showed a completely different reason for going back to China and it seems to make sense. College graduates are extremely valuable in China, primarily because of their American education/influence mixed with their Chinese heritage. I can see why so many students want to work or develop something new in China after graduation. It must be motivating to hear Virginia Roberson’s say, “It’s like the Wild West and the gold rush to them.”

By: Tara Millard

Tara Millard — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 06:32:28 +0000

Loretta Chao’s story of her grandfather leaving China without as much as a goodbye highlights the emotional ties that exist in this country.

“Not knowing what was going to happen in China or when he’d see his family again, my grandfather reluctantly boarded a ship. He left with no time to go home to say goodbye to Dongfeng or his younger sister, Zhao Jianxin, and cousins. It was the first time he had ever seen the ocean, and the last time he would ever see his father. He was 23, the same age I am now.”

Perhaps overseas Chinese are returning to China, because the stories passed on through family members and generations have highlighted China as native soil, a place to be called home. While Loretta Chao’s grandfather had to leave China in a haste, his story has lived on and instilled in the generations to follow a sense of loyalty and love for China. While her grandfather was unable to stay in China, Loretta is seeing China as a thriving nation, a nation in which she could live and succeed.

This story highlights the Blood and cultural loyalty amongst the Chinese that bring many Overseas Chinese back to the “rich” Chinese soil. For many, China is the home they had only imagined living in, and now they have the opportunity to make this dream a reality. While cultural ties are evidently present in the Chinese culture, the thriving business market in China cannot be ignored in this trend of Overseas Chinese moving to China itself. The opportunities available in China as of present are merely not available in China’s brother and sister countries. Moving to China not only has a mystical quality instilled through a “grandfather’s story” but it also holds the potential for unthinkable success.

By: Anthony Kallioinen

Anthony Kallioinen — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 19:18:07 +0000

The group of people called ‘Overseas Chinese are people of Chinese decent that live outside of China. This fits with what Kaiser Kuo was talking about (red guards against rednecks) in that is more important what one’s heritage is than their nationality. This is a really strong concept in China; they care more about the cultural umbrella of the Chinese people than they do about national identities. For this reason, mainland China has included Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan as part of the peoples included in this term ‘Overseas Chinese.’ If you are ethnically part of the group then you are in the club. This is another difference between individualistic nations and collectivistic ones: China is willing and must include all of its members in the count, harnessing them in with saying such as: “For Chinese people, the blood that binds us is thicker than any body or water that separates us.” This shows the depth of the connection one has with the rest of one’s cultural body around the world. It is interesting that although there are over 600,000 ‘Overseas Chinese’ reported in Japan, there is a note at the bottom of the table excluding Japanese nationals of Chinese decent from this count. For a country that includes everyone with ethnic roots in the group, this is really harsh. This really shows the anger towards the Japanese that the Chinese have for the apology that they still believe they deserve.

People are returning to China for many reasons, basically because the reasons they left are not as binding as they used to be. Chinese people left the mainland for many reasons, usually in search of better opportunity. Now that China is more receptive to the rest of the world, people are returning to visit their great homeland. For some, China will always be home to them, even if they have never been there, they recognize that they are part of something larger. If they grew up in China, then they are possibly going back to visit family and remember the good times they used to have, or to create new memories with the new freedoms that they now enjoy (taking pictures/dinner parties). For others educated in the US, there is possibly now more opportunity in China. China is exploding! For the newly minted US college graduate of Chinese decent, returning to China will provide them with more opportunity than a US firm.

There are many reasons that ‘Overseas Chinese’ are returning. In many ways it is due to all the recent chatter about China on the news over the last decade. China is becoming a very large economic power and is enjoying better living conditions and more freedoms than it has in the past. Both of these factors contribute to the draw of returning to China.

By: Amanda Podesta

Amanda Podesta — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 04:45:06 +0000

The WSJ’s “Strangers at Home” provoked my ire. While I’m patriotic, I can separate myself from my country and stand in mixed approval of its policies/actions. That is a great freedom. What we are seeing in people afraid to take a stance or share their knowledge/opinions is the exact opposite situation. It is fear of open dialogue that would make someone quote the “unique national conditions” [of China] as the reason for such-and-such. It is a worse and more frustrating answer than “I don’t know.” To try to hide behind a bamboo curtain is weak and self-protectionist rubric. It is a people trying to shore knowledge only unto themselves and not be drawn out into discussion. That this is a prevalent trend in China suggests a nation of conformers trying to sync so tightly to a national identity but ironically can’t because the party line changes too frequently to be able to quote.

By: Will Moeller

Will Moeller — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 00:59:19 +0000

First of all, I had no idea there were 56 ethnic groups in China. I’m not surprised, given both the land area the country covers and the sheer number of people that live there. Juxtaposing that against the United States is awestriking. I’m not sure how many ethnic groups there are in the United States, but I have to imagine its fewer - by far. Furthermore, the American ideal seems to be, “I am an American” versus the Chinese ideal of “we are Chinese.” I’ll agree, my heart was warmed by the blood and water quote above. It certainly inspires a sense of community.

The Loretta Chao story of being separated for so long and then reunited is also interesting. Taking family for granted is easy when you live in a country with relative internal stability. Thinking about other historical events during my lifetime - the Berlin Wall, Rwandan genocide - it’s clear that the population that identifies with a country can get separated for reasons outside its control - sometimes under horrible circumstances.

The other side to this blog is the business side. Some overseas Chinese left to pursue business opportunities. On that note, I would echo Randy’s point about Chinese returning “home” because their skills, if employed correctly could reap nice returns. In essence, the “Chinese Dream” is today what the “American Dream” was 200 years ago. (If you want more of my thoughts on the chasing the dream idea, I wrote about it in the Postcards from Tomorrow Square book review.)