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ABSTRACT
Ethnicity is a social construct that can be conceptualised as a social classification delineating certain boundaries between an ethnic group and the dominant group. Members of an ethnic group are assumed to share similar cultural characteristics and to be homogenous among themselves. Many studies in ethnic organisations have indicated that subethnicity also exists within an ethnic group, but research on subethnicity is scant. Based on the findings of an exploratory study conducted in Vancouver, Canada, we examined how, at an interpersonal level, place of origin, language, mutual bias and discrimination and transnational politics divide the Chinese diasporic community subethnically. Meanwhile, being Chinese in the Canadian context and willingness to break the subethnic boundaries are noted as counterforces to the subethnic divide. We contend that interpersonal interaction is an imperative dimension for the understanding of the shaping of boundary between different subethnic groups.
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Notes
1. Satzewich and Liodakis,“Race” and Ethnicity in Canada.
2. Lindridge, “Are we fooling ourselves.”
3. See Barth, Ethnic Groups and Boundaries; Phan and Luk, ‘‘I don’t say I have a business in Chinatown”; and Zhou and Lee, “Transnationalism and community building.”
4. See above 2.
5. We would like to thank one of the reviewers who pointed out this important observation.
6. E.g. Zhou and Lee, “Transnationalism and community building.”
7. Brubaker, “Beyond ethnicity.”
8. Yinger, “Ethnicity.”
9. See Read, “Measuring ethnicity with U.S. Census data”; and Yinger “Ethnicity”; and Li, “The rise and fall of Chinese immigration to Canada.”
10. Barth, Ethnic Groups and Boundaries.
11. Larmont, “Reflection inspired by Ethnic Boundary Making.”
12. Wimmer, “The making and unmaking of ethnic boundaries.”
13. See above 10.
14. Phan and Luk, ‘‘I don’t say I have a business in Chinatown.”
15. See Yinger, “Ethnicity,” 151–180 and Lindridge, “Are we fooling ourselves.”
16. Anderson, Benedict, Imagined Communities.
17. Anter, Andreas, Max Weber’s Theory of the State, 310–311.
18. Bozorgmehr, “Internal ethnicity,” 388.
19. Ibid.
20. See DellaPergola, “Jewish diaspora.”
21. See Jayaram, The Indian diaspora.
22. See Zhou, Contemporary Chinese Diasporas.
23. Dufoix, Diasporas.
24. Min and Kim, “Ethnic and sub-ethnic attachments.”
25. Avenarius, “Cooperation, conflict and integration.”
26. See above 14.
27. See Zhou and Lee, “Transnationalism and community building”; and Zhou and Liu, “Homeland engagement and host-society integration.”
28. Li, “The rise and fall of Chinese immigration to Canada.”
29. Zhou and Lee, “Transnationalism and community building.”
30. Zhou and Lee, “Transnationalism and community building”; and Zhou and Liu, “Homeland engagement and host-society integration.”
31. Basch, et al., Nation Unbound, 6.
32. Ong, “Cultural citizenship as subject-making.”
33. E.g. Kang, “Transnational motherhood.”
34. Zhou and Liu, “Homeland engagement and host-society integration.”
35. See above 29.
36. See above 34.
37. Kwok, “Chinese Australian urban politics.”
38. Moya, “Immigrants and associations.”
39. Lamont et al., “What is missing?”
40. See above 28.
41. Ley and Kobayashi, “Back in Hong Kong.”
42. Wang and Lo, “Chinese immigrants in Canada.”
43. Statistics Canada, Census Profile, 2016 Census.
44. Ibid.
45. See above 42.
46. Braun and Clarke, “Using thematic analysis in psychology.”
47. See above 43.
48. Fong and Liu, Hong Kong 20 Years after Handover.
49. Giddens, The Constitution of Society.
50. Lamont et al., “What is missing?”
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Notes on contributors
Miu Chung Yan
Miu Chung Yan is a Professor at the University of British Columbia School of Social Work. His research areas include settlement and integration of immigrants, youth from immigrant families, place-based community organisation, culture and race in social work practice, and international knowledge transfer. He has involved in over 30 research projects and published more than sixty articles in international journals of different disciplines.
Karen Lok Yi Wong
Karen Lok Yi Wong is a registered social worker in BC, Canada. She has been practicing in different multicultural settings including settlement service agency, senior community service centre and long-term care facilities. She has been researching, presenting and publishing on healthcare, older adults and caregiving. She is also a translator and interpreter for different social and healthcare service organisations as well as facilitator of different multicultural groups. She is a member of BC Association of Social Workers Multicultural and Anti-racist Committee.
Daniel Lai
Daniel Lai is Chair Professor of Social Work and Gerontology, Head of the Department of Applied Social Sciences, and Director of the Institute of Active Ageing of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University since 2016. Previously he was Professor in Faculty of Social Work, The University of Calgary. He has research expertise in the areas of integrating research and practice in social work and gerontology, culture and immigration, and outcome evaluation. He has published extensively in topics on immigration and aging.