Transnational Families: Chinese-Canadian Youth between Worlds

Abstract

This longitudinal study used a phenomenological approach to examine the experience of 16 Hong Kong Chinese youths who immigrated with their families to Canada in the 1990s. Despite being displaced from their established social networks in Hong Kong and experiencing intense loneliness while adapting to life in Canada, these young people were able to positively cope through recourse to transnational ties. Although these young people were not given much choice in the decision to migrate to Canada, they assumed the role as active builders of transnational ties once they landed on Canadian soil. Importantly, a decade after migration, these transnational ties were found to be instrumental in enhancing the problem-solving skills of these individuals against adversities. Furthermore, the transnational ties provided these young people with the building blocks of self-confidence and sense of agency, which facilitated positive development as they entered young adulthood.

KEYWORDS:

• transnationalism
• migration
• Chinese-Canadian
• immigrant youth
• adaptation

Notes

1. The name in the parentheses identifies the participant who provided the quote. The number that follows is the age of the participant at the time of the interview.