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

Ran, Guanyu Jason; Liu, Liangni Sally

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.

Citation

Ran, G. J., & Liu, L. S. (2021). ‘Forced’ family separation and inter-generational dynamics: multi-generational new Chinese immigrant families in New Zealand. Kōtuitui: New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences Online, 16(1), 148-167. https://doi.org/10.1080/1177083x.2020.1801772

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 24, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Jul 30, 2020
• Publication Date: Jan 2, 2021
• Deposit Date: Dec 5, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 8, 2022
• Journal: Kōtuitui: New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences Online
• Publisher: Royal Society of New Zealand
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 16
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 148-167
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1177083x.2020.1801772
• Keywords: Immigration policy, family reunification, intergenerational dynamics, Chinese immigrants, multigenerational immigrant families
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2972803