Immigration

Chinese people migrating overseas is a phenomenon that has occurred throughout the ages, but in history these migrants were treated with disdain and even faced execution. US academic Fei-Ling Wang looks at why one decides to leave their native land and even to become a citizen of a foreign country, and how they navigate between their chosen country and that of their ancestors.

Post World War II, in the 1950s and 60s, some Chinese returned to China full of hope for new beginnings. When people are young, they are full of dreams, but all too often not all plans and aspirations can be fulfilled in real life, muses Hua Language Centre director Chew Wee Kai. The important thing is to keep moving forward from the struggles of those times, even if it means to erase them from memory.

Issues such as gender diversity and environmental protection seem to be too abstract for first-generation Chinese immigrants in the US, who see these problems as having no impact on day-to-day life. US academic Wu Guo mulls over the reasons why this group of new immigrants, for all their desires to be part of the American education system, is a staunch detractor of progressive ideals that are part and parcel of the system itself.

Illicit nominations of Thais as shareholders in businesses run by Chinese operators are threatening local concerns. This highlights a dense network of transnational criminal activity that the Thai authorities are up against.

If languages and cultural practices are disappearing fast in the indigenous communities of Borneo to the Chinese community in Penang and elsewhere, can digital technology and AI play a bigger role to document pieces of our identity that can be preserved beyond time and space?

Asians are generally known to be humble, tend to keep a low profile, and not strive for leadership positions. However, US academic Wu Guo argues that perhaps it is time for ethnic Chinese to take a leaf from white Americans’ book and learn to be confident enough to step up.

Singapore has become a top choice for high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) to live in because of its pro-business environment, transparent system, as well as a stable and harmonious society. With increasing numbers of HNWIs immigrating here, many people are curious and concerned about who they are and how HNWIs are contributing to local society and communities. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Wang Hwee Wen interviews HNWIs from China and Bangladesh to find out about their new lives in Singapore.

Amid the significant labour shortage Hong Kong is facing due to a massive emigration wave, officials have introduced a number of measures to attract talent back to the city. However, the application loopholes and homogenous background of the applicants leave the locals questioning the measures’ effectiveness in boosting the workforce. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Tai Hing Shing tells us more.

Given the intense competition and rigidity in China’s education system, an increasing number of Chinese middle-class families are moving to Thailand and putting their children in international schools there. Zaobao journalist Liu Liu speaks to families and academics to find out more about the factors behind this trend.