Immigrants

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis greets attendees and signs books after his remarks as he makes his first trip to the early voting state of Iowa for a book tour stop at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa, US, 10 March 2023. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

The US is seeing a right-wing resurgence

Political rising star and possible candidate for future US president Ron DeSantis has set off a public debate on racism and its place in the American education system. But beneath the public backlash lies the perennial tussle between the conservative right and progressive left. While the US’s polarised state is a given, is the US society shifting further towards the right?
A dragon dance show during the Chap Goh Meh festival at Singkawang, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. (iStock)

Chinese roots in Borneo, deep and strong

Malaysian academic Goh Chun Sheng gives his impressions of the Chinese in Borneo, scattered in different communities and integrated into the locales where they live. Identity politics still rears its head, but perhaps we can look forward to the day when new narratives of diversity and integration will be told.
A woman hands out sheet of paper in protest over Covid-19 restrictions in mainland China, during a commemoration of the victims of a fire in Urumqi, at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), in Hong Kong, China, 29 November 2022. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters)

Why first-generation Chinese immigrants in the UK fear speaking up

Freelance writer He Yue muses about why first-generation Chinese immigrants in the UK are keeping silent about Chinese politics, even for those who have opinions about what is happening in China. It seems that the opportunities for democracy and freedom while living abroad are still not enough to get them to share how they really feel, even in private chat groups among friends.
People select lanterns for the Mid-Autumn Festival, Malacca, Malaysia, 4 September 2022. (Xinhua)

Upward trend of new Chinese migrants in Malaysia likely to continue

The current population size of new Chinese migrants in Malaysia is estimated to be 82,000. Although the Covid-19 pandemic has slowed down the influx of these migrants, it is expected that the pause is temporary and the inflow will continue to increase in the long term. However, while latent anxiety about these migrants has emerged among Malaysians, it has not yet become an explosive issue in Malaysian politics.
A man cheers to people marching through the streets of Miami, Florida, to commemorate last year's historic protests in Cuba on 11 July 2022. (Chandan Khanna/AFP)

Chinese economics professor: Immigrants do not take away your job

The belief that immigrants would ruin the employment market is unfounded, says economics professor Li Jingkui. With bold and ambitious entrepreneurial spirits, immigrants are more likely to be “job creators”, rather than “job takers”, while the resulting increase in demand for goods and services even supports economic growth.
A general view of Flushing in New York, US, a vibrant Asian enclave. (SPH Media)

Cultural historian: Worth the train ride to Flushing, Queens for tasty jujube pastry

Never did cultural historian Cheng Pei-kai think that he would find the most authentic and delicious jujube pastry of his dreams in Flushing, Queens of New York City. How the suburb has changed in the last 40 years, transforming into somewhat of a Chinese food haven.
A view of Santikhiri village, a KMT Chinese village, in Mae Salong, Chiang Rai, Northern Thailand. (iStock)

From pro-Taipei to pro-Beijing: Are KMT Chinese in Thailand switching their allegiance?

Because of China’s soft power, some Yunnanese Chinese in Northern Thailand — known as KMT Chinese and who are descendants of KMT supporters who left Yunnan and eventually settled in Northern Thailand — have gradually shifted from being pro-Taipei to being pro-Beijing. Out of the 110 private tutoring Yunnanese schools in Northern Thailand for instance, more than 40 have begun to accept Beijing’s support and modelled their school structure in accordance with PRC’s guidance. How many more converts can China's soft power yield?
This photo taken on 24 July 2022 shows a man sailing a boat with tourists along a channel in the Zhujiajiao ancient water town in Shanghai, China. (Hector Retamal/AFP)

A Chinese professor in the US: Helping my son find his cultural roots

While second-generation Chinese immigrants are not better placed to immerse in the Chinese language and culture compared with their peers in China, US academic Wu Guo believes that they can still leverage their parents’ experiences, their advantage in the English language, and access to information and multiple perspectives to learn about their ancestral land.
Children play with sand near a Taiwan Navy supply ship at a beach on Nangan island of the Matsu Islands in Taiwan, 16 August 2022. (Ann Wang/Reuters)

Why Chinese Singaporeans will be torn if war breaks out over the Taiwan Strait

Zaobao associate editor Peter Ong observes that members of the Chinese community in Singapore hold diverse views on reunification and other issues, and have varying levels of emotional ties to the mainland and Taiwan. If war breaks out, it will not be distant like the war in Ukraine, but stir up different feelings in the Chinese community. Remaining objective would be hard but necessary.