Chinese women in Latin America

DENARDI, LUCIANA E.; ALBA VILLALEVER, XIMENA

Anthropology of Ascendant China

Routledge

Año: 2024;

The aim of this chapter is to analyze the migratory process of Chinese women in Latin America (especially Argentina and Mexico) in the past two decades from the perspective of a “globalization from below.” It asks how the rise of China as a global political and economic power impacts Chinese women’s decision to reside in a foreign country. Migration studies with a gender perspective have focused on the feminization of migration, the racialization of working markets, and the vulnerability of women´s situation. Previous research in gendered Chinese migration have shown on the one hand, the re-feminization of the roles of migrant women, and on the other hand, the strong family dependency that migrant women have, because family networks are essential to start the (new) journey.The chapter presents three hypotheses that Latin American contexts provide Chinese women with several advantages. First, the region holds the highest positive image of the rise and global role of China. Second, for Chinese migrant women, the distance from the traditional patriarchal family allows them to forge their own path towards financial independence, and provide relief from work or family mandates that constrain them. Third, these migrants benefit from the possibility offered by the popular economy and the increased need for Chinese workers in Latin American cities for their economic development. In conclusion, Chinese women, who often migrate alone, decrease their dependency on family and often avoid the traditional roles expected of them, while strategically taking advantage of being Chinese in Latin America.