Cityscapes of Diaspora: Images and Realities of London's Chinatown

侨民的城市景观：伦敦唐人街的形象与现实

• 批准号: AH/E508782/1
• 负责人: Rosemary Sales
• 金额: $ 29.04万
• 依托单位: Middlesex University
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2007 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=AH%2FE508782%2F1
• 关键词: Cityscapes; Diaspora; Images; Realities; London

The research project explored diaspora through a detailed case study of London's Chinatown. It investigated the role and meaning of Chinatown in the lives of Chinese people in London and the different -sometimes conflicting - interests and activities involved within this space. Chinatowns have been crucial in the construction of 'Chinese diasporas'. They are the visible 'public face' of the population and 'private' community spaces, embodying both connection with other Chinese people and distinction from others. Chinatowns also reflect changing relations between Chinese populations and 'host' societies and for example policies on multiculturalism and immigration control. London's Chinatown, once seen as 'risky", is now an established feature of multicultural London. The research used a combination of methods: ethnographic observation, street surveys and questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with 30 representatives of Chinese organisations and other stakeholders; and 50 individuals with varied migrant backgrounds, statuses and personal characteristics. These explored Chinatown's importance in participants' daily lives and their sense of identity and belonging. The results affirmed Chinatown's importance for London's Chinese population, especially newcomers for whom it provides practical support, information and formal and informal networks. Even those who rarely use Chinatown saw it as important, creating a sense of belonging and being 'at home'. The different interests and activities centered there may be conflicting but also complementary. Its role as a tourist destination, for example, may drive out community orientated activities but also bring resources for regeneration and the maintenance of its Chinese character. The narratives of participants underlined ambiguities in the notion of diaspora. Their varied regional origin, complex migratory journeys and motives for migration and different levels of settlement in Britain complicate the notion of scattering from a common homeland implied by some definitions of diaspora. For some participants, 'home' and 'abroad' were not fixed geographical points as home could be recreated in different places. Most participants made strong distinctions between themselves as Chinese and others and the 'Chinese environment' reproduced in Chinatown, rather than attachment to China itself, was fundamental to this distinction. The constructed unified 'Chineseness' represented in Chinatown also hid differences based on class, legal status, region of origin and so on. The recent involvement of the Chinese state underlies the importance of the political in relation to diaspora. Chinatown provides a focus for political and economic links between Britain and China and community organisations based there are increasingly tied to China. Many participants took pride in the rising power of the 'motherland' and felt it increased their status in Britain. This development also threaten Chinatown's role in uniting different groups of Chinese people. When 'being Chinese' involves loyalty to a particular state it excludes those who do not wish to claim loyalty or who are deemed unacceptable. The research also revealed the fragility of Chinatown's acceptance in London. The Home Office raids in 2007 on the undocumented workers who are vital to its economic success raised the spectre of Chinatown as dangerous and uncontrolled. Chinatown still carries the weight of orientalist stereotypes of suspicion towards the Chinese 'other'. The project produced a range of outputs for academic and community audiences. These include a project launch for community organisations and service providers and an academic seminar; an extended working paper and summary report; maps showing Chinatown's relation to the Chinese population; and conference papers, book chapters and articles. A web site detailing these activities is being developed and will be updated as further outputs are produced.

该研究项目通过对伦敦唐人街的详细案例研究来探索侨民。它调查了唐人街在伦敦华人生活中的作用和意义，以及这个空间中涉及的不同（有时是相互冲突的）利益和活动。唐人街在“华人侨民”的建设中起着至关重要的作用。它们是人口可见的“公共面孔”和“私人”社区空间，既体现了与其他中国人的联系，又体现了与他人的区别。唐人街还反映了中国人口与“东道国”社会之间不断变化的关系，例如多元文化主义和移民控制政策。曾经被视为“危险”的伦敦唐人街，如今已成为多元文化伦敦的一个既定特征。该研究采用了多种方法：民族志观察、街头调查、问卷调查和半结构化访谈，共采访了30名中国组织和其他利益相关者的代表；还有50个人，他们有不同的移民背景，身份和个人特征。这些活动探讨了唐人街在参与者日常生活中的重要性，以及他们的认同感和归属感。调查结果肯定了唐人街对伦敦华人人口的重要性，尤其是对新来者来说，它为他们提供了实际支持、信息以及正式和非正式的网络。即使那些很少使用唐人街的人也认为它很重要，可以创造一种归属感和“宾至如归”的感觉。不同的兴趣和活动可能是相互冲突的，但也可能是互补的。例如，它作为一个旅游目的地的角色，可能会赶走以社区为导向的活动，但也会带来资源，用于再生和维护其中国特色。与会者的叙述强调了侨民概念的模糊性。他们不同的地域起源、复杂的迁徙旅程和移民动机，以及在英国不同程度的定居，使一些“散居”定义所暗示的从共同家园分散的概念复杂化。有些参加者认为“家”和“国外”并不是固定的地理点，因为家可以在不同的地方重现。大多数参与者对自己作为中国人与其他人有强烈的区别，而唐人街再现的“中国环境”，而不是对中国本身的依恋，是这种区别的根本。唐人街所代表的建构统一的“中国性”也隐藏着基于阶级、法律地位、原籍地区等的差异。中国政府最近的介入凸显了政治与海外侨民关系的重要性。唐人街为英国和中国之间的政治和经济联系提供了一个焦点，那里的社区组织越来越多地与中国联系在一起。许多参与者为“祖国”的崛起感到自豪，并认为这提高了他们在英国的地位。这种发展也威胁到唐人街团结不同群体中国人的作用。当“作为中国人”涉及到对一个特定国家的忠诚时，它排除了那些不想声称忠诚或被认为不可接受的人。该研究还揭示了伦敦对唐人街的接受程度的脆弱性。2007年，英国内政部（Home Office）对对其经济成功至关重要的无证工人进行了突击搜查，这让唐人街的幽灵变得危险而不受控制。唐人街仍然承载着东方主义者对中国“他者”的怀疑。该项目为学术界和社区观众提供了一系列产出。这些活动包括一个面向社区组织和服务提供者的项目启动和一个学术研讨会；扩展工作文件和简要报告；显示唐人街与中国人口关系的地图；会议论文，书籍章节和文章。目前正在编制一个详细介绍这些活动的网站，并将在产生进一步产出时予以更新。