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Migration and Mobilities in East Asia: the Chinese in Japan and Korea.
Dr Meiyun Meng, is the Postdoctoral Research Fellow for the MIGMOBS project at University College Cork. In this short news story, you will learn about Dr Meng's specifc role conducting research on migration and mobilities in East Asia, her PhD, and her research interests.
This post-doctoral sub-project is a collaboration with Waseda University and MIGMOBS Co-PI, Prof. Gracia Liu-Farrer. This project aims to explore the distinctive migration and mobilities patterns exhibited by Chinese migrants within other East Asian states. In contrast to some Western nations, Japan and South Korea are laboratories of East Asian nation-building contrasting to the dominant global paradigm of linear immigration, integration and citizenship. Migrants and mobile populations present in these countries undergo distinct experiences concerning access, entry, settlement and citizenship pathways, which differ from those commonly observed in Europe and North America. Within this framework, the study aims to grasp the emerging migration and mobility patterns among resident Chinese populations in Japan and South Korea. Specifically focusing on the pre-, during and post-COVID context, the research will examine the interconnected dynamics of internal and international migration within contemporary Chinese population trends, via narrative biographical interviewing. It seeks to discern the nuances of these "new" patterns by examining factors such as national status, gender dynamics, identity formation, experiences of discrimination, personal social networks, and economic inclusion/exclusion.
Dr Meiyun Meng, the post-doctoral researcher for this project, is a social geographer who recently completed her PhD on the mobilities of highly educated women in China. Her thesis explores how highly educated women challenge and negotiate gender norms rooted in Chinese tradition by relocating to and making their homes in Shenzhen, also known as China’s Silicon Valley. Utilising biographical narrative interviews and visual methodologies, her research reveals that mobility and internal migration to Shenzhen serve as pathways for highly educated women to pursue aspirations by embracing neoliberal principles and bolstering their financial independence. However, the neoliberal environment of Shenzhen also engenders new forms of gender inequalities and potential exploitation targeting young highly educated women, compelling them to sacrifice their private lives in exchange for liberation and freedom.
Post-doc Dr Meiyun Meng.
Meiyun aims to apply her knowledge of contemporary Chinese migration and methodological expertise to this sub-project. Centred on the geographies of mobilities and gender within Chinese societies, she will play a key role in interpreting the migration and mobilities of Chinese individuals in East Asia. Working closely with Prof. Adrian Favell and Prof. Gracia Liu-Farrer, Meiyun aims to gain insight into the evolving patterns of inequality and power within global flows that chart the inter-relations of China, Japan and Korea.