The Chinese Diaspora: A History of Globalization

To understand globalization is to study linkages and circulation of peoples, goods, cultures and ideas across space (land and sea) and over time. There is no better illustration of globalization than the Chinese diaspora--the worldwide dissemination of Chinese people and their descendants across the world from the Ming Dynasty to present. After sketching the global contour of this phenomenon, students will drill down deeper into specific regions of the world to examine conflicts and integration as immigrants localize; identity, community and social formations as immigrants re-territorialize; as well as transnational relationships with place of origin and co-ethnics in the diaspora.