“Hot and bitter tears” (辛酸泪): An inquiry into Chinese migrants’ experiences of undocumented status

Machin, Helen Elizabeth

Abstract

Undocumented Chinese migration to the UK has, in the aftermath of widely publicised events such as the Dover and Morecambe Bay tragedies, triggered significant concern. Since such events, attention has turned to other forms of irregular entry. Yet, undocumented Chinese migrants have remained in the UK and represent an under- researched group. Previous studies have predominantly focused on irregular Chinese migrants’ motivations, their clandestine migration journeys, and experiences of exploitation in work. Less is known about the everyday lives and emotional dimensions of irregular Chinese migrants’ experiences over time. In the light of this gap in the literature, the overarching aim of this thesis was to examine Chinese migrants’ experiences of an undocumented status in the UK. To fulfil this aim, I constructed three research questions: how did Chinese migrants experience: i) the shift to an undocumented status?; ii) everyday life with an undocumented status?; and iii) the status journey over time? This qualitative study draws on narrative interviews, underpinned by ethnographic sensitivities and sensibilities, with undocumented Chinese migrants. Participants were recruited from two primary sites: a Chinese community centre and a Chinese Christian church. I adopted a narrative approach to analysis and attended to the content, function, structure, and context of migrant’s narratives. Based on this analysis, I advance my argument that undocumented Chinese migrants experienced a form of extended liminality, which I have categorised into three domains: liminal law and status; liminal social and economic places; and liminal time. The experience of extended liminality intersected with gender and other biographical and structural elements in participants’ narratives to create specific vulnerabilities. Through my interpretation of participants’ narratives, I argue that Chinese migrants’ experiences of open-ended liminality were deeply connected with the ‘hot and bitter tears’ that characterised their narratives.

Citation

Machin, H. E. (2023). “Hot and bitter tears” (辛酸泪): An inquiry into Chinese migrants’ experiences of undocumented status. (Thesis). Keele University

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Jul 19, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 19, 2023
• Keywords: undocumented migration, Chinese, UK, liminality, narrative analysis
• Award Date: 2023-06