Birth Tourism and the Construction of Alien Maternity

• In Event: 106 - Open Refereed Roundtable Session I
  In Refereed Roundtable: A. Table 13. Family in Global Context

Abstract

Since early 2011, the so-called maternity tourism among Chinese nationals has garnered media attention, community response, and political intervention as it re-animates the debate of birthright citizenship. Using the recent public demonstration and municipal crackdowns of ‘maternity hotels’ in Southern California as a case study, this paper analyzes the construction and representation of Asian alien maternal subjects in media coverage and political discourse. It argues for a more nuanced understanding of the construction of alien maternities as they intersect with structure of racialization, framework of legality, and class privilege.

Author

• Kuan-Yi Chen, City University of New York-Graduate Center