Living in Limbo: Navigating Fluid Identities among Young Chinese International Migrants in the Post-Pandemic Era

• In Event: 20862 - Section on International Migration Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 9: Pandemic and Post-Pandemic Impacts on Migration

Abstract

In the context of globalization, the growth of international migration has been widely recognized, with both the number and speed of migration increasing, and destinations becoming more diverse. Within the framework of liquid modernity, the fluidity of identity, the rise in population mobility, and the weakening of connections to traditional societies have emerged as defining characteristics of the times. The COVID-19 pandemic, as a social catalyst, has further exacerbated uncertainty in modern societies, with effects on migrant populations. As one of the world’s largest sources of emigrants, China experienced significant return migration before the pandemic due to its expanding economy and employment opportunities. However, after the outbreak of COVID-19, emigration regained popularity among young middle-class Chinese, falling into a state of ambivalence marked by continuous transnational mobility. Despite the growing literature in the study of migration, there remains a research gap in understanding the psychological state of young, highly educated Chinese from middle class families in the post-pandemic era.

To address this gap, this research introduces the concept of “in limbo” to describe the unstable, multi-stage, and cyclical migration of young Chinese in the context of post-pandemic. We focus on the migration motivations and experiences of those in limbo and explore the dynamic processes of identity formation and social anchoring within liquid modernity. To achieve this, we conducted in-depth interviews with young Chinese migrants who experienced multiple stages of transnational migration. The research reveals that the transnational mobility of Chinese youth immigrants in the post-pandemic era is not only a geographical relocation, but a complex process of experiencing identity crises, persistent uncertainty, and fluctuations in social belonging in the context of globalization, reflecting their self-reconstruction and continuous adaptation.

Authors

• Sitan Su, University of Macau

• Zhuoyue Ma, Department of Sociology, University of Macau

• Haoyu Huang, Department of Sociology, University of Macau