Cosmopolitanism at Home: Creative Migrants and the Remaking of Migrant Hometowns

• In Event: International Migration Section Refereed Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): 13. Return migration / migration to Mexico

Abstract

There is a humorous remark familiar to many Europeans: “If you bump into a Chinese person on the street, this person probably comes from Wenzhou.” Although this is merely an informal anecdote, it reflects the magnitude of Wenzhou in the history of overseas Chinese. Located in the southeastern hilly coastal region of China, Wenzhou has sent 836,000 migrants to over 180 countries worldwide. Qidu, a subdistrict in Wenzhou, is one of the most famous migrant hometowns in China, from which 26,500 migrants have emigrated and reside in more than 32 countries. In the past decade, an increasing number of creative personnel have chosen to relocate to this migration hometown, reshaping its physical landscape and cultural dynamics. This trend points to an emerging force in migrant hometown development beyond government policy and commercial investment. To address this research gap, this paper explores how rural migrant hometowns and the creative class shape and facilitate each other within the broader international migration process. Based on ethnographic fieldwork and interviews, our preliminary findings show that creative personnel, often with overseas experiences, develop cosmopolitan perspectives and introduce creative practices upon return, while migrant hometowns such as Qidu, despite population hollowing, provide space for cultural revitalization. Specifically, the newly arrived creative class reshapes the area through Western-style businesses and nature-oriented cultural projects, attracting visitors yet maintaining low-level gentrification. Meanwhile, tensions with villagers and a delicate relationship with local governments reveal nuanced social dynamics. This paper contributes to academic inquiry and offers policy implications for migrant hometown development, particularly in the global South, providing practical insights for policymakers and urban planners.

Authors

• Fanling Cheng, Wenzhou Kean University

• Yintan Fan, University of Essex