Changing Generational Dynamics in Chinese America across Time

Abstract

This article examines the causes and consequences of generational formation in the Chinese diaspora in America. Based on a review of the existing literature and a reanalysis of data collected from my prior research on China-born immigrants in the United States, I document the formation of immigrant cohorts in four historical periods of Chinese immigration and illustrate how contexts of emigration and host-society reception intertwine to influence the evolution of immigrant cohorts across time and, in turn, produce variations on patterns of immigrant adaptation, leading to differences in the outcomes of host-society integration and levels of homeland engagement.