Transitions across borders: Migration aspirations of young people from Kinmen, Taiwan

Abstract

This paper examines the migration aspirations of young people from the remote border area of Kinmen, Taiwan and their migratory trajectories—internal migration to the main island of Taiwan and cross-border migration to China. Located between Taiwan and China, Kinmen is an offshore island with a long history of migration. Based on multi-site ethnographic data from 30 young people, this paper explores their migratory trajectories and aspirations concerning the instability of socio-political context and the growing social and cultural inequalities of today's globalised world, China's rise in particular. It contributes to the population geography literature by using migration aspiration as a critical lens to analyse how young people negotiate their borderland identity through mobility under the changing cross-strait political economy. The paper emphasises the importance of considering the transformation of regional economy and culture when analysing youth migration experiences. In recognising the socially grounded aspects of migration aspiration, it highlights the fluid and transformative nature of migration to enrich our knowledge of how marginalised youth form subjectivities and negotiate complex identities through migration. The distinctive experiences of peripheral youth shed new light on the conceptualisation of border crossing, place and desires under the sway of globalisation.