Migrant economic integration in the ethnic minority region: A case study of Sanggendalai, Inner Mongolia, China

Abstract

The existing literature on selective assimilation tends to focus on the role of cultural preservation as social support in migrant integration. It is unclear whether ethnic entrepreneurialism, as a form of cultural preservation, can help migrants to incorporate into receiving cities. In China, migrant integration studies predominantly focus on social networks in large metropolitan areas, leaving a gap in understanding those populations in small cities. This study explores the integration of migrant herders in a small city in Inner Mongolia, China. This paper uses a questionnaire survey and in-depth interviews to highlight how entrepreneurial practices derived from traditional livelihood knowledge facilitate migrant integration into urban settings. Herders leverage their pastoral expertise and skills to establish or join small businesses, ensuring stable incomes and financial resilience. Such entrepreneurial activity based on traditional livelihood practices is both a reflection of cultural protection and a mechanism for economic embedding. They exhibit strong agency and overcome institutional barriers in integration progress. This study expands the application of the selective assimilation theory and reveals the important role of traditional livelihood practices as cultural and economic capital in promoting migrant integration. In addition, it emphasises the value of small cities, pointing out that their flexible institutional environment and close social network help achieve the double embedding of cultural preservation and economic integration.