Homeland, Host Country, and Beyond: Identity Transformation among Chinese Migrants in Singapore

Abstract

This paper examines identity transformation among Chinese migrants in Singapore in the context of transnationalism and widespread use of ICT s (Information and Communication Technologies). Based on how strongly migrants identify with the homeland and the host country, the paper constructs four ideal types of identity: transnational, assimilatory, sojourning, and cosmopolitan. The study finds that the most common identity is the transnational sort, characterized by the migrant identifying strongly with both homeland and host country. Nevertheless, migrants also hold other identities including those beyond the four ideal types, demonstrating the diversity and fluidity of migrants’ identity transformation. The paper also examines the factors that affect migrants’ identity transformation.