Chapter 17 Sexuality, Socialization, and Inequalities on the Move

The Lived Experiences of Young Chinese Gay Migrant Men in France and Belgium

In: Handbook of Chinese Migration to Europe
Authors:
Cai Chen
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Aaron Raphael Ponce
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Type:
Chapter
Pages:
494–525
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004712140_019

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Abstract

While gender has become a salient category of difference in the scholarly portrayal of new Chinese migrants, the sexuality of Chinese individuals in Europe—let alone the Chinese gay diaspora—remains understudied. Drawing on data collected in two separate research projects on gay Chinese migrants in France and Belgium, this chapter explores the multifaceted lived experiences of young Chinese gay migrant men in Europe through the lens of sexual (re)socialization and inequalities in a transnational context. First, this chapter gives an overview of the current research on queer Chinese migration, including in the European context. Second, it explores the processes of sexual (re)socialization of young Chinese gay migrant men in France and Belgium and the multi-level sources of this process. Finally, the last section highlights the health care and racial inequalities that gay Chinese migrants encounter in European host societies, as well as their agency, and delineates how these inequalities are produced and perpetuated within unequal power relations such as “race,” age, class, and migrant status. We conclude with a discussion that bridges studies on queer migration studies and Chinese diaspora studies, calling for more sexuality-inclusive research on Chinese migration to Europe.

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Series:  Brill Handbooks of Chinese Overseas, Volume: 01
Cover Handbook of Chinese Migration to Europe
E-Book ISBN:
9789004712140
Publisher:
Brill
Print Publication Date:
26 Nov 2024
Front Matter
Introduction
Part 1 Statistical Data on Chinese Populations in Europe
Part 2 Migration Motivations and Pathways
Part 3 China as a Diaspora State
Part 4 Economic Opportunities and Ethnic Entrepreneurship
Part 5 Socialization and Intersecting Inequalities
Part 6 Identity Constructions and Cultural Representations
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