2017/04/13 by Kit Wa Anita 陳潔華 Chan, Lucille Lok-Sun Ngan · 1 citation
Social Sciences · #China #Citizenship #Demographic economics #Diaspora, migration, transnational identity #Differential (mechanical device) #Economics #Gender studies #Geography #Immigration #Inequality #Law #Migration and Labor Dynamics #Migration, Refugees, and Integration #Political science #Social mobility #Social science #Sociology #Typology
paper · doi:10.1080/17450101.2017.1300452
openalex publication_date 2017/04/13 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
Recent migration studies have adopted the lens of mobility to examine the stratifying effects of border policies, but few investigate the differential mobility of migrant families and children. This paper aims to contribute to the migration literature by considering the interplay between border policies, family configurations, and differential mobility. We apply the lens of differential mobility to the experiences of Chinese cross-border pupils – young child migrants with Hong Kong permanent residency who reside in Shenzhen, China, and cross the border to attend school. We begin by describing shifts in Hong Kong’s border and immigration policies since 1997, which have created a typology of families differentiated by mixed status, citizenship rights, and mobility. We then turn to four case studies of students with unequal border-crossing experiences to elucidate how border control constrains or promotes family mobility and perpetuates inequalities.