There is much knowledge about the 19th and early 20th century that can be gained from looking at Chinese Migration during this time as it helps us, the reader, to gain an understanding of the types of factors that catalyzed such movements for so many people. In reading Jack Patrick Haye’s ‘Chinese migration in the mid-late 19th century’ one is able appreciate the different forces that both ‘pulled’ and ‘pushed’ Chinese migration. In addition to Haye’s work this essay will also be citing ‘Social impacts of the climatic shift around the turn of the 19th century on the North China Plain’ written by XiuQi Fang, LingBo Xiao and ZhuDeng Wei which also at this initial migration through the lens of the climates influence. With the help of these sources this essay will attempt to analyze why and how it was that the traditional Confucian importance of staying home and with family was overcome by the need for both flight and economic migration during this time.
Before looking at the contextual forces that were at hand during this time it is first important that we flight and economic migration, so we are better able to categorize the factors that influenced the start of this migratory movement. Flight migration is defined by Haye’s as “Driven by the need to escape unsafe conditions, such as war, disease, natural disasters, poor governance, or persecution of one’s race, religion or political beliefs.” (Hayes, Chinese migrations in the Mid-Late 19th century) Whereas on the other hand, economic migration is “Driven by the need or desire to improve one’s economic situation by moving elsewhere for a business or job opportunity (Hayes, Chinese migrations in the Mid-Late 19th century) As we continue in this essay, I will show how factors effecting both flight and economic migration were present in abundance in China during this time.
The first of such factors present was the decline of governance during this time as due to the large expansion that the Qing dynasty was responsible for, both in terms of population and territory, put large strain on society at large. This due to the fact that established structures of governance did not adapt and became stretched too thin. This absence in government presence led to substantial increases in both corruption and rebellions. Such unrest stimulated flight migration for many as they tried to escape the turmoil present within their communities. Haye’s explains the disregard of the officials as he states that many officials neglected their responsibilities and instead of doing these, they engaged in corruption to enrich themselves. (Hayes, Chinese migrations in the Mid-Late 19th century) Furthermore, he goes on to explain how this corruption played a part in these rebellions as they were “based on a variety of grievances, including poverty, famine, anger at official’s corruption, and a strong dislike of the Qing.” (Hayes, Chinese migrations in the Mid-Late 19th century) Thus, we see how this slack in the role of government played a part in creating an environment in which many saw their only solution to be moving.
Another large factor that pushed many into migrating for both flight and economic reasons was the increase in natural disasters during this period. Fang and her peers discussed this in their work and explained that during this period many farmers crops were destroyed which pushed them to either migrate or if this was not possible rebel against local officials that were not fulfilling their responsibilities in aiding farmers recover from such disasters. These rebellions of course added to the existing disorder of the environment. Fang attributes such regular occurrence of these natural disasters (e.g., flooding) and the decreasing of temperatures in different areas, which made it more difficult to farm, to climactic changes during this time.
In addition to these internal factors there were significant international forces that put pressure on Chinese society and made it desirable for many to move overseas. Perhaps the biggest of these factors that stimulated particularly flight migration was the increased international conflict during this time. The first of which was the opium war with Britain, were Britain dominated China with their advanced technology and gained access to the large Chinese market. After this conflict came a second opium war in which China fell again to Britain who was aided by France. These continued international conflicts also contributed to the number of internal rebellions present within China as many disliked the increasingly unrestricted presence of Western nations within China. Furthermore, it was in this period that China suffered possibly their most humiliating loss to Japan. These conflicts stemming from both international and national sources for many pushed them to migrating from China.
These international forces not only brought conflict and flight migration but also were a source of increased job and economic opportunity. These employment opportunities came as “Foreign companies went in search of a new pools of cheap and exploitable labor – workers. They (Western nations) set their sights on China because of its large labor force and the opportunity created by the opening of treaty ports.” (Hayes, Chinese migrations in the Mid-Late 19th century) In many cases foreign employers were quite popular during this time due to the decreasing availability of employment within China, as many found it increasingly hard to find jobs in the government and population increases were making farming land a diminishing resource for many.
In conclusion although this essay only briefly touches upon some of the major factors that helped to stimulate/catalyze Chinese migration during this time it is through analyzing these different forces of influence that we can better understand the contextual environment of this period.
Sources:
Fang, X., Xiao, L., & Wei, Z. (2012). Social impacts of the climatic shift around the turn of the 19th century on the North China Plain. Science China Earth Sciences, 56(6), 1044-1058. doi:10.1007/s11430-012-4487-z
Hayes, J. P. (n.d.). Chinese migrations in the Mid-Late 19th century. Retrieved March 29, 2021, from https://asiapacificcurriculum.ca/learning-module/chinese-migrations-mid-late-19th-century
