Chinese Activism of a Different Kind: The Chinese Students' Campaign to Stay in Australia

In Chinese Activism of a Different Kind , Jia Gao examines the social behavior and patterns of actions of 45,000 or so Chinese students as they fought to obtain the right to stay permanently in Australia after the June 4 'Tiananmen Square' incident of 1989. In a time of relative Internet infancy their response to the shifting stances of the Australian government saw them build networks, make use of media and develop a range of strategies. In achieving success this diverse group of students became the largest intake of onshore asylum seekers in the history of Australian immigration. Through their testimonies Jia Gao provides a fascinating addition to our knowledge of Chinese activism and to the history of Chinese migration. Contents 8 List of Tables 10 List of Abbreviations 12 Preface and Acknowledgments 14 1. Introduction 18 Chinese Students Living in Australia 20 Pre- and Post-20 June Groups 27 Chinese Activism from a Scholarly Perspective 32 Organization of the Book 41 2. The Formation of the Student Issue 46 The Student Issue after June 4 46 Expansion of the Student Groups 55 Changes in Group Patterns 59 3. Strategic Identity Construction 66 The Government’s Panic Policy Responses 67 The Collective Construction of a New Identity 74 Strategic Identity Construction by Individuals 79 4. Organized International Networks 94 The Chinese Students in the United States 96 The Role of Independent Student Unions 102 Computerized Networks and the ‘Pelosi Bill’ 107 Connecting to International Politics 113 5. Utilizing Legal Options 120 The Tide of Immigration Litigation 121 The Chan Yee Kin Case 127 The ANU Students v the Immigration Department 137 6. Lobbying 146 Interactions with the Government 149 Lobbying Community Organizations 157 The Media as the Main Battleground 168 7. Organized Political Actions 180 The Rationale behind the Transition 181 Further Politicization of the Campaign 192 Factionalism and Reorganization 198 8. The Finale of the Campaign 206 The ‘1 November [1993] Decisions’ 208 Summary of Findings 212 A Better Understanding of Chinese Activism 221 Appendix A: Interview Schedule 230 Appendix B: Key Questions for Stage One 233 Bibliography 236 Index 258 In Chinese Activism of a Different Kind, Jia Gao examines the social behavior and pattern of actions of 45,000 or so Chinese students in their effort to stay permanently in Australia after the June 4 incident of 1989.