The language of political incorporation : Chinese migrants in Europe

In this groundbreaking study, The Language of Political Incorporation , Amy Liu focuses on Chinese migrants in Central-Eastern Europe and their varying levels of political incorporation in the local community. She examines the linguistic diversity of migrant networks, finding institutional trust and civic engagement depend not on national identity, but on the network’s linguistic diversity—namely, whether the operating language is a migrant’s mother tongue or a lingua franca. The Language of Political Incorporation uses original survey data to assess when the Chinese engage positively with the authorities and when they become civic minded. The results are surprising. In Hungary, the Chinese community has experienced high levels of political incorporation in part because they have not been targeted by anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies. In contrast, migrants in Romania sought the assistance of the Chinese embassy to fight an effort to collect back taxes. Liu also compares the Chinese experiences in Central-Eastern Europe with those of Muslims in the region, as well as how the Chinese are treated in Western Europe. Additionally, she considers how the local communities perceive the Chinese. The Language of Political Incorporation concludes by offering best practices for how governments can help migrants become more trusting of—and have greater involvement with—locals in their host countries. Ultimately, Liu demonstrates the importance of linguistic networks for the incorporation of immigrants. In this groundbreaking study, __The Language of Political Incorporation__, Amy Liu focuses on Chinese migrants in Central-Eastern Europe and their varying levels of political incorporation in the local community. She examines the linguistic diversity of migrant networks, finding institutional trust and civic engagement depend not on national identity, but on the network’s linguistic diversity—namely, whether the operating language is a migrant’s mother tongue or a lingua franca. Liu also compares the Chinese experiences in Central-Eastern Europe with those of Muslims in the region, as well as how the Chinese are treated in Western Europe. Additionally, she considers how the local communities perceive the Chinese. __The Language of Political Incorporation__ concludes by offering best practices for how governments can help migrants become more trusting of—and have greater involvement with—locals in their host countries. Ultimately, Liu demonstrates the importance of linguistic networks for the incorporation of immigrants. Contents 6 Acknowledgments 8 1. Introduction 12 2. A Theory about Languages and Migrant Networks 27 3. The Chinese in Central-Eastern Europe 47 4. Survey Evidence from Central-Eastern Europe 73 5. Political Incorporation amid Right-Wing Nationalism in Hungary 101 6. Tax Collection and Political Incorporation: A Natural Experiment in Romania 125 7. Beyond the Chinese: The Muslims in Central-Eastern Europe in Comparative Perspective 144 8. Beyond Central-Eastern Europe: The Chinese in Western Europe in Comparative Perspective 164 9. Implications: Local Attitudes toward the Chinese (and Other Out-Groups) 180 10. Implications: Best Practices 194 References 200 Index 224 "Examines the political incorporation of migrants and argues that those who use a lingua franca are more likely to be in diverse bridging networks, which are often associated with greater political incorporation"-- Provided by publisher